VISION

The growing need for scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians has led to much research on fostering interests in STEM at an early age. It has been shown that engaging younger students with demonstrations of science and technology correlates with future interest and success in STEM. Considering this increasing need and the recent decline in interest, developing a playful demon- stration targeted at younger audiences can help spurt new growth. This project serves as an interactive demonstration of computer science concepts with the goal of inspiring the next generation of scientists & engineers.

MISSION

The objective of this project is to implement a Jenga-playing robot system involving a human opponent. Our solution will utilize 3D computer vision to develop scans of the tower’s state, and a vacuum gripper to grip blocks. The human opponent will take turns with the robot performing block pulls and placing them at the top of the stack. The goal isn’t necessarily to defeat the human opponent, but build a system capable of make multiple moves prior to the tower collapsing.