Educational construction modular unit
The present invention is a robotics construction kit that serves as a platform for children to engage in problem-solving and innovative thinking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By designing and building robotics constructions from an apparently simple set of blocks that encapsulate the kinetic, electronic, and software elements of robots, children and others can encounter, explore, and experiment with basic principles of science and computation. Unlike existing robotics construction kits for education, the present invention embodies computation in every element, which affords understanding systems of distributed computation, rather than systems of top-down control.
1. An educational construction modular unit comprising:
a plurality of sides that form an interior volume, wherein each side of the plurality of sides includes an inner surface and an outer surface;
a printed circuit board with a microcontroller that processes reprogrammable software, wherein the printed circuit board forms a gap between the inner surface of at least one side of the plurality of sides when assembled within the interior volume, wherein the printer circuit board is capable of exchanging power, ground, and data with an adjacent block,
a hermaphroditic connector disposed on at least one of the plurality of sides, the hermaphroditic connector comprising an adjacent block connector and an electrical connector,
wherein the hermaphroditic connector is symmetrical in at least two rotational orientations,
wherein the adjacent block connector is disposed in the gap, wherein a portion of the block connector extends through the at least one side of the plurality of sides and beyond the outer surface thereof, and operably connects the modular unit with an adjacent modular unit when the adjacent block connector is operably connected to an adjacent block connector of the adjacent block; and
an electrical connector mechanism disposed in the gap being in contact with the printed circuit board, wherein a protrusion of the electrical connector mechanism extends through the at least one side of the plurality of sides and beyond the outer surface thereof, and operably connects the printed circuit board with a printed circuit board of an adjacent block when the electrical connector mechanism is in contact with an electrical connector mechanism of the adjacent block.
2. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the block connector is a magnet.
3. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector mechanism is a spring loaded pin.
4. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector mechanism further comprises a biasing mechanism opposing the protrusion, wherein the biasing mechanism deflects in contact with the printed circuit board.
5. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector mechanism comprises:
a spring loaded pin;
an inner ring with at least one protrusion, a biasing mechanism opposing the protrusion, and an outer perimeter; and
an outer ring with at least one protrusion, a biasing mechanism opposing the protrusion, and a bore sized to receive therein the outer perimeter of the inner ring.
6. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector mechanism is a hermaphroditic electrical connector.
7. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sides are configured in two substantially identical interconnecting three-sided halves capable of interconnectivity.
8. The educational construction modular unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device connected to the printed circuit board.