Our research into robotics for educational purposes steems from the need to provide students with a hands-on experience in robotics at the university level. We have used and even developed a number of robots and robotic systems that are used in our courses and workshops. We also provide a number of open-source software and hardware solutions that can be used by other educators.
Low-cost manupulators
Over the years we have developed a a low-cost robotic manipulator that is primarily used for our university-level courses but also for other promotional and educational activities. The manipulator is made using a number of widely available components and is controlled using a Raspberry Pi. We have also developed an open-source platform for controlling the manipulator, similar to ROS, but with a focus on low resource consumption and ease of use.
Publications
Mobile robotics
Our teaching activities also include mobile robotics. We are using a modified Turtlebot platform for a course on Inteligent robotics systems.