Imagine Khan Academy with hardware projects. We are combining online curricula with wicked cool hardware kits to teach introductory engineering topics at the high school and up level.
To do so, we are using the edX platform (edx.org) and then developing hardware modules. A prototype course may be viewed at https://edge.edx.org/courses/NarwhalEdu/E101/2014_Spring/courseware (requires signing up for a free edX account). A screenshot is below:
Modules:
1) Drawing robot: a robot arm that draws faces. Learn about kinematics, battery calculations, and more! ETA January 2014, presales open in October 2013.
2) Quadcopter: a PCB quadcopter. Learn about controls.
3) Swarmbots: three small robots that follow each other around. Learn about swarm behavior.
We want to inspire you to see engineering as we do — something fun and wicked cool and creative. We want to empower you to go out and make your own things and to spread the “can do” attitude.
We are three recent graduates from MIT and Cornell: Nancy Ouyang, Cappie Pomeroy, and Hanna Lin.
Hi Cappie, Laura shumaker’s dad here. Way to go, the concept looks good. I might be a good feed back loop. I’m interested in increasing my tech knowledge so when the drawing robot comes out I’ll try it. I’m high on the mechanical scale but low on the computer/electronic interface spectrum so if I can do the project and learn from it that will be a good test of the functionality of your module.
I’ll sign up to follow. Looking forward to it.
Karl
Thanks Karl! Nice to meet you and we will keep in touch.
Thanks,
–Nancy