The headquarters of the Canary Islands Ocean Platform Consortium (PLOCAN) hosted an exhibition of prototypes produced as part of the 12th edition of the Educational Marine Robotics Workshop (EDUROVs), which was attended by seventeen educational centers in the Canary Islands.
Eighty students from 10 secondary schools, 3 from Fuerteventura: IES Gran Tarajal, IES Vigán, IES La Oliva, 3 from Gran Canaria: IES José Arencibia Gil, IES Noroeste, IES Poeta Tomás Morales Castellano and 4 from Tenerife: IES El Tanque, IES Icasagua, CEO of Guajara and IES Granadilla de Abona, attended the final meeting to show off the prototypes they worked on during the course.
The exhibition of prototypes was attended by the Minister of the Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Raúl García Brink, Head of Service of the Agency of the Canary Islands, Director of the Agency of the Canary Islands for Research, Innovation and Information Society, Rafael Ferrando, from the coordinator of the STEAM area of Innovation Services of the General Directorate for the Regulation of Teaching, Inclusion and Innovation of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport of the Government of the Canary Islands Ana Sánchez and Director of PLOCAN José Joaquín Hernández Brito.
In this edition of the project, a simulation phase was introduced in which the electronic circuit and programming were tested before assembly using a free tool. This allowed circuits to be designed and tested without the need for physical components, thus avoiding possible damage to the actual components. In addition, it provided students with a tool to experiment at home for free.
PLOCAN’s EDUROVs Educational Marine Robotics initiative this year incorporated nine hours of teacher training in addition to new technology elements and tools suitable for different levels of education through a project-based learning methodology. The created robots use hardware and software programming platforms and improved 3D printing. Greater inclusion of girls and youth in education and scientific and technical professions is also being considered.
The main purpose of the EDUROVs initiative is to stimulate the vocation of young people to technical and scientific disciplines through the construction of prototypes in educational centers, to promote the approach of underwater robotics in a practical way to young students, with the aim of awakening motivation, vocation and interest in science and technology, as well as knowledge about the ocean.
The project is implemented in collaboration with the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the Area for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations and Creativity (STEAM) of the General Directorate for Planning,
Innovation and Quality CEUCD of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
An important part of the EDUROV workshop is to support the students’ imagination to consider that remotely operated marine robots (ROVs) must respect the marine environment in all its aspects and promote teamwork, respect values and encourage creativity.
PLOCAN hosts the final meeting of the “PrimROV: sea, science and robotics first” project
After the EDUROV meeting, PLOCAN called tomorrow, Wednesday, the final meeting “PrimROV: sea, science and robotics in elementary schools” with tests of the robotic boats built by schoolchildren during the course.
Through the Area of Scientific Vocations and Creativity, STEAM, Ministry of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports, PLOCAN brought science closer to schoolchildren through the design and construction of APP-controlled robotic boats, using design and 3D printing. and programming using free software and hardware.
The meeting, jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and PLOCAN, was attended by a representation of students from the educational centers that followed the project: CEIP Tagoror (Gran Canaria); CEIP Santa Catalina (Gran Canaria); CEIP Santa Bárbara (Gran Canaria); CEIP Príncipe de Asturias (Gran Canaria); CEIP Virgen de los Volcanes (Lanzarote); and CEIP Argana Alta (Lanzarote).
