NASA has been working with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to develop a new merit badge in robotics.
NASA got involved in the development “because of the wide-reaching impact of robotics and its role in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM careers. The badge is now part of the BSA’s new curriculum emphasizing STEM activities and will help young men develop critical skills relevant and needed in today’s competitive world. The new merit badge is one of 31 STEM-related merit badges. Scouts will have access to engineering software and work with professional mentors worldwide to earn the badge.”
NASA aerospace engineer Lyndon Bridgwater, who was the lead badge contributor from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston said “This unique partnership is another clear example of NASA looking at new and creative ways to inspire our youth to consider STEM careers.”
Development of the badge took about 14 months and input from 13 organizations and more than 150 BSA youth members and leaders and industry professionals from across the nation. To earn the Robotics merit badge, a scout is required to understand how robots move, sense the environment and understand how to perform an operation. Scouts will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the requirements of the badge, during which they will design a robot and demonstrate how it works. The BSA anticipates more than 10,000 robotics merit badges will be earned the first year.
BSA Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca said “While the guiding principles of Scouting—service to others, leadership, personal achievement, and respect for the outdoors—will never change, we continue to adapt programs to prepare young people for success in all areas of life.”
Full details on the new merit badge, including requirements to earn it, see this page.
Science fictional connection: Isaac Asimov invented the word “robotics” in his short story “Liar!”, which appeared in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.