Are humans robots? One question. One kit. One robot that listens, speaks, sleeps, and wakes.

Digital Voice Box

QUESTION NO. EDU-2024-04

ARE HUMANS ROBOTS?

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Are humans robots?
We ask this question very simply. Students respond—vehemently—"No."
We ask them why.
"I'm not mechanical."
"I don't have circuit boards."
"There's no electricity inside me."
And then we build a robot. To find out.

Through the Robot's Lens

We pause and look at it through a different lens.

If a robot looked at human anatomy, what might it see?

Stomach = Battery
Energy storage and conversion
Nervous System = Wires
Signal transmission and data flow
Brain = Processor
Computation and control
Visual diagram showing parallels between human anatomy and robot components
From a robot's perspective, all of these things function almost identically.

Biomimicry in Design

Then we introduce students to the concept of biomimicry in design.
Engineers have solved complex problems by borrowing solutions from nature:
Split image showing burr closeup and velcro hooks closeup

Velcro hooks inspired by burrs catching on fabric

Kingfisher diving and bullet train nose shape comparison

Bullet train aerodynamics from kingfisher beak design

Whale fin tubercles and wind turbine blade comparison

Wind turbine efficiency from whale fin tubercles

Nature and engineering are inseparable.
We turn to nature for the solutions it has found. We adopt those solutions. We borrow from them.
And now students will build a robot using the same principle.

The Kit

Using the Budmen Digital Voice Box Kit, students are introduced to electronic components for the first time.

  • Speakers
  • Microphones
  • Batteries
  • Light sensors
  • LED indicators

But here's the key: We don't tell them what this robot does.

Digital Voice Box Kit components: speaker, microphone, battery, light sensor, and LED eye
Under that lens of biomimicry, students first identify where the batteries are, where the speakers are, what the functions do.
We ask them:
  • What do you think this robot does?
  • Why does it have these different sensors?
  • These different inputs and outputs?
  • What do you think it might do?
Curiosity first. Answers second.
The Digital Voice Box Kit
The Digital Voice Box Kit
How to assemble the Digital Voice Box robot step by step
How to assemble the Digital Voice Box robot step by step
Students customizing their robots with different designs and decorations
Making it their own. Each robot unique.
Student testing completed robot for first time showing wonder and surprise
The discovery moment. It listens. It speaks. It sleeps. It wakes.
Students assemble their robot. They customize it.
And at the end, they discover what they've built.

A robot that can listen and speak back to them.

What It Does

The Digital Voice Box:

Listens to your voice
Speaks back to you
Sleeps when it's dark
Wakes when there's light

Their own digital voice box. Built with their own hands.

Digital Voice Box robot with LED eye illuminated, responding to voice input
At the end of the program, we ask students again:
Are humans robots?
Their answers have changed. They're not totally sure.
And that shift in perspective—understanding that the answer depends on the lens you use—is exactly what biomimicry requires.
Perspective matters in engineering. What you see depends on how you look.
When students build robots, they discover how nature and engineering connect.
200+
Students Built Digital Voice Boxes
1
Question
5+
Electronic Components
3
Biomimicry Examples
10+
Schools
4
Robot Functions
3
Human-Robot Parallels

Technical Details

Kit Components

  • Speaker(s): Audio output
  • Microphone(s): Voice input
  • Battery: Power source
  • Light sensor(s): Environmental awareness
  • LED indicator: Status "eye"
  • Microcontroller: Processing unit

Robot Functionality

  • Voice input: Listens to speech
  • Voice output: Speaks back
  • Light sensitivity: Sleeps when dark
  • Wake function: Activates in light
  • Customizable: Student decoration and housing

Biomimicry Examples Explored

Velcro
Burrs → Hook fasteners
Bullet Trains
Kingfisher beak → Aerodynamics
Wind Turbines
Whale fin tubercles → Blade efficiency

Human-Robot Parallels

Stomach ↔ Battery
Energy storage and conversion
Nerves ↔ Wires
Signal transmission
Brain ↔ Processor
Computation and control

Program Structure

Hands-on workshop introducing students to robotics, electronics, and biomimicry principles through building a functional robot. Students learn component identification, assembly techniques, and perspective-based engineering thinking.

What happens when students learn biomimicry by building robots?

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Collaborators

Syracuse City Schools Isaac Budmen Stephanie Budmen

Tags

education robotics biomimicry electronics hands-on learning