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Things That Think
Weaving Computational Media into Artifacts for Children
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A course for blending the physical and
computational
The advent of new technologies-for embedded and
ubiquitous computing, powerful output devices, and affordable, novel
materials-suggests exciting directions for the design of mathematical and
scientific artifacts for children. Our Things that Think course engages
undergraduate and graduate students in the design of the next generation of
science toys, kits, exhibits, games, and puzzles.
Computationally-Enriched Automata, Construction Kits,
and More
Things that Think students work in design teams to
create computationally-enhanced prototypes of educational artifacts. In the
current semester, the initial project involved using MIT Media Lab "crickets" to
augment traditional mechanical automata. Students employed machine tools and a
computer-controlled laser cutter to create custom-designed wooden pieces for
their automata.
The second course project involved the creation of computationally-enhanced
construction kits. In the project shown below, students designed "speech-enabled
alphabet blocks". These plastic blocks, each containing its own computer, can
communicate with one another in sequence to send a newly-spelled-out word to a
desktop machine; the machine then pronounces the completed word through a speech
synthesizer.
What's Next?
We intend to "spin off" the course into a variety of
continuing special projects in the use of new output devices (such as laser
cutters, knife cutters, and 3D printers) and new materials (such as shape-memory
alloys, piezoelectric materials, and conductive inks) to design next-generation
educational artifacts.
