Magic with MotionGen: Learn to Design Robot Motions

Magic with MotionGen: Learn to Design Robot Motions

In this workshop, students from K-12 and beyond and teachers will learn how to design robot motions using a state of the art app developed at Stony Brook University with the support of the National Science Foundation. Most robotics education platforms focus almost entirely on coding. In addition, they don’t provide any significant design exposure to the students. The tool presented in this workshop will allow participants to learn how to design and prototype linkage mechanisms for creating robot motions.

What inspired you to make this project?:
We wanted to make sure that students from K-12 and beyond understood that robotics was not just about coding. There is a mechanical design aspect of it, which is often ignored. This app is built upon years of peer-reviewed research in mechanisms and robotics area and provides a fun-filled target for robot motion design. The app itself is part of a broader robotics education platform for K-12 and beyond called SnappyXO Design (www.snappyxo.com).

What are some of the challenges you have encountered and how did you address them?:
This has been a multi-year long effort and developing a cross-platform compatible app, which works across platforms is a non-trivial pursuit. However, with the support of the National Science Foundation and various NY-state agencies, finally, this has become a reality.

Project Website
Categories: Robotics, CAD