Science Toy For The Brain

(Inside Science TV) – When asked what they want to do when they grow up, you may hear many young kids say they want to be an engineer, a scientist, a software tester or a computer engineer.

Neuroscientist Robijanto Soetedjo of the University of Washington loves their excitement for science – and he has created a toy to inspire more kids.

“So, they can say ‘Whoa, there’s something really cool there,’ and that will, I hope, will attract them in the future,” said Soetedjo.

Of course, there are already electric toys for robotics, chemistry and physics, but nothing in the field of his science.

“One specifically for neuroscience doesn’t exist,” said Soetedjo.

His bio-electricity toy allows kids to use electrical signals from their muscles to move a robotic claw.

Electrodes placed on the skin pick up the muscle’s electrical signal, run that signal through a filter, and then amplify it. Then, with a simple movement, the claw moves. It can even work with facial muscles.

The toy could be connected to a computer to study the brains of animals.

Soetedjo’s neuroscience toy won second place in a national competition that required participants to design a great science toy. He hopes to modify and have it on the market soon, providing kids the ability to experiment with electrical signals generated by the heart and brain as well.

Get Inside The Science:

Prototype Toy Allows Kids to See Effects of Body’s Electrical Signals

Robijanto Soetedjo , University of Washington