Sensors: Past, Present, and Still Processing

Presented by Dylan Portelance, Product Manager, Wonder Workshop; and David Ko, Firmware Engineer, Wonder Workshop
Sponsored by Wonder Workshop

Watch the Recording

What are sensors and how do they work? What phenomena can we perceive ourselves and what additional sensing capability can technology provide? What can students learn about sensors and programming and how can these lessons be made developmentally appropriate for different grade levels?

Throughout this edWebinar, Dylan Portelance and David Ko of Wonder Workshop explore the power and limitations of human perception, a history of sensors and the technology that makes them possible, as well as the impact of sensor data on society and the world. Learn about how robots understand their surroundings and themselves through data collection, processing, and sensor fusion. Finally, take a glimpse inside Cue the CleverBot from Wonder Workshop and see how students and teachers are programming and interacting with sensors to build computational thinking and robotics skills.

Teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders of all grade levels will benefit from watching this recorded session.

About the Presenters

Dylan Portelance is a product manager at Wonder Workshop, where he enjoys thinking and learning with educators about coding and robotics in K–8 classrooms. Previously, Dylan spent three years with the ScratchJr team leading design research teams and developing curriculum for young children. He also spent two years writing code for design studios creating data visualizations and web applications. A creative coding tutor and musician, he is always searching for new ways to bridge computing with the arts. Dylan earned his MA in child development and BS in computer science and music from Tufts University.

David Ko, Firmware Engineer at Wonder Workshop, studied mechanical engineering and computer science at UC Davis and attained his Ph.D. with an emphasis in computational evolutionary optimization algorithms in 2014. As part of the firmware team at Wonder Workshop, David gets to design and play with robots all day. His tasks include all things robot related, such as sensor fusion, motor control, and line following.

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Wonder Workshop creates engaging, hands-on learning tools, programming languages, and curriculum that bring STEM and coding to life for grades K-8. Robotics fosters critical thinking skills at an early age, encourages creativity, and turns students into makers rather than consumers. Wonder Workshop is the creator of the Dash and Dot robots. Let’s inspire students to be future leaders in technology. Find out more at makewonder.com