Robot Arms in Schools Project

Santander UK recently provided the funding for an outreach project within the Department of Computing, University of Northampton - loaning robot arm kits, which are pretty much self-contained, out to schools to see what they can come up with and share with the wider community. 

The project is provide a robot arm kit to support computing and STEAM activities for a year and the schools taking part write a blog post (or more than one) http://robotschools.blogspot.co.uk/, sharing what they have done. Ten kits have been made available.

 

The chosen kit is the CBiS Education robot arm hub - select as it comes with the robot arm, cables, raspberry pi computer, etc as well as screen, keyboard and mouse (see the picture above). So it has everything needed to get going within a few minutes.  

In the first five days of the robot arms kits going into the schools, over half the ten robot arm kits are now in schools - four Primary schools and two Secondary Schools. 

Here are some of the tweets about what has happened already.

Also get free #Cardboard2Code Part1 https://t.co/f0LF1LMzls Part2 https://t.co/ywGtp3VVU3 @Tiffybum @scottturneruon pic.twitter.com/LZ5HV1UC9E

— CBiS Education (@cbiseducation) June 9, 2016

@scottturneruon @cbiseducation Arm up & running, and we are already tinkering! This will be a fun year! pic.twitter.com/slWDPZ92B2

— Stacey (@Tiffybum) June 9, 2016

Getting ready to talk about the Robot Arm project at #tmplaydate @santanderuk @UniNorthants pic.twitter.com/tpYbRM4WTP

— Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 8, 2016

Scott Turner is looking for volunteers to test his robot arms in schools #TMplaydate pic.twitter.com/2denb4oWSC

— Helen Caldwell (@HelenCaldwel) June 8, 2016

. @santanderuk sponsored @UniNorthants supported Robot Arm kits were used at @codeclub @DustonStLukes pic.twitter.com/jGNpLcK78P

— Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 7, 2016

@scottturneruon @santanderuk Very excited to play with the robot arm. Thank you. 

— KayS (@kay_simons) June 7, 2016

First of the robot arm kits is @roadeprimarysch - fun setting it during @codeclub today @UniNorthants @santanderuk pic.twitter.com/QK45Xlcs9x

— Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) June 6, 2016

The project team are grateful to Santander UK for the funding; CBiS Education for their support and advice so far; last but not least the schools who have enthusiastically expressed an interest in taking part or who are taking part now. A blog for the project is now available at http://robotschools.blogspot.co.uk/.

If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated withAll views are the authors, and may not reflect the views of any organisation the author is connected with in any way.

STEM Outreach: prize-giving for children’s robot designs

Taken from: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/university-of-northampton-hosts-a-special-prize-giving-ceremony-for-school-children-s-robot-designs

​A group of school children were invited to the University of Northampton on 22 May for a prize-giving ceremony for a robot design competition that was set by the School of Science and Technology.

Pupils from six schools across Northamptonshire were selected to take part in an Engineering Extravaganza during National Science and Engineering Week in March, which was organised by Tricia Goodchild, STEM Co-ordinator from the University of Northampton.

As well as taking part in the fantastic workshops that the STEM Ambassadors carried out, the pupils were asked to design a special robot that could perform wonderful tasks.

The winners were Jaisie Burnett from Bugbrooke Primary School, who designed The Transporter 2000 and Millie Berrill from The Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School, who designed Mummy’s Little Helper. They both won a Mindstorm Lego Robot each.

Two runners up prizes were awarded to Elle Huckerby from Studfall Junior School for the Robo Teddy and Diane Petruhina from Vernon Terrace Primary for the Crazy Robot. Special awards for creativity and imagination went to Luke Smith and brother and sister team, Sophie and Luke O’Connor, all from Southend Infant School.

The prizes were presented by Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Executive Dean of the School of Science and Technology and Duncan Middleton, Chairman of the Northants Engineering Training Partnership and Technical Director of Festo UK.

The winning pupils were then able to see their robot designs in 3D in the High Definition Active Cube in the NVision Centre.

Tricia Goodchild organised the competition along with Jon Adams, Head of Engineering. She commented:”All 700 entries were wonderful, but the winners and runners up were fantastic. They were so enthusiastic and full of energy and were in awe of the inspiring immersive 3D modelling which NVision, particularly Kelly Sealy, had put together. To be able to get inside the robot they had designed on paper was an amazing experience.”

Schools fight it out in Technology Tournament

Schools from across the Northamptonshire on Wednesday 16 March at Weston Favell School, Northampton took part in The Technology Tournament is supported by The University of Northampton and organised by the Rotary Club of Nene Valley, with teams from a large number of Northamptonshire secondary schools. Teams  used everyday equipment to come up with imaginative solutions to technical problems.

"The University is delighted to be involved in promoting this exciting day of activities and to be providing judges.  In addition, our School of Science and Technology is sponsoring the Best Overall Solution award, which was won in 2010 by the Intermediate level team from Kettering Science Academy ." John Sinclair, Deputy Dean, School of Science and Technology.

The original article can be found at http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/99/

For more details please contact John Sinclair Deputy Dean, School of Science and Technology.