Teaching Morphological Computation: A Case Study Using Paper Structures

Abstract Soft robotics is an interdisciplinary field that is constantly advancing, providing us with an improved understanding of materials, mechanisms, control systems, and design principles to enable the creation of innovative and adaptable robotic systems. Soft robotics leverages embodiment to attain novel capabilities or enable systems of increased complexity. However, to be able to design such increasingly intelligent systems, it is crucial to for engineers and researchers to understand how material and physical properties influence behavior. It is important that we educate individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle the complex system. We propose utilizing the V-shaped falling paper system as a teaching topic to delve into the role of morphological computation and design exploration. Parameterized V-shape papers exhibit diverse behaviors during the falling process, driven by their morphology. An easily deployable, cost-effective learning system was developed and employed to investigate participants’ behaviors and learning outcomes using various learning objectives and methods. Participants recruited from university campus are expected to understand the V-shape falling paper system characteristic especially the link between the morphology and behaviors. Our findings indicate that participants’ behaviors are influenced by the task objectives, while the learning methods employed can impact the learning outcomes. This research sheds light on the connection between task objectives and participants’ behaviors as well as learning methods and learning outcomes, emphasizing the significance of morphological computation and design exploration in soft robotics education.