Neurons to Robots: FREE online Virtual Labs
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This is a ppt that I gave at NSTA Seattle conference 2011. It explains the virtual labs that is offered from the Mind Project. http://www.mind.ilstu.edu. The three four labs we are currently featuring is the Cocaine Addiction Lab, Virtual Stroke lab, Virtual Parkinson's Lab, and the Virtual Robotics Lab. There are all FREE online labs that require NO software, and were created for high school and college students. We want to connect classrooms with the cutting edge science so that students can see that the stuff they are learning in school matters.
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Neurons to Robots: FREE online Virtual Labs
- 1. From Neurons to Robots Exploring Free Online Neuroscience and Robotics Virtual Labs http://www.mind.ilstu.edu Dr. Darci J. Harland Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Illinois State University
- 4. Virtual Cocaine Lab Learn about neurotransmitters by studying dopamine in the brain of rats under the influence of cocaine.
- 9. The Virtual Stroke Lab Diagnose and treat a virtual stroke patient.
- 13. The Virtual Parkinson’s Lab Learn about how the level of dopamine levels in the brain affects Parkinson’s patients.
- 17. The Virtual Robotics Lab The best way to understand how robots work, is to build them yourself. Our Virtual robotics labs allow you to build and/or program robots.
- 19. Link to module resources Iris 1.2 Robotic Arm Students are fully able to interact with the Iris 1.2 arm by constructing the arm, creating scripts for arm movements, and utilizing the Iris software package.
- 20. Link to Comprehensive Robotics: “Extra version” Introduction to Robotics Virtual Robotics Labs Top-down Bottom-up Is the Human Control System top-down or bottom up? Physical Robots Iris I Bugbots Additional Virtual Robot Resources
- 21. We are looking for teachers to pilot The Virtual Stroke Lab & The Virtual Parkinson’s Lab Email me @ [email_address] All labs available at http://www.mind.ilstu.edu
Editor's Notes
- Thanks for coming to my session today! I’m here to share with you some exciting FREE virtual labs.
- Show brose for curriculum page: http://www.mind.ilstu.edu/curriculum/list.php?sortBy=title
- The First virtual lab I’d like to share with you is… High interest from students because of its name…
- This lab mirrors research done in Dr. Garris’ lab.
- Since 2 of our virtual lab deal with rat research, I’d like to take a minute and explain how dopamine is studied in the lab. In order to study the varying levels of dopamine in a live rat, a rat is put “under” and then electrodes are implanted into the brain. The Stimulating electrode is where dopamine neurons begin, and the sensing electrode is placed where the neurons end. This allows the researchers to test to be sure the sensing electrode is in the right place. The rat heals, and then can be studied, with information about dopamine levels being sent back to a computer via telemetry system.
- Overview Tutorial from file
- This lab is our one lab that deals with medical science neurology. For the Virtual Cocaine lab we paired up with a neurobiologist. For the Virtual Stroke lab we paired up with a neuroradiologist.
- Overview tutorial---from file
- Our newest lab the Virtual Parkinson’s Lab will become public within the next month. We are looking for teachers to pilot this lab with students next semester to provide us feedback. In this study you will be exploring a new theory advanced by a neurobiologist, Dr. Paul Garris, who is a member of the Mind Project community. His theory is called “the bucket theory” and your job is to perform research on rats to determine if the experimental data that you gather from your study is consistent with his theory.
- We worked again with neurobiologist Dr. Paul Garris. Like the cocaine lab, you are doing research on the levels of dopamine in a rat’s brain. But in this lab, you actually perform the surgery, implanting the electrodes, and lesion (kill) nerves to simulate the effects of a Parkinson's patient, and are testing a new theory of the physiology of Parkinson’s Disease.
- This is a graphical representation of a computer model that Dr. Garris has created to model his bucket theory – formally known as the “passive stabilization theory”. The green bars at the bottom represent dopamine neurons. When a large number of neurons die, you can see that the brain’s electrical activity is greatly reduced. While this theory is a bit complicated, because of the neuron and bucket graphics in the corners, the concept is more easily understood.
- The Virtual Parkinson’s lab will become public early 2012. If you would like to pilot our beta version, email me at mindsup@ilstu.edu
- Top-down…build the “brain” or program it for what it should do.
- Not all our labs are virtual. This one allows you to construct a physical robot. Quantities are limited.