The Lawrence Hall of Science

The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.

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Grades 9-12

Bioinspired Design Innovation Lab

Are you ready to dive into the incredible world of bioinspired design and engineering? In this program, teen scientists learn how nature inspires us to create novel solutions for societal challenges. We begin this course with an introduction to the field of bioinspired design and later a tour of the Embodied Dexterity Group, a robotics research lab at UC Berkeley. In small groups participants engage in design challenges like building gecko-inspired adhesives that defy gravity, a soft hand gripper, or a 3D printed hand construction. Teens learn the principles of design thinking, create 3D computer-aided designs, and practice prototyping methods to build your own bioinspired design.

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Program Info

Weekend Series ONLY

Location: The Lawrence Hall of Science (excluding workshop 3)

Workshop 1: Sunday, January 26 1:00-5:00 p.m. 

Workshop 2: Sunday, February 2, 1:00-5:00 p.m. 

Workshop 3: Saturday, February 8, 1:00-5:00 p.m. on UC Berkeley campus

Workshop 4: Sunday, February 23, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Workshop 5: Sunday, March 2, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Workshop 6: Sunday, March 9, 1:00-5:00 p.m. 

Workshop 7: Sunday, March 16, 1:00-5:00 p.m. 

Families and friends are invited at 3 p.m. on the last day for teens to share their projects and receive their U.C. Berkeley certificate of completion.

Food: NOT provided, teens bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, and snacks from home

Program Tuition: $1,200

Non-residential

Activity Highlights

  • Make and conduct experiments with gecko adhesive inspired by a micrometer-sized mechanism
  • Visit The Lawrence Animal Discovery Zone for species observations and inspiration
  • An interactive visit of the UC Berkeley Embodied Dexterity Group—an experimental research robotics lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • UC Berkeley campus tour
  • Design, iterate, and 3D print a bioinspired prototype
Register

Sample Day

1:00 p.m.

All teens sign in with instructors

Welcome activities and icebreakers

Opening Circle- group check-in and framing the day

Explore STEM concepts and hands-on investigations in your track

 2:45 p.m.

Social breaktime with teens from other tracks (BYO snacks & water bottle)

3:15 p.m.

Continued investigations and explorations in your track

Closing Circle- reflection prompts and preview of what’s ahead

Meet and talk to current college students or professionals from a range of STEM career fields

 5:00 p.m.

All teens sign out with instructors

Staff Bios

Amber Young is a STEM enthusiast hailing from Atlanta, Georgia! Amber has always been fascinated by animal behavior, math, and robotics, and has been on a mission to learn as much as she can about them. Her passion for these subjects led her to some amazing opportunities to do research on the physics of animal locomotion and bio-inspired robotics.

Currently, Amber is a mechanical engineering M.S./Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, where she conducts research with the Embodied Dexterity Group. Before that, she earned a B.S. in Physics from Yale University in May 2021. In addition to her academic pursuits, Amber is also committed to helping underrepresented students access quality education, particularly in physics. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to learn and grow. When Amber isn’t busy with her studies, she loves to explore the world around her by crossing things off her bucket list.