The University of Sunderland hosted the STEMNET event, The Futures of Females in STEM on Wednesday 12, 2014 in the Science Centre. The day was aimed at post-16 female students who are currently studying STEM subjects.
It was a rather late decision to go so I decided to just set up a table top exhibition. Small school groups visited the table, some with their teachers and some just on their own. I basically just showed them the Spikerboxes and told them about the possible experiments that could be done with crickets, hoppers and earthworms but I was able to demonstrate the EMG Spikerboxes on myself.
For some reason I still, sometimes, have problems getting the BackyardBrains app to make a good recording. The moment I add the Smartphone cable to the equation there is a great deal more noise. I have tried various cables with success to reduce the noise. The sound works great though.
I love the way the students’ faces lit up when they can hear the hissing sound and you tell them that what they are hearing are the messages from the brain travelling from the nerves to the muscles. As always the Arduino with the Spikershield and stepper motor being driven from the thenar muscle group also went down well.
The Spikerbox exhibition at the STEMNET@Sunderland day, The Future of females in STEM.