Using Glowforge in Technology and Engineering
April 03, 2025
Michelle
Hands-On Learning for Future Innovators
Every breakthrough starts with a spark of curiosity. In technology and engineering classrooms across the country, that spark ignites when students can actually build their ideas! When abstract concepts become tangible creations through laser precision, true innovation begins.
By working with Glowforge, students gain hands-on experience with design, prototyping, and technical applications that bring their ideas to life. From robotics components to circuit board models, these interactive, skill-building projects prepare students for future STEM careers.
Let's explore how Glowforge can enhance your technology and engineering curriculum and help develop tomorrow's innovators.
Robotics: Building Tomorrow's Solutions
When students design and build their own robotic components with Glowforge, engineering principles spring to life. Each decision about materials, structure, and mechanics teaches valuable lessons about physics and engineering in action.
Project Spotlight: Custom Chassis for a Robotics Competition
In a robotics competition, each team can design and build a custom chassis or body for their robot. Students experiment with materials and configurations to maximize strength, stability, and maneuverability, gaining insight into mechanical engineering.
Circuits Come to Life: Understanding Electronic Components
Abstract circuit diagrams transform into clear understanding when students create physical models. Using Glowforge to design circuit board models helps students visualize how components connect and interact, building fundamental skills for future careers in electronics and engineering.
Project Spotlight: Circuit Board Model with Engraved Labels
Have students design and engrave a model of a simple circuit board, labeling each component and connection. This project allows students to explore the function of each part, such as how resistors control current or how capacitors store energy.
Protection by Design: Custom Project Enclosures
Every electronic device needs the perfect home. When students design enclosures for microcontroller projects with Glowforge, they learn essential principles of protective design, accessibility, and user experience - skills valued in professional engineering and product development.
Project Spotlight: Arduino Project Enclosure
In a unit on coding and electronics, have students design and build a custom enclosure for an Arduino project. They can cut openings for buttons, sensors, and displays, designing an enclosure that's both functional and visually appealing.
Engineering in Action: Structural Design Challenges
Understanding how structures handle force and weight becomes crystal clear through hands-on experimentation. Students use their engineering knowledge to design, test, and analyze different structural solutions, developing critical analytical skills for future STEM careers.
Project Spotlight: Bridge Model for a Strength Test
Have students design a bridge model and test it by adding weights until it fails. They can experiment with different shapes, materials, and support structures, discussing the engineering principles that influence a bridge's strength.
Tools of Tomorrow: Custom Hardware Solutions
Creating specialized tools for technical projects helps students think like professional engineers. With Glowforge, they learn to identify needs, design solutions, and consider both functionality and user experience - essential skills in technology careers.
Project Spotlight: Laser-Cut Keycaps for a DIY Keyboard
In a lesson on hardware, students can design custom keycaps for a DIY keyboard. Each student can create unique designs or symbols, exploring the balance between form and function in product design.
Inspiring Future Innovators
Technology and engineering aren't just subjects to study — they're skills to master. When students use Glowforge to create custom components, circuit models, and structural designs, they develop the technical knowledge and problem-solving abilities needed for success in STEM fields.
Ready to transform your technology and engineering classroom into an innovation lab? Download our Glowforge Educator Grant Guide or book a 1:1 demo to see how hands-on creation can enhance technical education.