New learning aid for schools

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) has developed a new learning aid by the name of Magic Cube together with ABB and mint & pepper – a youth outreach project that is the joint initiative of Wyss Zürich, ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. The aim of the new device is to spark an interest in electrical engineering among school students.

Magic Cube is a tool on which schoolchildren are able to perform various tasks, as detailed in a press release issued by ETH Zurich. In order to get the Magic Cube to work, students must first devise fundamental principles, carry out tests and program processes. The learning aid features a total of 12 modules. These include, for example, a module aimed at connecting power suppliers and consumers as part of a smart grid system, while others are focused on programming a sorting process for a factory and regulating the speed of a train.

At present, the Magic Cube is undergoing testing at Gymnasium Rämibühl, a high school with a special focus on mathematics and science. From 2021 onwards, all interested schools will have the chance to get their hands on this new learning aid for their pupils.

Both ETH Zurich and ABB are interested in promising, talented school students. As Nicole Kamm, Country Human Resources Manager at ABB Switzerland, puts it in the press release: “As home to many high-​tech firms and institutions, Switzerland needs to have a pool of well-​educated specialists, especially when considering the great challenges of our time like climate change and digitalization”.