What Can Robots Teach Us About The COVID-19 Pandemic? Interactive Demonstrations of Epidemiological Models Using a Swarm of Brushbots

Abstract: This paper describes the methodology and outcomes of a series of educational events conducted in 2021 which leveraged robot swarms to educate high-school and university students about epidemiological models and how they can inform societal and governmental policies. With a specific focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, the events consisted of 4 online and 3 in-person workshops where students had the chance to interact with a swarm of 20 custom-built brushbots -- small-scale vibration-driven robots optimized for portability and robustness. Through the analysis of data collected during a post-event survey, this paper shows how the events positively impacted the students' views on the scientific method to guide real-world decision making, as well as their interest in robotics.