Brothers Driven by Trips to India, Initiate Trashbots to Democratize Robotics Technology
In the heart of Texas, two brothers, Rohit and Sidharth Srinivasan, were inspired to revolutionize STEM education while attending Westlake High School. Their journey began with a realization that many barriers to STEM education for children in India were due to high costs, with many robotics kits costing several hundred dollars per kit or more.
Determined to make a difference, the brothers developed an affordable basic robotics kit, Trashbots. The name, a clever play on words, came from the idea that the products should be as accessible as trash. Repurposing everyday items to build Trashbots supports hands-on problem-solving skills and mirrors real-world engineering.
Trashbots are small, book-size devices equipped with multiple LEDs, six sensors, two motors, and a speaker. Students can customize each Trashbot using everyday objects, allowing them to simulate the experience of working with incomplete parts, as often encountered in real-life engineering.
The Trashbots platform includes over 100 hours of curriculum that spans kindergarten to 12th grade, all web-based and posted in the learning management system. The curriculum is designed to help students learn STEM concepts as they build and customize their robots. It offers easy-to-use, age-appropriate lesson plans that guide students through the process of creating their own Trashbots.
Rohit and Sidharth wanted Trashbots to represent real-world engineering, where items are repurposed to build in the real world. They also built accompanying programming software to help kids learn programming concepts at a young age. The software is block-based, making it user-friendly for students of all ages.
Trashbots' first customer was a school district, although the exact school they attended as the first Trashbots customers is not clearly identified in the available search results. The brothers' school, Eanes Independent School District, could be a potential candidate, but it is not explicitly stated.
Rohit graduated by 2019, but Sidharth was still in school when his class utilized Trashbots. The brothers' experiences volunteering to teach STEM education in India played a significant role in inspiring the creation of Trashbots. The platform aims to make STEM education more accessible and engaging for students worldwide.
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