MakerClub Encourages STEM Students with the Help of 3D Printing

To hear some people talk about it, you’d think no one in the world was interested in STEM-related studies any longer. To help combat the problem, individuals and organizations alike have founded programs dedicated to increasing interest in STEM studies. Most of these programs attempt to combine learning with entertainment to create an environment that appeals to younger students.

MakerClub is a program launched in the United Kingdom by Simon Riley. The program attempts to make STEM subjects more interesting by giving them a sense of immediacy. Rather than just asking a kid to do their math or science homework, MakerClub offers to show the results of what knowledge in the subjects can actually produce.

MakerClub hopes to inspire interest in STEM skills through 3D printing and robotic creations. Courtesy of MakerClub.

“We at @MakerClub believe that a love of technology is a love of invention, innovation and creativity. We have developed a better way to teach today’s learners tomorrow’s skills — by making engaging 3D printed robots that inspire creativity through hands on learning,” according to the company. “Seeing how lines of code translate into the physical movement of a robot turns your theoretical knowledge into a hobby you can use to invent, create and share!”

Regardless of MakerClub’s physical location, Riley is making the program available to students around the world by posting projects online. Part of the online philosophy is the use of 3D printers to build parts locally rather than shipping them. With more and more schools owning (or having access to) at least one 3D printer, the ability for students to make their own parts becomes integral to the learning process.

Most kids (and no few adults) would enjoy engaging in battle with this 3D printed catapult. Courtesy of MakerClub

MakerClub has also developed its own Arduino compatible microcontroller and smartphone app (both as open source). The microcontroller uses Bluetooth LE (low energy) to facilitate communications between the Arduino and the app. The app allows students to remotely control projects they’ve built, including a model car and remote controlled catapult.

Riley and MakerClub recently received £80,000 (a little over $125,000) in funding from the Innovate UK program, and are also working to independently fund the project through an Indiegogo campaign. Once the program is up and going it will offer complete kits, 3D printing services for schools without access, and space on the MakerClub website to track progress and communicate with Riley and his team.

Below you’ll find a video about MakerClub.

Source: MakerClub, Indiegogo