Information on the project

Work assignment/objective

Our project aims to introduce school children of all ages to scientific phenomena, especially those related to (digital) technology, by integrating interdisciplinarity through pedagogical participatory design (e.g. project weeks).

Among other things, the students should therefore create a robotic activity as a starting point for an alternative learning method in a new and diverse social environment in order to expand and deepen their knowledge and to advance the overall project with the aforementioned professional skills through topics such as social diversity, teamwork, etc. and to help the general public with this elaboration in everyday life after the completion of the project.


Project description

The project is based on the Digital (Picture) Story “The Mystery of Shadow and Echo” created by our group “Learn2Go!” - consisting of Mohamed-Deeq Langschwert, Lisa Mayer and Sirin Shaltout - which focuses on the scientific aspects of light, color and sound and is also based on childhood memories of those involved. By presenting our Digital (Picture) Story “The Mystery of Shadow and Echo”, our group wants to take an educational approach to our project. Every student has probably experienced this scientific phenomenon themselves and can therefore identify with it. The next step is to translate this understanding into a project that represents an everyday and equally well-known problem: The danger of getting on and off public transportation or (mechanical) transportation in general.

In our aforementioned robotics activity, we built a robot and its environment using the following materials: LEGO MINDSTORMS with a color sensor, a matching Samsung tablet for programming the robot, a white table top, white and colored paper and cardboard parts. The robot is supposed to represent a train or public transportation in general. In relation to our Digital (Picture) Story, we decided to include the element of light, color and sound and emphasize its role in creating attention/awareness. The whole concept therefore revolves around the use of sound systems to attract human attention and therefore also increase overall safety around public transportation. People often react unconsciously to sounds, which can trigger various reactions and actions. To simulate this in our project, we programmed the robot to respond to visual stimuli (different colored sensor platforms on the lower platform walls) with acoustic reactions (first a warning signal to indicate danger, then a calming melody to signal arrival). 

 In addition, the robot was equipped with a sensor that is able to detect two different colors. When detecting each color, the robot produces a sound selected by programming, which reacts to that particular color. This setup was intended to demonstrate how acoustic signals can influence behavior and perception, similar to the elements in our Digital (Picture) Story “The Mystery of Shadow and Echo”. By integrating sound into the robot's operation, we highlighted the subtle but powerful effect of acoustic cues in everyday environments such as a train station. This project not only brought our Digital (Picture) Story to life, but also provides a hands-on exploration of sensory interaction and responsiveness in technology.


Allgemeine Informationen

Lehrveranstaltung

PS Development Spaces - Educational Robots and Social Diversity

Semester

Sommersemester 2024

Lehrender

Pelin Yüksel Arslan PhD

Projektbeteiligten

Mohamed-Deeq Langschwert

Lisa Katharina Mayer

Sirin Shaltout

→ Group "Learn2Go!"

Datenschutz

Der Beitrag wurde zur Veröffentlichung freigegeben:  JA

Die Multimedialeninhalte (Fotos, Videos,...) dürfen ohne weiterer Rückfrage und MIT Namensnennung für nicht kommerzielle Zwecke durch den Arbeitsbereich Digitalisierung im Bildungsbereich weiterverwendet werden.

JA


Die Multimedialeninhalte (Fotos, Videos,...) dürfen ohne weiterer Rückfrage und OHNE Namensnennung für nicht kommerzielle Zwecke durch den Arbeitsbereich Digitalisierung im Bildungsbereich weiterverwendet werden.

NEIN

Results

Final robotic development of the project by the “Learn2Go!” group

 

Video_Darstellung des Projektes.mp4


Initial robotic development of the project by the “Learn2Go!” group


Materials and inspiration for creating robotic activities from the “Learn2Go!” group


Digital (Picture) Story “The Mystery of Shadow and Echo”:

Digital Story_Gruppe "Learn2Go!".mp4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hXe–WRZya0ILrpD3VX4aMcV9FxXYXsJ/view?usp=sharing (Attention: High data volume!)





Experience report

While working on our project, we encountered numerous difficulties. Initially, we believed that the sensors would not recognize the selected colors and that the many different sounds (warning signals, melodies, etc.) could not be generated. After several failed attempts, it turned out that the sensors required proximity to the color plates and an additional time distance, i.e. a longer driving distance, to achieve the expected results. Due to the high sensitivity of the sensor, we therefore decided to minimize the use of excessive coloring and the inclusion of a background design (e.g. design of a train station) in the creation of our wall as much as possible. The creation and programming of the robot also proved to be extremely challenging due to both the motor (problems with the controller, hence the use of cardboard rails) and sensory (sounds were added via recordings and the sound system of the LEGO MINDSTORMS motor via the tablet programming is very weak) problem representation. Creative approaches therefore had to be sought and often rethought by the team members.

As already mentioned, the project therefore has some limitations. The robot is designed to react only to colors and does not recognize light variations. This limitation restricts its ability to potentially interact with a wider range of environmental stimuli. The robot operates strictly according to the pre-programmed code and does not adapt to failed attempts. Furthermore, the robot's activity does not contain any form of artificial intelligence and therefore does not adapt or self-adapt to extra-natural occurrences, which could lead to major safety issues given the proposed environment and the many human interactions involved. There is still a lot of room for improvement in this respect.


However, the future potential applications of our project are equally diverse. Our project plays an important role in fostering critical thinking and problem solving skills, and prepares the need to involve diverse - and often even for the technology experts unknown - disciplines through the use of advanced technological devices. The development aims to create everyday scenarios and integrate real-life problems in order to develop the students' learning and problem-solving experience. By simulating a train environment, students can gain insights into the complexities and challenges of everyday life.

In addition, our project also promotes Austria's cultural heritage and could serve both tourism and Austria's security, as the melodies that one can hear after the warning signal sounds when the public transport arrives can also be replaced by well-known pieces of music by well-known Austrian artists. Of course, the selection of these pieces of music can also be done through several interactive (digital) votes with the Austrian population and thus also directly involve the Austrian people. This would also create a certain proximity to our project for outsiders to the project and emphasize the musical and cultural uniqueness of cities like Salzburg for both the population and visitors.

The target groups of this project are therefore basically unlimited and range from all ages and genders, as our project is linked to public transportation, with all types of people being found and therefore being if not directly, indirectly part of the project.