71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. Our oceans are vastly unexplored. Increasingly we need to engage with our oceans as a result of climate change, population growth, pollution, and other impacts of human influence. Oftentimes explorers, scientists, ecologists, and rescuers find themselves in underwater situations where they don’t have adequate tools to fulfill their mission. What if we had robots to aid us in our efforts underwater? What if these bots were inspired by the years of evolutionary adaptation the natural world has undergone at these dark depths? Enter the world of deep sea robotics where the underwater environment calls for a shift in the way robots are designed and deployed.

In this studio, students will develop robots that use the depth of the sea to their advantage as they maneuver through the sea floors, slither through the kelp forest, and collect rare specimens unscathed using biomimetic grippers. Students will take inspiration from deep sea creatures and design devices and robots to carry out underwater missions to protect our oceans and cohabitate with diverse underwater ecosystems.

TEMPLATE YOU CAN USE

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Am_yPkDUgQXNzPoEAd8mB2Z3xy8OpZ1lxm-_hoJkUB4/edit#slide=id.g33c35778b89_0_37

Description

Presentations are the story of your project - from early sketches and inspiration, through prototypes and more developed ideas, presentations highlight the pieces of the process that led each student to their latest project.

In this activity, you will compile and create your final presentation, which will become part of your online portfolio of work, able to be shared with the public.

Instructions

The story of your design process has two components : the visual presentation and the written project description. Each component is outlined below and should be included in the same post.

Deliverable 

1: Visual Presentation

You will create a slide deck that captures the story of your design process. Follow the template outlined about and use the slide editor to best represent the artifacts that you have created throughout this studio. If new pictures need to be take, photograph them in a professional manner.

Deliverable 2: Project Statement

The Project Statement is a 1-2 paragraph project description that explains the overall idea of your project to someone who is unfamiliar with the topic. Below is a series of key points to consider as you write this final project description. Keep in mind that you should not simply put all of the answers together -- you must weave it together into a clear story. Add this to your final presentation (in the text section below your slides).

Things to consider:

The what is a clear statement of the overall idea/thesis.

The why explains how your project changes the world. It is the reason your project exists – what social issue is it engaging, who is your project helping, how does the project change the world, and what important social, intellectual, or technical questions does it raise? The scope of the why can vary widely.

The how briefly explains what technical prowess, innovative methods, or cool materials you used in your solution.

The who explains who will use your design, why they will use it, and in what context.

Think of the reader - it is good to imagine that a university admissions officer AND a potential employer in the field of your design should both be able to understand and be excited by the project based on your writing.