People are finally starting to recognize the importance of servo motors. Well, maybe not servos specifically. STEM – or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education – is being promoted by an increasing number of people who recognize that education in these areas is necessary for thriving in the future. This includes things such as robotics and automation, which rely heavily on servo motors.
It’s sometimes easy to forget just how common servos are. Servo motors can be found in many everyday items. But just being around servo motors doesn’t necessarily provide any insight into how they work. To actually understand how servo motors work, you have to get your hands dirty. You have to tinker with, explore, and learn about servos.
A number of different groups have introduced new ways to get STEM education into classrooms. Recently, a team of engineers, scientists, and students from Croatia have come up with an idea to get servos into the classroom.
It’s called STEMI and it’s a “Hexapod Robot you can make on your own at home”. STEMI comes as a DIY kit and is controlled with software on a smartphone. Not only will you get educational experience with robotics and servo motors, but you will also get experience with software. STEMI is being funded on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.
This idea of a DIY robot is appealing on a number of levels, the most obvious being that you get to build your very own robot. In addition to the satisfaction that comes from bringing a creepy scuttling hexapodal automaton to life, STEMI can provide a valuable learning experience on the basic concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education.
Bringing servos into the classroom will help prepare the next generation to excel in a world that will be driven by technology. The number of things being automated (including human jobs) is growing at an incredible rate, and without STEM education, people could get left behind.