Robots are at the heart of the makerspaces movement, which aims to bring together like-minded computer experts to build collaborative projects. This book introduces readers to the nascent world of makerspaces and its potential. Readers learn how to find these spaces in their local community or even in the local library. They then learn how to use makerspaces tools such as Arduino microcontrollers or Lego Mindstorms to build full-functioning programmable robots, all to their specifications. Not only does this knowledge inspire a sense of fun, it can also be applied to any number of STEM careers.

The makerspace movement is as nascent and revolutionary as the technology behind unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and this volume introduces readers to both fascinating worlds. UAVs are no longer science fiction. Though their surveillance capabilities are controversial, they’re also being used for more practical purposes. This volume teaches young people how members of the maker movement are producing their own UAVs for productive purposes. Readers learn just what makerspaces are and where to find one in their own community, hopefully piquing their interest in engineering careers.

Makerspaces, equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, and other high-tech tools, are often associated with STEM programs like science, math, and technology. Educators have discovered that the learning opportunities makerspaces offer can be just as valuable in other curriculum areas as well. This volume fuses this fabulous technology with the Language Arts.

The urge to experiment and create has been strong in humankind since time immemorial. So, too, has the need to gather together for the greater good. Makerspaces, where innovators meet to advance technologies through physical computing, answer the call of both these motivating factors. Once a wave of the future, makerspaces are quickly becoming a fixture in the here and now. This books lets students discover where to find, and how to make the best use of, these creative spaces.

Makerspaces are community-based, hands-on workshops in which people of all ages and skill levels come together to learn, work together, and create. Using creativity and collaboration, makerspace science projects are both fun and fulfilling. This guide brings science to life with ten easy-to-follow makerspace activities using sewing machines, laser cutters, 3D printers, electronics, woodworking tools, and metalworking equipment. Makers will develop new people and project skills, build confidence by overcoming challenges, and possibly discover innovative ways to address modern-day issues with science.

Makerspaces: Your questions answered here! Get the nuts and bolts on imagining, planning, creating, and managing a cutting-edge Makerspace for your school community. Nationally recognized expert Laura Fleming provides all the answers in this breakthrough guide. From inception through implementation, you’ll find invaluable guidance for creating a vibrant Makerspace on any budget. Practical strategies and anecdotal examples help you: Create an action plan for your own personalized Makerspace Align activities to standards Showcase student creations Use this must-have guide to painlessly build a robust, unique learning environment that puts learning back in the hands of your students!

People have long dreamed of creating machines that can carry out the same tasks as people. These dreams have led to the creation of many sci-fi books, movies, and shows that attempt to depict how people would live with robots, cyborgs, and androids. This compelling book traces the history of robotics as a science, while describing in vivid detail some of the most influential works in all of science fiction, including those by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Fritz Lang, Eando Binder, and Isaac Asimov. Readers will ponder intriguing questions about the ethics of how robots, cyborgs, and androids are used and treated.