| |
 |
UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2026-06-11 23:58 |
 |
|
|
|
Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2026 Meeting
Section: Physics Education
Title:
FabYouth STEM Explorer Kit: A Modular Set of Sensors and Experiments for the Physics Laboratory
Authors:
Bogdan Paul POPOVICI(1,2), Antonie Luca TRIFAN(2,3), Cristian Andrei BÎZOI(2,4)
Affiliation:
1) Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering
2) Community for Science Education in Romania
3) National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest,
4) Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest
E-mail
popobog@gmail.com
Keywords:
digital physics sensors, digital fabrication, physics education, service learning, FabLab, SciFabLab
Abstract:
The FabYouth STEM Explorer Kit is a modular set of digital sensors developed for physics laboratory activities and experimental teaching scenarios. The kit includes basic sensors for motion, temperature, pressure, electric current and light, connected to a custom electronic board and operated through a visual software interface. The sensors are portable, easy to use and adaptable to different classroom and laboratory contexts. The kit supports quantitative measurements that are accessible to students and helps reduce the gap between teacher-led demonstrations and student-centred experimental investigation. Its modular structure allows it to be extended with new sensors, experimental setups and learning activities, according to the needs of different educational contexts. The initial demonstrative version of the FabYouth STEM Explorer Kit includes experimental setups for thermodynamics, free fall, light absorption and other physics topics. These setups were designed and produced using low-cost digital fabrication technologies by a collaborative team of researchers, students and teachers, in the context of several educational initiatives, including the Măgurele Summer School for Science and Technology, student internship programmes and Erasmus+ projects. The kit is continuously improved and adapted to school environments based on feedback from its first users in Romania and Bulgaria. Beyond supporting physics measurements, the long-term goal of the FabYouth STEM Explorer Kit is to connect digital fabrication, open-source resources and the international FabLab community with service-learning activities for young people. In this way, the kit functions both as a tool for experimental physics education and as a framework for collaborative learning, prototyping and community-oriented STEM engagement.
Acknowledgement:
This work was supported by FabYouth: Digital Fabrication and Service Learning for Youth, Erasmus+ Project No. 2024-1-RO01-KA210-YOU-000255823. We also thank the mentors, students and teachers who contributed to the development, testing and fabrication of the kit and its experimental setups.
|
|
|
|