Aquatic Soft Robotic Kit

Triton Systems, Inc., an SBA Tibbetts Award Winner for Success in Commercializing SBIR derived technologies, in collaboration with Harvard University, will leverage expertise in soft robotics, material science, and STEM education to develop a next-generation STEM education aquatic robotics kit (grades K-12). The kit will have two main goals: 1) engage children’s critical thinking skills with challenging design criteria and 2) develop the students’ skill sets to new and innovative areas such as manufacturing, material science, mechanical design, and human-robot cooperation. This kit will modernize current robotic programs by employing soft, flexible, and waterproof materials, with different iterations for various education levels for wide accessibility. The aquatic designs will provide students with an understanding of physical concepts such as forces, motion, and friction. Adaptable lesson plans will allow the kit to be utilized in classrooms, homes, or workshops while still providing a multidisciplinary skill set centered on math, physics, biology, and materials design. Triton will develop a STEM kit for K-12 education, focusing on aquatic soft robotics. Working with Harvard University, Triton will develop educational instructions and guides for students to develop their understanding of math, physics, biology, and materials design. The kit will be separated into four iterations, for different grade level groupings. Each subsequent iteration (increasing grade levels) will delve deeper into the design intricacies to further develop students’ multidisciplinary skill set and improve the students’ understanding of physical forces and interactions. The simplest iteration will provide fun and engaging exercises for young children to learn about how fish move in water, with the most complex iteration having students design and build bio-inspired soft robotics, requiring knowledge of math, physics, biology, material design, and skills sets in electronics, programming, mechanical design, manufacturing, and human-robot cooperation. This kit will bring STEM kits into the current state of the art and develop students into a tech savvy and innovative workforce, capable of supporting Naval enterprise.