From August 5-9, 2024, the 10x scale-up of CSP was successfully organized for 70 students aged 12-15 from China.
The CSP is the largest STEM outreach program to ever hosted at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM). The program combines technical STEM skills, like 3D printing, electronic prototyping, web development, generative AI, and virtual reality (VR), with a focus on management. Students are divided into 13 groups, each tasked with running a “start-up company” to develop a product for alien customers on Planet AE7.
Bang and his team crafted the program to merge STEM learning with a realistic context, and game design principles, to make it more engaging.
The students were led by the Space Director, played by Emeritus Professor Malcolm Bolton, and faced challenges designed to enhance critical thinking. They were given incomplete or misleading information about the alien planet, which they could correct by exploring the planet through VR or “interviewing” alien customers, a role performed by Yaniv Proselkov, a recent PhD graduate of IfM. Students also had opportunities to design and 3D print keys to unlock treasure chests.
On the final day, each group presented their product, a 1-minute video, and a product website. The presentations showcased creative ideas, like a luxury toilet for aliens and an alien hospital.
A surprise challenge required students to navigate a robot tank across an obstacle course to deliver their product safely with an alien figurine, using hints discovered via VR. The robot tank was kept under wraps until the final day surprise reveal to the students. They had been given hints throughout the program on the mission to transport their product across a bridge. What they did not know was the mode of transportation! They were surprised to learn that we had designed an obstacle course (what we dub ‘the battlefield’) as well as custom system (programmed in Unity) to control a robot tank via a Logitech G29!
Overall, the CSP scale-up was a success, blending education and gaming, allowing students to experience manufacturing’s impact on improving worlds—both human and alien!