WHY BME

Biology Experiments + Engineering Projects + Technology

Today more than ever, the STEM workforce needs diverse, cross-trained professionals with strength in their disciplinary core and the ability to address and solve complex problems through transdisciplinary approaches. Studies show students with this type of training bring richer perspectives and creativity to real-world problem-solving.

The Biology meets Engineering (BmE) Project transcends two traditional disciplines, biology and engineering, honing in on the cutting edge of mutual inspiration between these fields—the sensory guidance of behavior in biological organisms and autonomous robots.

BmE provides a program in which students and teachers immerse themselves in a long-term, meaningful, transdisciplinary learning experience which integrates the sensory guidance of animal behavior with robotics. The program aims to increase awareness and participation of underrepresented groups in STEM.

As participants in the project, students and teachers engage in hands-on, scientific investigation to learn how biological species sense and respond to their environments. They then integrate learned, scientific principles with authentic engineering technology to build and program autonomous robots equipped with sensors and behaviors, based on animals, to execute specific tasks.