Design and 3D Models: Yoav Friedlander.
ROBOT IN A BOX (2021)
Categories: Product Design, UX/UI Design, Prototyping, Look and Feel, Learning experience
Role: Product Manager, Lead Designer
Robot in a Box (RIAB) is a product by NYC FIRST. It’s currently in its MVP phase.
RIAB Team: Yoav Friedlander, Talya Stein, Anne Goodfriend and Dr. Meghan Groome.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
Living in a Remote World, and as Educators and Robotics Coaches in charge of teaching a credit bearing class around Robotics to different High Schools in Manhattan, we had to ask ourselves “How do we teach robotics through a computer screen?”. That was the question that prompted us to develop a creative experience in a kit where all of you could explore, tinker, and build an infinite variety of robots.
OUR GOAL
Our mission is to put a robot in the hands of any kid that wants one, creating a spark and sustain interest in STEM through a hands on/minds on kit-based learning program.
Logo design: Francesca Rodriguez Sawaya.
WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON
Robot in a box is an experiential kit-based learning program. It comes with an ultra-low cost computer, prototyping materials, and robotics activities that you can all use to learn basic circuitry principles, learn different programming languages that will help you create your dream robot, while improving your STEM skills.
As students open their kits they’ll find everything they need to explore the field of robotics including lessons on electrical and mechanical engineering, computer programming, and design thinking. They’ll also discover physical and digital prototyping materials that are key to moving their creative and brilliant robot designs from their imaginations and into the real world. The kit provides an ecosystem of learning resources that come as decks of cards, a browser-based webpage, an augmented reality package, and a digital toolkit in TinkerCAD and GitHub. With their friends and family, kids can begin with the basics and easily upgrade their skills into new programming languages, more complicated designs, and new digital tools.
For this phase, we’ve worked with Brooklyn Public Library as our distribution partnership, getting 40 of these RIAB kits in the hands of Middle Schoolers around Brooklyn.
COMPONENTS AND PRINTED MATERIALS:
Deck of cards “Component Cards”. These ones belong to Unit#1 of Curriculum. Concept and Design: Francesca Rodriguez Sawaya. 3D Models: Yoav Friendlander.
Each card is dedicated to one specific component that users will find inside their Circuitry Components bag. On the back part information is structured as: WHAT is it, HOW it works and WHY it matters (relationship to the real world).
Deck of Cards “Activity Cards”. These ones belong to Unit #1 of the Curriculum. Each one contain a visual reference for one specific activity and in the back part user will find the materials they will need, as well as a QR code that will take them to a step by step tutorial. Concept and Design: Francesca Rodriguez Sawaya. 3D Models: Yoav Friendlander.
Pamphlet guides users on how to use each component/material that’s included inside the kit.
Mat was designed to give users a “work space”.
First 40 boxes of RIAB have been distributed to 6 different Brooklyn Public Library branches last month. This came with an open workshop facilitated by our team and a current 6 weeks training facilitated with the TRS and TTS from BPL.