1. WaterBotics
Teaching Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Concepts Using LEGOTM Underwater Robots
Jason Sayres
The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education
Stevens Institute of Technology

2. What is WaterBotics?
LEGOTM MINDSTORMS robotics in underwater environment
Approximately 20-hour curriculum aimed at middle and high school classes as well as summer camps and after-school activities
Primarily funded by NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program
Award # : Build IT Underwater Robotics Scale-Up for STEM Learning and Workforce Development (BISU)

3. Partners Stevens Institute of Technology
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE)
Development of curriculum
Primary training and support
League for Innovation in the Community College
Selection and support of community college partners to target formal educational environments (i.e. schools)
Year one selection: Sinclair Community College
National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP)
Selection and support of informal education programs, especially those aiming to engage girls
Year one selection: Texas Girls Collaborative Project
International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA)
Development and dissemination of a hybrid professional development program built around WaterBotics curriculum

4. Why Underwater Robotics?
Presents unique, complex design challenges (e.g., buoyancy, control in 3-D)
Exposure to concepts like propulsion, drag, buoyancy and stability, gearing, torque, speed, and thrust
Awareness of careers that involve the types of skills developed in the project

5. Why LEGOs? Familiarity (in some cases) Ease of use and durability
Variety of pieces
Rapid prototyping, testing, redesign
“Tweak friendly”
Fewer components required to create start-up kit

6. Project Challenge
Using LEGO and related components, create an underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) that will be able to pick up weighted wiffle balls and deposit them in a bin.

7. Task 1 – Straight Line Challenge
Use a single motor to build a vehicle that can travel the diameter of the pool on the surface as quickly as possible.
Optimize gearing to achieve best propeller speed.

8. Task 2 – Figure Eight Challenge
Use a second motor to enable steering.
Maneuver on surface to complete a slalom course around two buoys in shortest time.

9. Task 3 – Vertical Challenge
Use a third motor and other materials to control the vehicle's buoyancy in order to descend and rise vertically in water.
Maneuver through the same slalom course as in the previous challenge, except this time underwater.

10. Task 4 – Final Challenge
Produce a vehicle which can retrieve the greatest number of objects from the bottom of the pool within a specified period.
Objects must be deposited in bins at various depths in the water to score points.
A fourth motor may be used to come up with some way to grab and release the balls.

11. The NXT and Programming

12. Key Concepts, Skills Buoyancy Density Newton’s Laws Momentum
Gear Ratios
Energy
Torque
Forces
Volume
Mass-Weight Distribution
Simple Machines
Programming
Iterative Design
Teaming

13. Training Model

14. Educator Support Hub site staff Visits to schools
and phone availability
Optional follow-up professional development
Website
Course management
Interactive FAQs
Curriculum updates
Optional Webcasts

15. Research Questions – Study 1
Professional Development Fidelity
Is the program delivered with equal fidelity in different environments?
If not, what are the differences between trainers and also between formal and informal teachers/staff and what accounts for them?
If the curriculum is altered, what is altered and why?
Are there critical components of either the PD or the curriculum without which the intended outcomes cannot be achieved?

16. Research Questions – Study 2
Student Impact
Is the curriculum as effective in a wider range of settings as in the setting in which it was originally tested?
Are student outcomes similar regardless of the teaching environment (formal vs. informal)?
If they differ, what are the differences and what accounts for them?

17. Research Questions – Study 3
Scale-Up and Sustainability
To what extent does/did each hub partner implement the Build IT model?
What is the correlation between the levels of success of hub partners in meeting the project’s overarching goal and their fidelity to the BISU model?
What adaptations, adoptions, partnerships, and/or collaborations resulted from implementation of the project?

18. Research Questions – Study 3
Scale-Up and Sustainability (cont.)
To what extent did hub sites become self-sustaining by their fourth year in the project?
How and to what extent did hubs develop a local funding base?
What capacity-building activities occurred to enable project sustainability?
To what extent did hub sites scale up or expand the Build IT program?

19. Summer 2010 – Sinclair CC Summer camp for students
Training institute for local teachers

20. Summer 2010 – Texas GCP Summer camp for girls
Will hold educator training in January
Target implementations:
After-school programs in Feb-June
Camp programs in summer 2011
View movies of bots in action at:

21. For More Information Jason Sayres Jason.Sayres@stevens.edu