The STUDIO’s Spring 2024 Course will be…

16224 IDeATe: Re-Crafting Computational Thinking with Soft Technologies

Fridays 12:00-2:50PM

Photos of Soft Technologies / Robotics Students Creating Jacquard Looms in Spring 2023

Taught by:
Melisa Orta Martinez (Robotics Institute, SHRED Lab, Computer Science, with courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering)
Olivia Robinson (IDeATe, Soft Technologies, and Entertainment Technology Center)

Re-Crafting Computational Thinking with Soft Technologies focuses on teaching introductory concepts of Robotics, Mechatronics, and Computer Science using an arts-based approach. During the course, you will build a weaving robot, program it, and explore how weaving is connected to computer programming and matrix mathematics. You will also learn the history of weaving, how to design dynamic patterns, and how to extract the features of those patterns into mathematical equations and computer programs.

This course included guest presentations from:

Kate O’Brien
Vernelle Noel
Sarah Khadraoui
Harrison Apple
Mygenet Harris

This course serves students with an interest in computer programming, mechatronics, and robotics, offering a unique interdisciplinary approach to these concepts. It is equally valuable for those with a passion for textiles, weaving, and art who aim to discover the intriguing connections between weaving, mathematics, and robotics. Our target audience encompasses students from various academic backgrounds, with a particular focus on attracting individuals from the College of Fine Arts and the Computer Science departments. Previously, the course has been offered once as a mini-course, and the enrolled students represented a diverse range of majors, including: Art History, Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Art.