Science Makers: open hardware for STEM education

Sat 1 October 2016

Cambridge Makespace

Open source hardware allows and promotes building and remixing of devices through sharing designs and code. Combined with new manufacturing and fabrication technologies like 3D-printing open hardware has great potential to boost hands-on learning and scientific experimentation in STEM education. Not only are solutions lower cost but they are also customisable and no longer a black box.

We'll hear from some projects focused on open hardware and education from schools through to universities.

12:00 Arrival and coffee

12:15 - Presentations and demos

• Carlos Lugo on open hardware for plant electrophysiology in secondary schools

• Matt Little from the Curious Electric Company on environmental and educational electronics kits for all ages

• Amy Lai on OpenAFM - an open atomic force microscope built by students at UCL and Tshingua University for use in schools.

13:30 - Pizza (£4 suggested donation)

14:30 - Making!

We will try to build some of the educational kits, the following are guaranteed projects:
• Plant electrophysiology boards

• Ultrasonic bat sensor

You are welcome to tell us about your own ideas and projects or bring something to build!

Cost: free