SBIR Phase I: A Smart and Collaborative Science Experimentation Tool To Inspire Future Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

该创新是一种新颖的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)科学实验工具。这个基于传感器的工具是一个智能和协作的系统，将为小学年龄的儿童提供一个友好的科学实验介绍。该系统将作为商业产品开发，包括一个类似游戏的应用程序，帮助儿童解释和控制科学实验工具。此外，还将开发供课堂使用的教育产品线，包括适合年级的课程。这项创新将吸引幼儿探索他们周围的世界，并提供STEM基础知识和技能。其目的是培养在这些学科领域的长期兴趣和随后的更高水平的学习。这项创新的更广泛/商业影响将寻求培养一支技术更熟练的劳动力队伍，为幼儿提供温和和友好的现代技术介绍，用于科学实验室和探索性游戏。这项创新将教授关键的科学、数学、工程和基本编程技能，为孩子们提供基础知识，帮助他们在技校科目上脱颖而出。2011年，智能教育和学习市场的价值超过1000亿美元，而且还在快速增长。然而，市场上的许多电子学习玩具都是听命于孩子的答案，而不是让孩子实验并从结果中学习。这一创新将鼓励孩子们在听到这个术语或完全理解这个概念之前就遵循科学的方法。尽管商业世界受益于传感器成本的大幅下降，但由于缺乏廉价但有效的基于教育技术的工具，科学课堂上几乎没有做出相应的技术改进。这一创新将提供一种低成本、引人入胜的教育工具，鼓励幼儿探索他们周围的世界，教会他们可以通过科学素养的镜头来看待日常世界。

The innovation is a novel Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) science experimentation tool. This sensor-based tool is a smart and collaborative system that will offer a friendly introduction to science experiments for elementary aged children. The system will be developed as a commercial product, including a game-like application to help the child interpret and control the science experiment tool. Additionally, an educational product line for classroom use, including grade-level appropriate curriculum, will be developed. The innovation will engage young children in exploring the world around them and provide STEM foundational knowledge and skills. The intent is to foster long-term interest and subsequent higher level study in these subject areas. The broader/commercial impact of this innovation will seek to produce a more technically adept workforce, by providing young children with a gentle and friendly introduction to modern technology for use during science labs and exploratory play. The innovation will teach critical science, math, engineering, and elementary programming skills, providing children with foundational knowledge to help them excel in technical school subjects. The smart education and learning market in 2011 was worth upwards of a hundred billion dollars and is growing rapidly. However, many of the electronic learning toys on the market dictate the answers to the child versus allowing the child to experiment and learn from the result. This innovation will encourage children to follow the scientific method before they even hear the term or fully understand the concept. Despite the commercial world benefitting from dramatic decreases in sensor costs, very little corresponding technological improvements have been made in science classrooms due to a lack of inexpensive, yet effective, educational technology based tools. This innovation will offer a low cost, engaging, and educational tool to encourage young children to explore the world around them, teaching them that the everyday world can be viewed through the lens of scientific literacy.