Making
Penn State Opens Invention Studio
Pennsylvania State University is opening a new exploration lab designed to foster student creativity and
inventiveness.
The "Invention Studio" will be located in the Penn State Knowledge Commons
on the University Park campus and open to all of the university's students,
faculty and staff members. The university is creating the studio in partnership
with littleBits, a company that makes
simple electronic building blocks that will be available in the studio for
people to use.
Each littleBits building block, called a "bit," has a different function.
Power bits are the starting point of any littleBits creation. Input bits add
functionality such as motion triggers, pressure sensors, light sensors,
microphones, switchers and more. Wire bits let inventors extend a signal,
change the direction of a signal or connect to the Internet. Output bits add
functionality such as motors, speakers, lights and buzzers. The littleBits
connect with magnets, so they can just snap together. The team behind the
Invention Studio hopes the open lab space and littleBits technology will
inspire people to create solutions to real-world problems and connect objects
to the network of connected devices known as the Internet of Things.
"The goal of this new space is to inspire students to develop research,
invoke entrepreneurship and explore new ideas through creative coursework,"
said Kyle Bowen, director of education technology services at Penn State, in a
prepared statement. "The exploration lab will enable faculty from many
areas to include creative design problems within their courses. It's an
opportunity to assign invention as homework."
The university is also planning to expand its partnership with littleBits
with not-yet-announced projects intended to further engage learners through
technology.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.
