Author: Nettrice Gaskins

Posted on by

2023 Summer Art, AI & Robotics explores 3D art, coding & invention at Lesley

Setting up the Paintbrush Bot
PHOTO: Setting up a paintbrush bot (with LSTEAM director Sue Cusack)

This summer we invited 12 Somerville High School (SHS) students from diverse backgrounds to explore the combination of three-dimensional art, machine learning artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. The in-person course built upon an existing collaboration with SHS teachers Karen Leary (math) and Laura Peters (robotics) and Lesley STEAM. Every day for two weeks SHS students met the SHS/LSTEAM at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design or LA+D.  Like the 2021 course, students earned 4 Lesley college credits that were matched by 2.5 math or 2.5 art credits. The skills they learned can be applied to other classes they can take during the school year such as math, art, robotics, and computer science.

SHS/LSTEAM facilitated activities such as 3D art & design, face-sensing AI using the Scratch programming language, and robotics. Class activities culminated in a capstone “moving 3D sculpture” project. The main objectives of the class were for students to:

  • Show an understanding of 3D art & design using craft material & art supplies.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of robotics by building robots that alter the environment through art.
  • Demonstrate their knowledge of machine learning AI, especially through face-sensing in Scratch.
  • Show an understanding of the iterative design process by rebuilding/repurposing their robot for new ends.

We began the course by learning about 3D art & design elements and principles. Students learned about 3D artists such as Lee Bontecou, Heather Hart, Olalekan Jeyifous, and Sanford Biggers. Next, students presented their research, especially which elements/principles they identified in their chosen artist’s works. Later, they learned about Joy Buolamwini, a coder who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. 

Diverse 3D artists
PHOTO: Lee Bontecou, Heather Hart, Sanford Biggers & Olalekan Jeyifous
Study finds gender and skin-type bias in commercial artificial-intelligence systems | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PHOTO: Joy Buolamwini via MIT News

For the first week, students explored 3D art & design (see above) in the morning. During the afternoons, with support from SHS/LSTEAM and Lesley A+D alum Bo Liang, students explored Scratch block coding, robotics, and digital fabrication such as 3D printing and laser cutting. They created kinetic sculptures that addressed a social justice issue or movement that is critical to them or their community. Then, they built robots using an entry-level kit that requires no soldering. They controlled their robots using face sensing AI. Face Sensing in Scratch let’s users create projects that respond to their eyes, nose, and other parts of their face. For the course, students used face-sensing to control their 3D art robots.

#movement kinetic sculpture
PHOTO: #movement Kinetic Sculpture on climate change

Students were given a design brief, which outlines capstone design deliverables and constraints. In design cyphers (also called circles or breakouts) the students brainstormed themes, then used sketches, web search images, notes, and found objects to visualize and present their ideas. The concept of the cypher comes from hip-hop culture:

To cypher is to rap, break, beatbox tightly together in a circle where each person just might get a moment in the spotlight. To cypher is to borrow and to lend, to playfully freewheel through whilst taking an exacting care for each word and carefully considering all the sounds, meanings, and interpretations. It is to fight back, to borrow, to steal, to represent, and to collaborate, whilst suddenly—surprisingly—at times aggressively claiming your own voice, your own right to speak. —Paul Watkins and Rebecca Caines

Working in cyphers, or smaller teams gave students the space to explore self-concept, which refers to the ways young people perceive their behaviors, abilities, and unique characteristics. Students learned how to use Adobe Illustrator for 2D design projects and Fusion 360 for 3D modeling. In the LA+D fab lab they learned how to 3D print and laser cut objects.

Working in the LA+D fab lab with Bo Laing
PHOTO: Working in the LA+D fab lab with Bo Laing

Later during the first week students worked with their peers and SHS/LSTEAM to synthesize what they learned in 3D art & design with their A.I. robot builds. This was done through prototyping to quickly iterate upon their initial designs. They had plenty of open work time that was dedicated to this activity and they participated in a collaborative peer review. The latter combines culturally relevant pedagogy and design thinking. Culturally relevant instruction modifies standard curricula to center students’ identity development, cultures, and participation. Design thinking helps students  understand design constraints, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create solutions to prototype and test.

Scaling up and building a prototype
PHOTO: Building an art bot Final capstone constructionPHOTO: Peer review preparation

The collaborative peer review process consisted of gallery walks, with each group providing constructive critiques for peer projects. Individually and in teams, they answered worksheet questions about the projects they saw. Students, in their groups, were given enough time to read and discuss their peers’ feedback. They were given time to respond to peer feedback through iteration on their initial prototypes. Students participated in peer reviews at the end of the first week and as a final review/capstone presentation on the next to last day of the course.

Working on capstone projects
PHOTO: Students work on their capstone projects
Final capstone project presentation
PHOTO: Final capstone project presentation

Examples of the students’ final 3D art bots include a paintbrush art bot, a “happy-faced Bobox”, a drawing giraffe, a spider clock, a fashionable head-turning robot, and and a moving sculpture modeled from Star War’s original R2D2 robot (see image below). The latter was shared with Ahmed Best who played the character Jar Jar Binks who appears throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy and recently a Jedi in The Mandalorian.

Oliver's R2D2 & Ahmed Best
PHOTOS: R2D2 moving sculpture (left) & Ahmed Best (right)

To learn more, check out some of the students’ final capstone projects (3D art bots):

 
This work has been made possible through collaboration with Somerville High School and Lesley University’s College of Art & Design’s PreCollege Program and the generous support of SomerPromise at the City of Somerville and the Biogen Foundation’s STAR Initiative.

Posted on by

Alternate reality game sparks interest in informal science learning.

Dr. Susan Rauchwerk, right, leads CYP staff through an activity. Photo courtesy Lesley University.
Dr. Susan Rauchwerk, right, leads CYP staff through an activity. Photo courtesy of Lesley University.

In addition to the summer 2021 Art, A.I. & Robotics course at Somerville High School, the Lesley STEAM team worked with Cambridge Youth Programs or CYP staff on an alternate reality game or ARG. Most educational ARGs consist of scenarios that lead participants to collaboratively solve puzzles and accomplish activities. LSTEAM used this social learning format as a professional development opportunity for CYP.

CYP staff watch Stacy and The Magic Water Bottle to kick off the event. Photo courtesy of Lesley University.
CYP staff watch “Stacy and The Magic Water Bottle” to kick off the event. Photo courtesy of Lesley University.

One of the first challenges that CYP staff had to address as part of their summer training was how to help ‘Stacy’ find a magical water bottle with healing powers. Stacy was a fictional character in a short video created by Tessa Johnson that provided clues to tasks CYP staff would later accomplish to play the ARG. 

To continue the water theme, CYP met Alexander Goldowsky and played the part of water molecules in a large group activity. Alexander also led a heat mapping activity. Susan Rauchwerk led CYP staff through an activity that illustrated the flow of watersheds. Nicole Weber helped participants make bubble wands using twigs and other materials. Laura Kathrein led them in an activity to express the movement of water through dance. Participants created bubble art with Nettrice Gaskins and Sue Cusack using recycled bottles and they explored hydro-dipping. 
Materials used for the bubble wand activity, plus a QR code.
Materials used for the bubble wand activity, plus a QR code.
Participants made bubble wands using twigs and other materials.
Participants made bubble wands using twigs and other materials.

The purpose of the Replenish ARG was to encourage CYP staff to think outside the box and give them ideas they could do with their young people outside. By expanding their knowledge about water through gameplay, they had space to go in directions that may never have been thought of before.

The unique summer staff training event was the culmination of weeks-long alternate reality game planning to encourage people to work collaboratively, make use of their science knowledge, and learn the kind of guided inquiry at the heart of LSTEAM’s core values.

Set in a future world where summers are hotter because of climate change, the Replenish ARG provided clues and puzzles via online videos and a variety of STEAM activities to help CYP staff come up with new ideas for their summer youth programs. This staff training (as a game) aimed to get people thinking outside of their smaller, sometimes more insular, worlds and into new, interdisciplinary modes.

Making an Alternate Reality 

ARGs use real life as a stage to tell an interactive story. The first puzzle in any ARG is what is referred to as “The Rabbit Hole”. Like Alice in Wonderland, this is the first step into the fictional universe of the game. The Replenish ARG rabbit hole was a fake BBC new article about the climate. CYP staff uncovered the rest of the Replenish narrative scattered across different activity areas outside of the Frisoli Youth Center in Cambridge, MA.

The rabbit hole for the ARG was a fake news web page.
The rabbit hole for the ARG was a fake news web page.

During the event, groups were divided by CYP program (approximately 6-10 people per group) and they rotated through five activities, then everyone got together to play a water cycle simulation activity. For each round, the groups met a Lesley STEAM member at their respective project tables to complete a task that also included a QR code that, when scanned, showed one of five posters with a missing word they had to correctly guess before moving on to the next project. Once they completed all of the projects (and got all of the words) they solved the puzzle by rearranging the missing words to complete a slogan.

By scanning QR codes at each activity station, participants got clues to solve.
By scanning QR codes at each activity station, participants got clues to solve.
Participants used the QR clues to spell out the slogan and win the game.
Participants used the QR clues to spell out the slogan and win the game.

Each group also got a ring to be used in a ring toss, to win the prize: a magic water bottle.

Stay tuned for more discussion about the ARG stations and activities.

The gathering was funded as part of biotech company Biogen’s STAR Initiative (science teacher support, access and resources).

Posted on by

Summer Art, AI & Robotics class captures imaginations in Somerville

SHS students work on basic robot kits.
SHS students work on their basic robot kits.

Sixteen Somerville High School (SHS) students from diverse backgrounds came together to explore the combination of art, storytelling, artificial intelligence (A.I.), and robotics. Their teachers worked with Lesley STEAM to weave this content together with relevant STEAM and CTE standards and learning objectives. The final product was a hybrid course that took place in the High School’s new FabLab, as well as online with Lesley University’s College of Art and Design faculty, a comic and graphic novel artist. They earned four Lesley college credits that were matched by 2.5 math and 2.5 art credits from SHS. Many of the skills they learned can be applied to other classes they can take during the school year such as math, language arts, art, and computer science.

Inspired by developments in artificial intelligence such as machine learning and A.I. sensing, the SHS/LSTEAM team facilitated several activities such as learning Scratch programming language, building basic robots, then students gained fine arts and storytelling skills from drawing comics. Class activities culminated in a capstone “artbot” project. The main objectives of the class were for students to:

  • Show their understanding of storytelling by animating a character using craft material & servos.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of robotics by building robots that alter the environment through art.
  • Show their understanding of the iterative design process by rebuilding/repurposing their robot for new ends.

Students began the class by learning about artists who explore human-machine collaboration and interaction such as Soughwen Chung and Stephanie Dinkins. They learned about Joy Buolamwini, a coder who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. 

Joy Buolamwini talks about racial bias in AI.
Joy Buolamwini talks about racial bias in AI. © TED

During the first two weeks, students learned how to use design thinking based on a culturally relevant making model from LSTEAM staff. The model included “design cyphers”, concept mapping, and “collaborative peer reviews.” They learned about the fundamentals of computer programming with Scratch, as well as how to build and program robots to imitate human creative expression. Later, they used an A.I. sensing extension in Scratch to enable their robots to respond and react to human movement.

During the third week, students worked with their peers, teachers and LSTEAM staff to synthesize what they learned in art and storytelling with their A.I. robot builds. In the morning, they took “Comics and the Graphic Novel” online with Barrington Edwards, summer faculty from Lesley University’s College of Art and Design; and in the afternoon, they met at the FabLab to engage in tasks that allowed them to combine clearly and coherently different ideas from visual storytelling with their physical robot prototypes. These activities culminated in student presentations synthesizing their work at the end of Friday class.

SHS student capstone artbot project.
This SHS student capstone “artbot” project is a Kraken monster that paints.

For the last and final week, students worked independently on their capstone projects, with support from the SHS/LSTEAM team. Students participated in collaborative peer reviews and gallery walks to get feedback from their peers, school teachers and administrators, and outside experts. On the last day each individual student or small group of students presented their final projects to the general school community.

Making the Artbots

For this class, students were tasked with designing, programming, and prototyping, and presenting their artbots, which are robots that respond to people and make art. They created a short comic about how to make an artbot and presented them during class. To build the artbot students were given design constraints such as: 

  • Your artbot can move freely or be attached to an object or a person
  • Your artbot must generate or help users to make art 
  • Your artbot must convey a story or a message (ex. through gesture)
  • You are encouraged to use pose detection / pose estimation 
  • You are encouraged to use sensors or other peripherals in your robot design
  • You must design and fabricate your own chassis that can include single or multiple motors/servos, wheels, or other moving parts

Pose estimation is a computer vision technique that predicts and tracks the location of a person or object. This is done by looking at a combination of the pose and the orientation of a given person or object. Students learned how to add code modules and extensions to Scratch that detect human movement using the computer’s in-board (web) camera. This builds on the Face Sensing block that uses machine learning that is trained to see faces.

Examples of the students’ final ‘artbots’ include “Cube”, a robot that is controlled by two mini-computers called BBC Micro:bits; “The Crab” that moves left, right, forward, and backward using servos motors; a “Boatman Painter” bot that actually paints; a “Kraken” bot that draws; a “Ladybug” bot that realizes how beautiful the sunshine is and draws sun symbols on paper; and a Butterfly bot that collaborates with humans to draw colorful pictures. Two students created a skateboarding “Ninja Turtle” that used music as the art form to define its movement. And finally, one student created their version of the “Scratch cat” as a motion-sensing A.I. robot that uses peoples’ body movements to draw.

To learn more, check out the students’ final artbots:

This course was made possible through the support of BiogenSTAR, Somerville High School, Lesley University College of Art and Design, and the City of Somerville.