For more than 10 years, the Werner-von-Siemens School has been involved in robotics and has already realized numerous projects in the field of robotics. After this long time, the desire to do something new arose.
The goal of the overall project was to build a state-of-the-art robot center for collaborative robotics in which industry-related processes could be mapped. Furthermore, a Makerspace for students was to be created, which integrates project-oriented teaching and self-directed learning. In the future, the Makerspace should support and motivate students in the STEM field as part of the career orientation of general education schools and get girls and boys excited about technology at an early age. For this purpose, a Makerspace was to be implemented in addition to the robotics lab and placed upstream of it.
Overall, the implementation of the school's internal Industry 4.0 project with collaborative and classic robotics technology as well as the Makerspace expands the school offering at the Werner-von-Siemens School and promotes a school-wide understanding of technology.
In the course of implementing the project, three new laboratories were created at the Werner-von-Siemens School.
The MakerSpace represents the preliminary stage for later professional application in the robotics lab. This room is set up for open project work. Here, the students are to work in a project-oriented and self-organized manner. From programming microcontrollers to textile lighting to bionics, there are smaller projects where learners can work on something from the STEM and technology fields at set stations.
With the Festo Bionic Kits, for example, the chameleon gripper used in the main process can be divided into smaller individual modules on the robot. With the help of the Bionic Kit, the various gripping processes can be mapped and assembled and experienced by the students themselves. Teachable Machines and the Festo AI camera can be used to detach sub-processes and thus make various neural networks, machine learning and gripping systems vivid and explore them in a playful way. In order to depict a realistic process including an AI application in the STEM field, there is also the possibility to work with artificial intelligence (AI) in an industry-related robotic system. For this purpose, an area has been set up to illustrate AI control using a candy cobot. There, objects are to be detected, tracked and selected by touch. Candy is used for this purpose, which the candy cobot places in the hands of the students.
A 3D printing room has been set up between the Makerspace and the robotics lab. With the state-of-the-art 3D printers located there, the room offers the possibility to produce various components for the manufacturing of the model cars and thus also provides a space for further creativity and an insight into modern manufacturing processes and production in batch size 1.
In the robotics lab, the manufacturing process of the school's own model car is mapped. The vehicle is developed and produced from a stationary vehicle to a microcontroller-controlled, autonomously driving vehicle. The manufacturing process is realized with the help of a total of three collaborative robots. The material transport between the individual stations and the 3D printing production is implemented via an autonomous robot (Robotino) with integrated Cobota.
The combination of MakerSpace, 3D printing manufacturing and robotics lab offers a wide spectrum for different types of schools. Especially the MakerSpace is beneficial for younger students from general education schools to get an insight into STEM topics.
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The state initiative n-21: Schools in Lower Saxony online (n-21) is the project sponsor of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs and is tasked with implementing the educational projects from the Lower Saxony Master Plan for Digitization. This includes the project "Human-Robot Collaboration-Robonatives", of which the Werner-von-Siemens School was allowed to be a part.
A total project budget of approximately €840,000 was available. This included funding within the framework of the "Initiative for Masterplan Digitalization - Human-Robot Collaboration-Robonatives" as well as funding from the district for equipment and building-related adjustments.
"The cooperation with Festo Didactic during the course of the project can be described as very good overall. We had competent contact persons and were able to realize a great process that fully mapped our requirements for the cobots and the artificial intelligence we wanted to have."