Storytelling with Machines: Innovative Approach of Developing Creative Mindset and Teaching About Mechanisms Through Stories

Abstract From calculators to tea-serving karakuri puppets, automata are the historical predecessors of modern-day computers and robots. These automata have been used for both amusing entertainment and tools for explaining scientific principles. To tap into the use of automata for explaining scientific principles, an innovative undergraduate technical elective was developed for the department of engineering at a public research university in Virginia. The details of this course are described in this paper. The objective of this course was to teach students about mechanical elements with the context of storytelling. This approach allowed for fostering a creative mindset in engineering students. In this course, the students learned about the basic elements of mechanical systems while emphasizing the underlying physical principles. Students developed an understanding of the working principles of elements such as linkages, cams, and gears, which generate and convey mechanical motion. In addition to studying these physical elements, the students also investigated the mechanics of storytelling, and explored the historical and creative relationship between automation and narrative. Through hands-on projects, students designed and fabricated basic machines that give life to stories of their own design.