Introducing Neuroscience and Neurocomputation Concepts to High School Students using Brain-based Neurorobots

项目摘要 了解大脑是一个深刻而迷人的挑战，吸引了科学界和科学家。 公众一样。对大多数大脑紊乱缺乏有效的治疗方法使得下一代的训练 神经科学家，工程师和医生的一个关键问题。然而，许多神经科学被认为是 太难了，在学校里教不了。使神经科学更容易接近和吸引学生， Backyard Brains正在开发用于教育的神经机器人：有趣且负担得起的机器人， 摄像头、眼睛、轮子、WiFi和模仿真实的生物大脑的人工软件大脑。神经机器人套件 将允许学生调查有意义的真实的虚拟世界的问题，心灵，大脑和行为的设计 人工大脑，使机器人的行为像生命一样，感官引导和目标引导。在第一阶段， 项目中，学生将分组调查“为什么我的狗在我呼唤时会来找我？”通过 设计神经网络，让机器人在需要时接近。当机器人在 在课堂上，学生将能够观察其视觉感官输入和其神经元之间的活动流 在智能手机或笔记本电脑上，通过语音命令和一个“奖励按钮”与大脑互动， 学习通过设计，测试和分析神经机器人大脑，学生将获得实际的理解 神经元、突触、神经网络、大脑功能以及大脑与行为之间的关系， 发展重要的计算思维技能和自我概念作为神经科学家。在第一阶段，我们将 开发神经机器人硬件和软件，并与教育专家合作开发和评估 一个关于神经机器人的高中教学小组。第一阶段的总体目标是展示 利用神经机器人进行高中神经科学教学的可行性和教育价值。我们独特 低成本的机器人硬件、创新的课程和易于扩展的应用程序的结合，使我们的 产品吸引了我们庞大的高中、大学和业余客户群。在第二阶段，我们将 扩展我们的神经机器人套件的课程和功能，并创建一个在线论坛， 老师们可以分享大脑讨论实验我们的长远目标是鼓励教育政策 制造商通过展示有效的神经科学课程， 基于大脑的神经机器人通过结合神经科学，一个跨生物学的多学科领域， 医学、心理学、数学和工程学，以及机器人技术和基于项目的学习方法， 我们的神经机器人和课程将改善STEM教育并激励下一代科学家， 工程师和医生。

PROJECT SUMMARY Understanding the brain is a profound and fascinating challenge, captivating the scientific community and the public alike. The lack of effective treatment for most brain disorders makes the training of the next generation of neuroscientists, engineers and physicians a key concern. However, much neuroscience is perceived to be too difficult to be taught in school. To make neuroscience more accessible and engaging to students and teachers, Backyard Brains is developing neurorobots for education: fun and affordable robots with camera­eyes, wheels, WiFi and artificial software brains modeled on real biological brains. The neurorobot kit will allow students to investigate meaningful real­world questions about mind, brain and behavior by designing artificial brains that make the robot’s behavior life­like, sensory­guided and goal­directed. In Phase I of this project, students will work in groups to investigate the question “Why does my dog come to me when I call?” by designing neural networks that make the robot approach when called for. While the robot moves around in the classroom, students will be able to observe its visual sensory input and the flow of activity between its neurons on a smartphone or laptop, and interact with the brain using voice commands and a “reward button” that drives learning. By designing, testing and analysing neurorobot brains, students will acquire a practical understanding of neurons, synapses, neural networks, brain functions, and the relationship between brain and behavior, and develop important computational thinking skills and self­conception as neuroscientists. For Phase I we will develop neurorobot hardware and software, and collaborate with education specialists to develop and evaluate a short high­school instructional unit around neurorobots. Our overall Phase I goal is to demonstrate the feasibility and educational value of using neurorobots to teach high­school neuroscience. Our unique combination of low­cost robot hardware, innovative curriculum, and easy­to­use applications makes our product appealing to our large high­school, university, and amateur customer base. For Phase II we will expand the curriculum and the capabilities of our neurorobot kit, and create an online forum where students and teachers can share brains and discuss experiments. Our long­term aim is to encourage education policy makers to adopt neuroscience requirements by demonstrating an effective neuroscience curriculum organized around brain­based neurorobots. By combining neuroscience, a multidisciplinary field that spans biology, medicine, psychology, mathematics, and engineering, with robotics and a project­based approach to learning, our neurorobots and curriculum will improve STEM­education and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and physicians.