Robots in Education
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Welcome to the RobotCurwikilum!
RoadNarrows is hosting this wiki to develop educational curriculums that use robots as tools in the classroom. This wiki is a resource for educators, students, and researchers.
We encourage any and all relevant contributions. Non-relevant, inaccurate, or inappropriate content may be moved, edited or removed. Please read the disclaimer before proceeding (RobotCurwikilums:General_disclaimer)
We encourage input on all types of courses and all types of robots. In addition to the traditional robotic studies from the computer science, artificial intelligence, and engineering perspectives, we would also like to show how robots can be used as tools in teaching in diverse areas such as biology, art, physics, language, ethology, and psychology.
This wiki site is intended for educators, students, and non-profit organizations. RoadNarrows is a supporter of open software. Any contributions to this wiki will automatically fall under the GNU FDL license
If you have any questions, please send us email: contact RoadNarrows.
At the moment, these lessons are under development and are placeholders to serve as examples. Please feel free to contribute new lessons!
What is a Wiki?
Simply put a Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly. - wiki.org
Introductory Courses
What is a Robot?
Introductory lesson to the field of robots. Discusses history, types of robots, and robotic systems. The goal is to get a general understanding of autonomous robotics.
What is a Robot Sensor?
A robot sensor is a device that senses the surrounding environment. That is, a sensor takes measurements of the surrounding environment and translates these measurements into useful information for the robot.
What is a Robot Effector?
A robot effector is a robot controllable device that produces or causes a change in the surrounding environment for the means of accomplishing the programmed goals and tasks. Actuators (motors, servos, pneumatics that move wheels, arms, and grippers) are effectors. But effectors are a broader class of environment-effecting devices. For example, a convential vacuum cleaner contains an input port, a rotating brush, an electric fan, a dust collector, and an exhaust port. A vacuum cleaner integrated into a floor cleaning robot is an effector.
Robotic Conceptual Frameworks
There are three autonomous robotic conceptual frameworks in prevalent use today.
- Hierarchical
- Behavioral
- Hybrid
Introduction to Robotics using "Braitenburg Vehicles"
Basic concepts of life and behavior are examined, using metaphors of simple organisms. Advanced laboratory exercises include developing algorithms on robots to have simple behaviors to external stimuli.
Required Book: "Vehicles, Experiments in Synthetic Psychology" by Valentino Braitenberg (1984)
Required Tools: For the advanced labs, a Robot that is easily programmable either locally or remotely. Must have light sensors. Programming tools are known and available.
Robot Software
Introduction to Python
RNR Fusion
Fusion is a RoadNarrows Robotics developed robotics demonstration application. It is free to use, modify, and distribute. See EULA for more details.
Fusion is a Gluon Client that fuses a vRobot Gluon Server and/or a vBrain Gluon Server into one controlling structure. Gluon is the simple control and information exchange interface between the client and server.
Both the vBrains and vRobots are plugable python modules. Any derived application conforming to the vBrain and vRobot interface will work within the Fusion construct.
PyroRobotics
PyroRobotics or "Python Robotics" is an open-source tool for AI education and research. These exercises explore using PyroRobotics with the Hemisson robot.
Robot Hardware
