ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

As a youngster I was always excited to get a new Erector set for my birthday and have the chance to build new items using nothing but my imagination and a couple of screws. Today's youth can take this idea and use their imagination to create their own PicoCricket project using arts and crafts materials alongside with a powerful computer that they can program to spin, light up and make music. Students have the opportunity to apply math, science and engineering principles into their projects to give them a taste of how these content areas can be applied. The PicoCricket Kit is similar to the LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ robotics kits. MINDSTORMS is designed especially for making robots, while the PicoCricket Kit is designed for making artistic creations with lights, sound, music, and motion. For example, students can make a cat and program it to purr when someone pets it. The kits are full of wonderful materials to spark their imagination of students and engage them in learning and how to program using an easy to use software application for PC and Mac.

At the heart of the system is the PicoCricket which can be programed by connecting it to a computer via a USB port. Students can select from a number of different sensors that the PicoCricket can interact with. There are many different types of sensors available for students to choose from which include: light sensor, motor, sound, and touch to name a few. PicoCrickets looks like a great way to engage students in engineering, math, and science in a fun and exciting way. You can check out PicoCricket on their website