Hosted by SALL , contributed by ggidas on 13 July 2023
Antecedentes
Our school is a small Gymnasium near the city of Trikala with 38 students. It' s the first time for the students that they will take part in a STEAM project. The students will learn how they can deal with the necessary knowledges about STEAM technologies. Especially 3D printing, Arduino microcontroller, Android Apps and Google Forms.
With their teachers' support they will get managed to create impressive and innovative projects. Before starting the implementation of this project we will deal with the principles and practices of Citizen Science. The students will create a questionnaire in Google Forms to ask the residents about their opinion for smart bins and recycling.
Objetivo
The aim of this project is to involve students from different classes from a small school in Trikala to collaborate in the creation of a prototype. The creation of an innovative project by students will cover the needs and the interests of the students and the local community.
The aim is:
- The utilization of the inclinations of the students and their creative expression, the intellectual cultivation, the integration of the personality of each student, as well as the cooperation between the members of the school community
- Raising students' awareness of issues of social and environmental interest while simultaneously developing a collective spirit of cooperation
- The perception of contemporary and real problems through communication with local actors
- The development of students' critical thinking, collective effort and experiential action through activities
- The creation of a pleasant and creative environment, where learning and teaching are not treated as passive acceptance of piecemeal knowledge
Cocreación con actores sociales
We will have several meetings with our societal actors to
- Specify the problem
- Find out solution
- Present them our prototype
We have selected to work, in the whole school year, with these societal actors (Municipality of Trikala, Environm. Dev. of West. Thessaly (PADYTH), residents) because they are responsible for this topic, they have the know how technology-method and they come in touch with this problem every day respectively
Implementación
- We will design in Tinkercad and print on a 3D printer 5 recycling bins.
- The bins will be connected to a microcontroller, which will control an ultrasonic sensor that will detect anyone approaching and with a Servo motor each bin will be open. It will also have 2 other sensors, a weight and an ultrasonic, which will calculate the fullness of the bins.
- Bins full data will be uploaded to the cloud
- This data will be used from an Android application (using Internet of Things technology) that we will design in AppInventor and it will be possible to a) inform about the fullness of the bins, b) the possibility of citizens submitting complaints to the authorities and c) find the optimal route from PADYTH with the activation of Google maps for the collection of recycling waste.
- Finally, through a QR Code that the bins will have on them, it will be possible for citizens to immediately submit their complaints to the authorities (PADYTH).
Every class has to do a different part of this project. The 1st class has to the 3D design (part 1), the 2nd class the Arduino circuit (part 2, 3) and the 3rd class the Android App and a questionnaire with QR Code (part 4, 5). Each group of students will take roles.
Reflexión
- Easier access to bins for the disabled and the elderly persons
- Easy to locate empty bins in the neighborhood
- Update PADYTH in real time on the fullness of the bins and from the residents' problem reports
- Saving fuel and better management of available resources (trucks etc.)
- Benefit to the environment
Futurel Plans
The students will present their construction in our school auditorium to students, teachers, parents and residents.
Finally they will take part in a competition about STEAM or Open Technologies.
