Computer Science Science Projects (66 results)

From cell phones to social media, computer science is a part of your daily life. Everything from traffic lights to medical devices requires both computer hardware and software these days. Creative problem solvers are using computer science to tackle social problems, improve agriculture, make great entertainment, and start exciting new companies. What could you create and innovate with a bit of tinkering and programming?

What Materials Can Block a Wi-Fi Signal?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever suffered from poor Wi-Fi reception for your smartphone, tablet, or laptop? Certain materials can actually block a Wi-Fi signal; do you think that could be part of your problem? In this science project, you will do an experiment to find out which materials cause the biggest drop in signal strength from a wireless router. Read more

Sounds Like RFID: Using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Reader to Make Musical Instruments

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Passports, identification cards, bus passes, and even some credit cards contain RFID tags. An RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag allows a card to be read by a computer from a short distance away. While this is very useful in everyday life, would you believe you can make music with it? RFID + sampled music sounds + a little crafting = a fun musical instrument that is limited only by your imagination. In this science project, you will make handbells out of paper cups that play real sounds,… Read more

Blocking RFID Readers from Reading your ID Card

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you've ever watched an adult pay for something by simply touching their credit card to a machine at a store, or you've done the same with a bus pass, you've seen an RFID tag in action. An RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) tag allows a card to be read by a computer from a short distance away. This is very convenient, but it also allows criminals to steal information about you. For instance, on the subway or the bus, someone standing next to you can use an RFID reader to access the data on… Read more

Storytelling Alice: Once Upon a Time in a Computer-generated Land...

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up. What do these Pixar films have in common? They are all computer-animated films. While the writers and directors came up with the compelling stories and the kinds of scenes that would best tell the stories, the computer animation experts brought the films to life. In this computer science project, you will easily be able to create your own animated story using a simple computer programming environment called Storytelling Alice. To create your animation, you will… Read more

Happy or Sad? Use Artificial Intelligence to Classify Faces

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you think artificial intelligence (AI) is too complex to use? Think again! In this project, you will use AI to teach a web-based tool to classify happy and sad faces, or other objects, poses, or sounds. This experiment requires no coding skills; instead, you will need curiosity, creativity, and a critical eye. Why not give it a try yourself? Read more

Use an Arduino™ to Control a Color-Changing Infinity Mirror

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This project is a follow-up to the Science Buddies project Explore Optical Illusions: Build an Infinity Mirror, which shows you how to build a basic infinity mirror using light emitting diodes (LEDs) and arts and crafts materials. What if you wanted to build an infinity mirror that could change colors, like the one in Figure 1? Figure 1. A color-changing infinity mirror. You can do this by using special RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs. Just like the pixels… Read more

Identify Road Signs with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Driverless cars use machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to identify road signs and other things they encounter on the road, like pedestrians and other vehicles. In this project you will take your own pictures of different types of road signs and use machine learning to identify the signs using a free online tool (no programming is required). You will then attempt to improve your machine learning model so it can identify signs in a variety of environments. Read more

Wearable Limp Detection Device

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you (or anyone you know) ever sprained an ankle or broken a leg? It might have taken some practice to walk again after recovering from an injury. Some people might even need to work with a physical therapist. In this project you will program a wearable device to recognize when someone is limping instead of walking normally. Read more

Password Security: How Easily Can Your Password Be Hacked?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

We use passwords every day for our email and other computer accounts. How secure is the password that you use? How hard would it be for someone to guess your password? How hard is it to write a computer program to guess a password? You can see for yourself by writing a simple password guesser in the computer language Python. We will get you started with some ideas, a little sample code, and a few passwords for your computer program to try and guess. Read more

Asteroid! Identify Space Hazards with Computer Vision

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Space is a dangerous place for astronauts and spacecraft. Earth's orbit is full of potential hazards like meteoroids, space debris, and other satellites that you do not want to crash into! How do scientists detect these objects in space? If you do detect an object, how can you tell what it is? In this project you will make your own computer program that can recognize and react to three different models of objects that can be found in space. No previous programming experience is required! Read more

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