Conference Program and Abstracts
The program of the Conference and Workshops can be found below in 2 or 4 pages.
RiE2015 is very international, with participants from about 20 countries officially registered, for the Conference and Workshops at Yverdon-les-Bains.
The overviews are followed by the abstracts.
Official proceedings will be published later on, announced in this webpage, and of course elsewhere too. Meanwhile reference can be made as follows:
"6th International Conference on Robotics in Education, RiE 2015, HESSO.HEIG-VD, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, 20-23 May, 2015".
Overviews
To download it in pdf format, please click here for a 2 pp format (v16.05.2015), and here for a larger, 4 pp format (v16.05.2015).
Abstracts
Stars (*) after session and presentation numbers denote shorter presentations, to be complemented by possible interactive discussions with authors near posters, during subsequent coffee and lunch breaks.
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 1
1 Methods and Best Practices
Chairperson Alexander Hofmann
1.1 Proposal of a low cost educational mobile robotics experiment: an approach based on hardware and simulation
José Gonçalves, Manuel Silva, Paulo Costa and Armando Sousa
Jos´e Gonc¸alves
ESTiG-IPB and INESC-TEC
Portugal
Email: goncalves@ipb.pt
Manuel Silva
ISEP
Portugal
Email: mps@isep.ipp.pt
Paulo Costa, Armando Sousa
FEUP and INESC-TEC
Portugal
Email: fpaco,asousag@fe.up.pt
In this paper an educational mobile
robotics experiment is presented, based on a low cost mobile robot prototype
and its simulation. The chosen educational robot challenge is a
classical introductory experiment, that consists in following a line
with a mobile robot based on the differential kinematics. The
presented experiment has as goal to introduce students to the
challenges of mobile robotics, initially programming a simulated
robot, building a real robot and finally testing the developed
code in a real robot. The robot was simulated using SimTwo,
which is a realistic simulation software that can support several
types of robots. Having as base the proposed challenge, a mobile
robot competition was conducted as a part of the evaluation of
the curricular unit of “Systems Based on Micro-Controllers” of
the “Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering” course of the
Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.
1.2 Using Educational Robotics Research to Transform the Classroom: Establishing a Robotics Community of Evidenced-based Practice using MESH Guides and the TACTICS Framework
Dave Catlin, Andrew P. Csizmadia, James G. Omeara and Sarah Younie.
Dave Catlin
Valiant Technology Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
dave@valiant-technology.com
Andrew P. Csizmadia
Newman University
Birmingham, United Kingdom
A.P.Csizmadia.newman.ac.uk
James G. OMeara
National Louis University
Chicago, USA
National Louis University
Sarah Younie
De Montfort University
Leciester, United Kingdom
syounie@dmu.ac.uk
Trends in the USA and UK insist that classroom interventions are supported by evidence of their efficacy. The body of evidence supporting the value of educational robots is growing. However, a perennial problem remains, how can such evidence impact everyday teaching and the use of educational robots in the classroom? MESHGuides are created by an international network of educators who are mapping the research base underpinning educational practice and making it readily available to teachers anywhere in the world. The TACTICS Framework sets a standard for how research information should be integrated into evidenced-based activities and how these activities can be used to inform research. This paper introduces these ideas and shows how they have been applied to the Turtle type educational robot, Roamer.
Keywords—MESHGuides, TACTICS, Roamer, Educational Robotics, Turtle, Teaching with Robots, TWR, Evidenced Based Education, SBR
1.3 Orbital Robotics: A new Frontier in Education
Nikolena Christofi, Monica Talevi, Joanna Holt, Iosif S. Paraskevas and Evangelos G. Papadopoulos.
Nikolena Christofi (National Technical University of Athens for the European Space Agency),
Monica Talevi (European Space Agency, Education and Knowledge Management Office),
Joanna Holt (Sapienza Consulting/EJR-Quartz for the European Space Agency),
Kjetil Wormnes (European Space Agency, Automation and Robotics Section)
European Space Research and Technology Centre
Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
nikolena.christofi@esa.int, monica.talevi@esa.int, joanna.holt@esa.int, kjetil.wormnes@esa.int
Iosif. S. Paraskevas, Evangelos G. Papadopoulos
Control Systems Laboratory, School of Mechanical Engineering
National Technical University of Athens
9 Heroon Polytechniou Str., Zografou Athens 15780, Greece
isparas@mail.ntua.gr, egpapado@central.ntua.gr
As part of its Education Programme, the European
Space Agency (ESA) is taking several steps towards the development
of Educational activities and platforms that use Space
Robotics as a mean to support and reinforce STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) school education in
Europe. In this paper the on-going development of an Orbital
Robotics educational prototype platform is presented, consisting
of a hardware-developed physical platform and an accompanying
set of curriculum-based lessons (IB Physics curriculum) that
target upper secondary students (16-18 y/o target group). The
hardware, a friction-less air-hockey table (physical platform)
engineered for this purpose, will be used by students to interactively
acquire the necessary experience of the dynamics of space
systems, as the environmental conditions and physical constraints
that are characteristic of on-orbit systems are emulated. The students
will be able to manipulate space robot (satellite) mockups
performing basic tasks such as docking, landing and grasping
space debris. Additionally, a smartphone application has been
implemented to allow the interaction with the platform, via a
dedicated User Interface (UI). The lessons are inquiry-based and
are structured so that the students are actively engaged in the
learning process according to a learner centered approach. The
project is jointly undertaken by the ESA Education Office and
the ESA Automation and Robotics Section, with the support
of the Control Systems Laboratory of the National Technical
University of Athens. The development is taking place at the
facilities of the Automation and Robotics Laboratory (ARL) of
ESTEC, ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre
in the Netherlands.
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 2
2 Education and Mechatronic Platforms
Chairpersons: Julio Pastor and Pasd Putthapipat
2.1 IniRobot : a pedagogical kit to initiate children to concepts of robotics and computer science
Didier Roy, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Gordana Gerber, Morgane Chevalier, Francesco Mondada and Stéphane Magnenat
Didier Roy, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer
Flowers Lab
Inria, ENSTA ParisTech
France
didier.roy@inria.fr
Stéphane Magnenat, Fanny Riedo
Mobsya Association
Crissier, Switzerland
Gordana Gerber, Morgane
Chevalier, Francesco Mondada
Laboratoire de Systèmes Robotiques
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de
Lausanne, Switzerland
firstname.lastname@epfl.ch
We present the IniRobot pedagogical kit, conceived
and deployed within French and Swiss primary schools for the
initiation to robotics and computer science. It provides a microworld
for learning, and takes an enquiry-based educational
approach, where kids are led to construct their understanding
through practicing an active investigation methodology within
teams. It is based on the use of the Thymio II robotic platform.
The paper presents the detailed pedagogical objectives and a
first measure of results showing that children acquired several
robotics-related concepts.
Keywords : Robotics ; Computer; Teaching ; Creative
activities ; Primary Schools ; Pedagogy ; Education.
2.2 Mechatronic Device to Reproduce Virtual Image on Material Plane
Anton Yudin, Andrey Vlasov and Maxim Kolesnikov
Computer Science and Control Systems Faculty
Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Moscow, Russia
Email: skycluster@gmail.com, vlasov@iu4.ru, maxxim.kolesnikov@gmail.com
http://anton.bearobot.org, http://iu4.ru
The paper describes the original mechatronic device,
which with the help of the developed control software
reproduces virtual images on a material plane. Device mechanics
allows various tools and materials for drawing. High-level user
programming interface is written in Smalltalk with an idea to
be user- and education- friendly. Low level control is carried out
by an eight-bit Atmega microcontroller. The paper presents general
ideas, describes prototype device developed and underlying
problems and solutions occurred during the design process.
Keywords—Mechatronics, robotics, smalltalk, drawing device,
user interface.
2.3 Teaching Robotics in Primary Education: Applying a Constructivist Educational Methodology for the Creation of a Space vehicle with LEGO NXT
Angeliki D. Theodosi
Ralleia Model Experimental Schools
Piraeus, Greece,
theodangie@gmail.com
This paper presents the methodology applied on a project that took place in the academic year 2013-2014, in the Robotics Club of Ralleia Model Experimental Primary Schools in Greece, within the framework of the Hellenic contest for World Robotics Olympiad in Open Category, the theme of which was "Robots and Space". The presented workflow was chosen in order to inspire pupils to work on a common goal as well as to stimulate their interest in Robots, Astronomy and Space, fields that are out of the Primary School educational program. The results extracted through external evaluation of the outcome of the applied methodology, as well as the mostly positive evaluation remarks that were extracted by the pupils through the completion of a questionnaire were very promising as this project won the second place in the contest. In addition, the pupils that were voted to be members of the contest team were so excited about the whole process that they were eager to participate again.
Keywords—Constructivism, robotics, primary education
2.4 Affordable Mobile Robotic Platforms for Teaching Computer Science at African Universities
Ernest Gyebi, Marc Hanheide and Grzegorz Cielniak
Ernest B.B. Gyebi, Marc Hanheide and Grzegorz Cielniak
School of Computer Science
University of Lincoln, UK
Email: fegyebi,mhanheide,gcielniakg@lincoln.ac.uk
Educational robotics can play a key role in addressing
some of the challenges faced by higher education in
Africa. One of the major obstacles preventing a wider adoption
of initiatives involving educational robotics in this part of the
world is lack of robots that would be affordable by African
institutions. In this paper, we present a survey and analysis of
currently available affordable mobile robots and their suitability
for teaching computer science at African universities. To this
end, we propose a set of assessment criteria and review a
number of platforms costing an order of magnitude less than
the existing popular educational robots. Our analysis identifies
suitable candidates offering contrasting features and benefits. We
also discuss potential issues and promising directions which can
be considered by both educators in Africa but also designers and
manufacturers of future robot platforms.
2.5* Hedgehog: A Smart Phone Driven Controller for Educational Robotics
Clemens Koza, Christoph Krofitsch, Wilfried Lepuschitz and Gottfried Koppensteiner
Practical Robotics Institute Austria
Vienna, Austria
[koza, krofitsch, lepuschitz, koppensteiner]@pria.at
Robotics represents an ideal tool for teaching
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) due to its
interdisciplinary nature and appeal for young people. This paper
gives an overview of the Hedgehog controller, a robot controller
developed with education as an explicit use case. Mobile devices
are part of the architecture for increasing the appeal to students
and decreasing the costs of the controller hardware. The
peripheral interfaces in conjunction with the capabilities of
today’s smart phones and an optional single-board computer
make the platform suitable for sophisticated applications in and
beyond the education domain.
Keywords–controller; smart phone; tablet; Android; iOS; app
2.6* Teaching Intelligent Robotics with a Low-Cost Mobile Robot Platform
Luka Čehovin, Anže Rezelj and Danijel Skocaj
Luka Cˇ ehovin, Anzˇe Rezelj, Danijel Skocˇaj
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science
Veˇcna pot 113, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Email: fluka.cehovin,danijel.skocajg@fri.uni-lj.si
In this short paper we present the requirements and
implementation of a mobile robot platform to be used for teaching
intelligent robotic classes. We report our experience of using
the platform in university courses and various extracurricular
activities.
2.7* Continuous Engineering Education Based on Mechatronics and Digital Fabrication
Maria Salmina, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Yuri Poduraev,
Anton Yudin, Andrey Vlasov, Vladimir Sukhotskiy, Yuri Tsibulin
msalmina@yandex.ru, kuznetsovve@misis.ru, y.poduraev@stankin.ru,
skycluster@gmail.com, vlasov@iu4.ru, vladimir.suhotskiy@gmail.com, yuri.tsibulin@gmail.com
Lomonosov Moscow State University, National University of Science and Technology ”MISIS”,
Moscow State Technological Institute ”STANKIN”, Bauman Moscow State Technical University,
National Organizing Committee (NOC) Eurobot Russia
Moscow, Russia
http://hitech-school.ru
The paper briefly discusses major points of concern
for the group of educators with different professional background
united to find and share best practices of continuous engineering
education. Target age groups for the educational process include:
kids of 7-10 years old, children of 11-14 years old, teenagers of
15-18 year old, young specialists of 19-22 years old and young
professionals of 23-30 years old. The material could be of interest
to active educators looking for better ways of organizing projectoriented
studies and learning environment in a modern digital
fabrication setup.
Keywords—robotics, mechatronics, engineering education, digital
fabrication, international cooperation.
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 3
3 Curriculum Aspects
Chairperson Boualem Kazed
3.1 Development of a multi-grade curriculum: project “READY”
Sabrina Rubenzer, Georg Richter and Alexander Hofmann
Sabrina Rubenzer, Georg Richter, Alexander Hofmann
University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien
Computer Science Insitute
Höchstädtplatz 6, 1200 Wien
sabrina.rubenzer@technikum-wien.at
The use of robotics in education can be found in many initiatives in order to motivate students for technology and engineering. Hands-on experiments are often used as an instrument. In this paper we present a multi-grade, consistent and gender neutral curriculum starting in primary school until the end of high school in the areas robotics, computer science and measurement and control. Additionally we describe the implementation of a certificate for middle school.
Keywords—Robotics in Education, Curriculum, STEM
3.2 Introducing Educational Robotics through a short lab in the training of future support teachers
Michele Moro, Emanuele Menegatti, Silvia Di Battista and Monica Pivetti
Michele Moro
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione
University of Padova
Padova, Italy
michele.moro@unipd.it
Emanuele Menegatti
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione
University of Padova
Padova, Italy
emanuele.menegatti@unipd.it
Silvia Di Battista
Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche,
della Salute e del Territorio
University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara
Chieti, Italy
s.dibattista@unich.it
Monica Pivetti
Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche,
della Salute e del Territorio
University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara
Chieti, Italy
m.pivetti@unich.it
This paper discusses the design and evaluation of
an introductory laboratory in Educational Robotics during a
specialization course in support teaching for special needs. The
trainees were mostly in-service teachers. We provided various
practical examples with different robotic platforms (essentially
Mindstorms EV3 and Bee-bot) on the basis of the level. The
evaluation was based on a questionnaire the trainees filled at the
end of any session: the paper contains some summarizing results
of the analysis of the questionnaires.
Keywords—Educational robotics; Learning Support Teachers;
Teacher training; Course evaluation
3.3 Examining the Experiences of Upper Level College Students in Introduction to Robotics
Jessica Swenson
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University
Center for Engineering Education and Outreach
Medford, Massachusetts, USA
Jessica.Swenson@tufts.edu
With the increase of automated technologies,
artificial intelligence, and advancement of low cost
microprocessors, many university programs have added courses,
certificates, and degree programs in robotics. While many papers
detail the development of these programs, they provide little
information about the students’ learning and experience. This
paper presents a summary of ten interviews conducted with
senior level undergraduate students after a semester long
robotics course. Results indicate students built on their previous
technical knowledge and learned a significant amount of problem
solving skills.
Index Terms— Robotics, engineering education, undergraduate
course, LEGO Mindstorms EV3, LabVIEW
3.4 Crazy Robots – An Introduction to Robotics from the Product Developer’s Perspective
with the 5-Step Plan and the Mattie Robot Project Assignment
Lara Lammer, Matthias Hirschmanner, Astrid Weiss, Markus Vincze
Automation and Control Institute
Vienna University of Technology
Vienna, Austria
lastname@acin.tuwien.ac.at
Robotics is an excellent tool for teaching science and technology, so current approaches in educational robotics mostly focus on these domains. However, besides engineering we also need social sciences, design and business approaches in robotics. Crazy Robots is a top-down approach to educational robotics from the product developer’s perspective. Curiosity, creativity, persistence, and teamwork are in focus. In three consecutive workshops at five high schools, children aged 11-13 work through three incisive phases of product development: “ideation”, “prototyping”, and “evaluation”. The approach follows the educational goals of empowering children, providing a structure for creative processes, and teaching the product perspective (top-down). Feedback from teachers and students reflects the positive achievements of the concept.
Keywords— robotics in school, project-based learning, constructionism
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 4
4 Competition Related Aspects
Chairperson David Obdrzalek
4.1 International Robotics Competitions as Excellent Training Grounds for Technical Education and Student Exchanges
Jean-Daniel Dessimoz
HEIG-VD, School of Business and Engineering
HES-SO, Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Jean-Daniel.Dessimoz@Heig-VD.ch
International competitions in robotics provide an
excellent framework for technical education and for facilitating
the exchange of students across universities. Considering the
evolution of technical content in school training, and the
development of ICT and the internet, robotics appears to feature
exceptional properties here. Smart robots are capable of
cognition, the faculty to generate pertinent information; and
cognitics is the field where automated cognition is explored.
Moreover, cognitive aspects gain also to be clarified in academic
and educational issues, as MCS theory of cognition critically
contributes to support, as well in scientific, technical, as didactic
terms. Considering the evolution of school education in general,
as well as professional training, international robotics
competitions provide a good arena for practicing numerous
concepts of growing importance, such as teamwork, hands-on,
peer tutoring, or connection between conceptual and real worlds
for example. The paper concludes with a case study relating to
our good experience about the topic in title, gained in the context
of Robocup@Home international initiative.
Keywords—robotics; education; cognition; cognitics; student
exchanges; competitions; robocup@home
4.2 Practical Mechatronics: Training for Mobile Robot Competition
Anton Yudin, Dmitry Sukhotskiy and Maria Salmina
Anton Yudin
Computer Science and Control Systems Faculty
Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Moscow, Russia
Email: skycluster@gmail.com
http://anton.bearobot.org
Dmitry Sukhotskiy
Moscow City
Student Activity Center
Moscow, Russia
Email: dmitriis@mail.ru
http://www.dimrobotics.com
Maria Salmina
Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia
Email: msalmina@yandex.ru
http://www.msu.ru
The paper presents a series of steps in educational
process of mastering mechatronics. The material is meant to be
used during relevant workshops and forms basic systematization
of educational methods and tools the authors use in their everyday
practice. Proposed approaches proved to be working and bring
good educational results in a long-term time span. The paper
is aimed at popularization of technical education, sharing best
practices in the field and forms a platform for dialogue with the
rest of the community.
Keywords—Mechatronics, robotics, education, practical training,
mobile robot competition.
4.3 Learning to Program Mobile Robots in the ROS Summer School Series
Alexander Ferrein, Stephan Kallweit, Ingrid Scholl and Walter Reichert
Alexander Ferrein1, Stephan Kallweit1, Ingrid Scholl1, and Walter Reichert2
1 Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute
FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany
Email: fferrein, kallweit, scholl, reichertg@fh-aachen.de
The main objective of our ROS Summer School
series is to introduce MA level students to program mobile
robots with the Robot Operating System (ROS). ROS is a robot
middleware that is used by many research institutions worldwide.
Therefore, many state-of-the-art algorithms of mobile
robotics are available in ROS and can be deployed very easily. As
a basic robot platform we deploy a 1/10 RC cart that is equipped
with an Arduino micro-controller to control the servo motors, and
an embedded PC that runs ROS. In two weeks, participants get
to learn the basics of mobile robotics hands-on. We describe our
teaching concepts and our curriculum and report on the learning
success of our students.
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 5
5 Conceptual Aspects and Cognition
Chairperson Hugo Ferreira
5.1 Towards an Robotics Concept Inventory
Reinhard Gerndt and Jens Lüssem
Reinhard Gerndt1, Jens Lüssem2
Ostfalia University, Wolfenbuettel, Germany
University of Applied Sciences Kiel, Kiel, Germany
1r.gerndt@ostfalia.de
2jens.luessem@fh-kiel.de
Robotics evolved as a central issue in teaching for
scientific and engineering disciplines. However, the community
lacks tools allowing quantitative standardized assessment of
student learning, in order to subsequently improve teaching. A
common concept inventory can play the role of such a tool. We
know concept inventories for a number of subjects, for example
in the field of Signals and systems [1]. Concept inventories
typically consist of a standardized multiple-choice exam that
allows assessment of students’ understanding of the most central
concepts of a subject. Typically, students are tested before and
after having participated in the course. The relative performance
gives a numerical value that allows measuring teaching and
learning success and possibly also highlights specific problems of
the teaching or learning approach. With this paper we want to
initialize the process of identifying a list of central concepts in the
field of robotics.
Keywords—Robotics Education, Concept Inventory, Teaching
Assessment, Learning Assessment.
5.2* Mattie Robot - A white-box approach for introducing children with different interests to robotics
Matthias Hirschmanner, Lara Lammer and Markus Vincze
Automation and Control Institute
Vienna University of Technology
Vienna, Austria
lastname@acin.tuwien.ac.at
“Selective exposure” in educational robotics renders
activities playful and keeps children motivated; however, it also
influences children’s images of real robots and their expectations
of technology development. We designed the Mattie robot as an
educational robot for children aged 11 to 13 using everyday
materials and easily accessible electronics (white-box approach).
Children are introduced to five different areas of robotics based
on their interests and actively participate in the integration
of these domains to construct a robot. Mattie robot has been
employed in a pilot project in seven junior high school classes with
over a hundred students. Feedback is very positive: students like
it; teachers would appreciate yearly workshops with the robot.
5.3* Cognition, to define alternative worlds and possible futures, visions, thus triggering anti-causal actions
Jean-Daniel Dessimoz
HEIG-VD, School of Business and Engineering
HES-SO, Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Jean-Daniel.Dessimoz@Heig-VD.ch
At the current moment of developing more capable
robots, cognition appears as a crucial faculty to harness, i.e. to
implement on machines; this is the field of cognitics. As a mirror
effect, what is learnt about cognition for the purpose of machines
also affects the way we may recognize its role for ourselves as
humans. This is of paramount importance in education and
academic contexts. Cognition is not bound to address only models
of physical reality, even though it remains necessarily
implemented on real-world, physical infrastructure. Thus
cognition has the extraordinary capability to define alternative
conceptual worlds, assumptions, and possible futures. A special
attention should be given here to “visions”, those immaterial
constructs, models, capable to inspire and trigger the
autonomous action of cognitive systems, typically humans today.
Thus the model item that is proposed here for effective results
both in technical and in human sciences is the one of anticausality.
This is in full contrast to usual models in physical
world, yet provides a very natural foundation for establishing
freedom, viewed independently from the reality immediately
perceived.
Keywords—robotics; cognition; cognitics; education; academic
role.
RiE 2015 Conference Technical session 6
6 Other, Selected Topics
Chairperson Michele Moro
6.1 Technology intervention in neurorehabilitation - A practical approach to teaching
Asif Hussain, Paolo Tommasino, Charmayne Hughes, W.G. Kumudu C. Gamage, Wayne Dailey, Etienne Burdet and Domenico Campolo
Asif Hussain1, Paolo Tommasino1, Charmayne Hughes1, W.G. Kumudu C. Gamage1, Wayne Dailey1,2, Etienne Burdet2, Domenico Campolo1
1 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Nanyang Technology University, Singapore.
2 Bioengineering Department,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, United Kingdom.
The aging population and an increase in the demand for post injury therapy has generated particular interest in technology based solutions for neurorehabilitation. This paper presents a practice based approach for teaching design of technology for post-injury training of motor-functions. The content of the course and its implementation using designed 2-DOF planar robot are discussed here.
Keywords: neurorehabilitation; rehabilitation; mechatronics; design; robotics.
6.2 Starting Robotics in Secondary School : Assembling i-SIS, an Autonomous Vehicle
Daniel López-Cazorla, Montserrat Garcia-Rodríguez, Oriol Tarradellas-Viñas, and Martha-Ivón Cárdenas
Daniel López-Cazorla
Institut Font del Ferro, Palafolls
Barcelona, Spain
Martha-Ivón Cárdenas
Department of Computer Science
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Barcelona, Spain
mcardenas@cs.upc.edu
Montserrat Garcia-Rodríguez
Institut Font del Ferro, Palafolls
Barcelona, Spain
mgar466@xtec.cat
Oriol Tarradellas-Viñas
Girona, Spain
otarradellas@gmail.com
The project aims to develop, balance and enhance
the theoretical knowledge, skills and attitudes of students
focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) disciplines applied at secondary school level. The work,
carried out by K-12 students, is differentiated into two blocks,
coding and robotics. In the first block, programming in Scratch
becomes one of the main goals, in which the students make code
intuitively but supervised by the teacher, enhancing and
developing the computational thinking and the digital
competence. The programming tools used are Code, Scratch,
Arduino and Scratch4Arduino. In the second block, an
autonomous vehicle named i-SIS is assembled. Here, they will
implement their knowledge to make it work. In teams, the
students will apply their knowledge of mechatronics. Controlling
emotions, interpersonal motivation and collaborative work will
be essential for success. Moreover, the student’s autonomy selfesteem
and entrepreneurship are boosted.
Keywords—digital competence; starting robotics; autonomous
vehicle; mechatronics; computational thinking.
6.3 Technology and Art -- Solving Interdisciplinary Problems
Igor Zubrycki and Grzegorz Granosik
Institute of Automatic Control
Lodz University of Technology
Stefanowskiego 18/22, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
ph. 4842 6312554, fax 4842 6312551
Email: igor.zubrycki@dokt.p.lodz.pl, granosik@p.lodz.pl
Our pilot project, led by Lodz University of Technology
together with Academy of Fine Arts, is aimed at designing
and prototyping equipment that therapists may use with their
patients who are children with mental disorders. We present
some of the outcomes of this co-operation and highlight the
conditions necessary for the success of such ventures: creativity,
communication and deep thinking.
6.4* Educational Robots and Mathematical Modeling
Dave Catlin and Edward Otieno
Dave Catlin
Valiant Technology Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
dave@valiant-technology.com
Edward Otieno
Mathematics Department
Kingsdale Foundation School
London, United Kingdom
Do Turtle type educational robots have a role to play in High School? In general the use of these robots is in early years and primary schools. In High Schools the use of Lego and Vex construction type robots predominate. According to the Educational Robotic Application (ERA) Principles Turtle type robots can support the development of older students. This poster reports on a pilot project exploring this principle using the Roamer® robot. The project showed how robots can make a positive contribution to enriching a student’s mathematical experience and provided important insights on how to improve the organisation of robotic activities.
Keywords—Turtle, Logo, Roamer, Educational Robotics, Mathematical Modelling, Educational Robotic Application Principles, ERA Principles, Embodiment, Valiant Technology.
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