From the Logo Turtle to the Tiny Robot Turtle: practical and pedagogical issues

This work proposes a teaching method, which attempts pedagogical utilization of educational robotics, in the form of an interdisciplinary assembly project, in the secondary/high school education. The work in question is part of a program training pupils on how to program a robot to behave as a Logo Turtle. The pupils involved construct and program that robot with the use of a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set. The knowledge areas involved are those of Technology, Informatics and Mathematics

Flexible techniques for fast developing and remotely controlling DIY robots, with AI flavor

During the last years we are witnessing a very successful osmosis between innovative and cost-effective credit card - sized computers and education. These computers, equipped with low cost sensors or actuators, can be the “heart” of various DIY robotic artefacts. This environment allows for a mixture of thinking and making activities that can be very meaningful in terms of pedagogy and science. Indeed, similar practices, usually referred as STEM or STEAM activities, are applied in many educational institutions, from primary schools up to universities, with most of the effort to focus on secondary school students. The overall process, although promising at the beginning, is not always straightforward to keep up with. More specifically, as students get more experience, they develop a hunger for more complicated scenarios that usually demand features like remote interaction with simple Artificial Intelligence – A.I. capabilities or sophisticated control of their robotic artefacts. At this moment, trainers should be able to propose simple and stable techniques to their students for implementing such features in their constructions. This paper proposes flexible methods for this to be done by exploiting the very popular MIT App Inventor and Snap! visual programming environments, in conjunction with a modified tiny web server module, written in Python, that runs on a Raspberry Pi credit card - sized computer. Furthermore, this paper reports on simple techniques being used to make robust enough robots by low cost everyday/recyclable materials like cardboard, wood, plastic bottles or broken toys

Marine Robotics: An Effective Interdisciplinary Approach to Promote STEM Education

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG. GUPPIE, a Glider for Underwater Problem-solving and Promotion of Interest in Engineering was developed in Nonlinear and Autonomous System Laboratory at Michigan Technological University to be used as an educational tool to broaden the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning. The GUPPIE educational program utilizes high-interest themes, meaningful contexts, and hands-on activities to engage students as early as 4th grade and sustain their interest and learning to and through college. The program has engaged over 2000 students since 2013. The interdisciplinary nature of GUPPIE and hands-on activities in diverse areas from hardware development, and programming to gathering and interpreting data will improve students’ ability for critical, creative problem solving, and ultimately increase individual motivation for pursuing STEM academic and career pathways

A critical reflection on the expectations about the impact of educational robotics on problem solving capability

This paper discuss the outcomes of an experimental course we run during the 2016-17 school year in two secondary junior schools. The aim of the experiment was to validate the use of educational robotics as a mindtool, investigating the impact of robotics on problem solving capability. The course lasted about four months and it was evaluated through a self-assessment with pre and post-activity questionnaires. The emerged results encouraged us to reflect about the role of metacognition and the importance to take it into account for the evaluation of problem solving. In the paper, the activity with the students is described and the analysis of the pre and post-activity questionnaires are discussed and conclusions are drawn

Robotics Education Under COVID-19 Conditions with Educational Modular Robots

The COVID-19 pandemic forces many robotics teachers to rethink their approach to education. Distance rules and the constant threat of a partial or complete lockdown leading to limited access to classroom equipment make it challenging to plan for hands-on education where students experience robotics by experimenting and studying with robotic hardware. On the other hand, this hands-on active learning experience is one of the strengths of robotics education and the ability to handle hardware equipment a substantial learning goal of study programs on robotics. In this paper we present and discuss the approach taken for the course Robotics and Embedded Systems at Maastricht University. The course had been adjusted to meet COVID-19 safety regulations and to allow for a fast seamless transition between onsite education at university and online education where students can work with robotic hardware at home. We share experience, best practice advice as well as educational material to help other teachers benefit from our developments. A key contribution is our custom-made, low-cost, educational modular robotic system for teaching kinematics, locomotion, and PID control that we make publicly available for replication through the website https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/edmo

The Autonomic Power System - network operation and control beyond smart grids

A wide range of applications are being researched and developed within the Smart Grid community, such as voltage control, thermal constraint management, dynamic line ratings and automated reconfiguration. Typically, the current approach is to develop piecemeal automation applied to small sections of legacy networks under current market, commercial and regulatory regimes. The challenges of future energy networks are the anticipated uncertainty and complexity within them. This includes uncertainty in the equipment, configurations and control functionality required married with uncertainty in the participation of consumers through demand side technologies and the uptake of electric vehicles and microgeneration technologies; while complexity is engendered in managing the vast number of interactions within such a system. The authors are developing the concept of the Autonomic Power System which provides flexible and adaptable control through fully distributed intelligence and control. Fundamental research in intelligent systems and network control will deliver a truly integrated self-controlling, self-optimising, self-healing and self-protecting electricity network. This paper outlines the vision, architecture and initial control techniques which will deliver the Autonomic Power System

STEAM and Educational Robotics: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Robotics in Early Childhood and Primary Education

Abstract. In early childhood and elementary educational contexts, there is an increasing need to support the development of interdisciplinary skills such as creativity, digital literacy and critical thinking. Educational robotics can play a relevant role in this process, by providing contexts that involve design, construction and imagination. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) approach offers a paradigm, which, by integrating educational robotics with scientific, digital and artistic perspectives, helps to undermine existing racial and gender inequality in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM-related contexts. Some relevant experiences regarding the possibility to combine these fields in educational contexts show promising results. By discussing the most relevant difficulties related to the development of curricula where educational robotics finds a relevant place, this paper argues that the use of robotics as experimented with in the Reggio Emilia Approach allows to overstep most of the difficulties reported. Furthermore, it is argued that in order to be more effective, educational robotics might be considered by teachers not as a subject to teach by providing instructions but, instead, as a medium to allow children to explore the affordances of digital technologies in playful learning environments. Some practical examples of this perspective are reported and discussed in the final part of the paper