A Miniature and Low-Cost Robotic Fish for Ethorobotics Research and Engineering Education: Part II—STEM Outreach

Interactive robotics in formal and informal settings alike has been shown to effectively excite and educate learners at every level. In this second of two papers, we present the educational application of recently-developed biomimetic robotic fish for K-12 learning at the New York Aquarium focused on underwater robotics and marine science. We narrate the development, organization, and execution of an outreach program designed around these robotic fish to pique K-12 students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to attract them toward engineering careers. The activity offers an authentic engineering experience through bioinspired modification of the swimming robots informed by observation of the aquarium’s inhabitants. Student survey responses indicate the success of the activity in influencing the students’ perception of engineering. More specifically, the students showed an increased interest in STEM fields and found engineering to be a more accessible and exciting discipline after the activity.