This post is part of Bug Machines, a hands-on engineering studio where learners design, build, wire, code, and iterate on insect-inspired machines. The experience blends design thinking, systems engineering, creative problem-solving, and maker confidence—all through real tools and real constraints.
Bug Machines Studio — Day 3 of 10 — 🐞🐞🐞◻◻◻◻◻◻◻
← Day 2 · Today: Circuits & Sensing · Day 4 →
🔗 Explore the Full Bug Machines Studio
👉 Start here: Bug Machines: Where Play Evolves Into Engineering
(Overview, learning pillars, tools, and progression)
From Curiosity to Circuits
We began the day by introducing circuits and control systems through a presentation titled “How to Make a Traffic Light.” Students explored:
- Tinkercad for virtual circuit design “Tinkercircuits”
- Scratch-based coding for logic and sequencing
- Take-home electronics kits to bridge digital design and physical making
📎 You can explore the presentation and related programming resources here:
👉 Programming & Coding Resources at Ascension Learning
Learning From the Living World
We were joined by local entomology expert Dr. Tom Dykstra, who introduced students to his research on how insects detect and interpret scent. He fielded every bug-related question imaginable—and brought hundreds of hissing cockroaches for hands-on observation.
It was nearly impossible to pull students away.
This moment reinforced one of the studio’s core ideas: engineering begins with observation. Understanding how living systems sense, respond, and adapt gives students richer design inspiration than any worksheet ever could.
The Gainesville community is rich with experts, and experiences like this show learners that knowledge lives beyond classrooms—and that their questions matter.
From Wonder to Design Direction
By the end of the day, students had:
- Selected their strongest “How might we…” statements
- Built an idea cloud of possible bug-inspired actions
- Formed teams around shared interests and design goals
This transition—from curiosity to intention—is where playful exploration begins to evolve into design thinking.
For a deeper look at how ideation is structured within this studio, explore:
👉 Designing Solutions, Inspiring Change: PBL, IBL, and Design Thinking in Action
What’s Next
➡️ Next step: Bug Machines Day 4: Rapid Prototyping, Materials & Making Ideas Physical
🔍 Go Deeper into the Learning Behind the Build
If you’re interested in the educational frameworks that shape this studio, explore:
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