Build A Bird went live on Apple’s iTunes mobile app store on July 13 and has since been downloaded more than 33,000 times. |
A
mobile phone app that teaches players about flight dynamics has been
downloaded more than 10,000 times a week, the Office of Naval Research
(ONR), which funded the technology, announced on Aug. 2.
ONR
and partner Iridescent, an educational nonprofit helping underserved
youth, published Build A Bird, a “smart” phone application “that helps
users gain an understanding of how birds have adapted to survive in
specific environments,” said Dr. Kam Ng, ONR’s deputy director of
research, whose office oversees the effort.
Efforts
such as the investment in mobile phone apps demonstrate the Department
of the Navy’s commitment to investing in K-12 Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and outreach. The focus on
STEM is vital to the Navy as more than 50 percent of its scientists and
engineers become eligible for retirement by 2020,
Players
can test their learning by creating a bird that conforms to a specific
climate. The goal is to teach about the aerodynamics of flight as they
relate to the Navy, Ng said.
Build
A Bird went live on Apple’s iTunes mobile app store on July 13, and was
listed as a new and noteworthy free app. The game is also available on
the Android Market.
Iridescent
first demonstrated Build A Bird at ONR’s Naval Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Forum, held in June.
ONR
and Iridescent also have teamed to develop another app called “Robo
Zoo” that will immerse players in a storyline where they build an
underwater robot to save visitors to an undersea robotic marine theme
park. The app is expected to be released in late October.
“The
idea is to get kids excited about the dynamics of motion and control
and to learn about engineering and do some problem solving,” Ng said.
