The document provides an overview of several current DIY robotics projects at the Howest Industrial Design Center. It summarizes the Stigmergic Ant project, which aimed to showcase prototyping techniques through an interactive robotic ant. It also discusses the Ono huggable robot project, which seeks to create an affordable and customizable social robot for research through open source design. Finally, it outlines plans for the EduBots project to develop an accessible robotics kit for stimulating student interest in STEM fields from ages 10 to 14 through hands-on learning.

1. DIY Robotics
Overview of current do-it-yourself robotics
projects at Howest Industrial Design Center.
Cesar Vandevelde
Howest IDC
cesar.vandevelde@howest.
be

2. Stigmergic Ant

4. Why?!
 Project Mechatronics Product Design
 Tool to showcase prototyping techniques which Howest’s
protolab offers.
 Tool to show students that engineering does not have to
be boring!

5. Why an ant?!
 The way ants self-organize is resembles Howest IDC’s
prototyping philosophy.
 Stigmergic prototyping: discovering new solutions by
leaving trails (prototypes).
 Stigmergy is reflected in the user interaction with the
product

6. Prototyping
 Software, hardware and electronics were developed
simultaneously.
 Iterative prototyping methodology
 Iterative and rapid prototyping approach allowed us to find
problems early

7. Programming
 Simultaneous rapid prototyping and computer simulations
to determine important parameters of the leg design.
 Inverse kinematics algorithms prototyped on PC
 Algorithms were then rewritten and optimized for
microcontroller: Arduino Mega

8. Finished product
 Iterative approach allowed us to build the final product
without any major problems
 Currently being used during events and faires: Robocup
Junior, Prototyping Event, Week van het Ontwerpen, ...
 Platform is continually being extended and upgraded

9. Ono, a huggable
robot

11. Social robots
Right now, primarily used in
research:
 Human-Robot Interaction
 Artificial Intelligence
 Robot Assisted Therapy
Problem with current robots:
 Expensive
 Hard to transport
 Hard to repair
 Hard to reproduce
 Can’t be used for large
scale experiments

12. Solution
 Open Source:
Adaptable to the specific needs of the study.
 Do It Yourself:
Inexpensive, accessible and easily adaptable.
 Modular:
Easy repair, replacement and reuse.
 Reproducible:
Low volume manufacturing techniques & visual assembly
instructions.
 Social:
Facial expressions and gaze.

13. DIY techniques
 Extensive use of laser cutting
 Fast
 Easy to adapt
 Accessible
 Uses open source electronics, such as
Arduino
 Easy to find materials
 Standard RC motors as actuators
 Visual Assembly Instructions

14. Assembly instructions
 Modules as kits
 simple instructions
 Aimed at less technical-minded people
 IKEA-effect
 Gain insight in inner workings by assembling
 Co-creation
What users say:
 “It’s almost like a box of legos”
 “It looks very complex, but it really isn’t that
hard!”

15. Control & programming

16. Future work
 Finishing the integration between soft exterior and
inner mechanics
 Finalising all assembly instructions so the project
can be released as open source
 Integration of extra sensors and actuators:
 Touch sensors in skin
 Microphone
 Webcam

17. EduBots

18. Problem
 High demand for engineers and other technical
professions.
 Less and less graduating engineers, despite the demand!
 One of the causes is a bad image:
 “Boring”
 “Too theoretical, not hands-on”
 “Doesn’t stimulate creativity”
 “It isn’t a profession for women”
 ...

19. Fixing the problem
 We’re going to stimulate interest in STEM-topics in kids
aged 10 to 14 years.
 We’re going to do this by using a “learn by doing”
approach.
 We’re going to use robotics kits as a method.
 Why robotics? Because robotics has so many links to
different technical disciplines!

20. How?
 There’s a large gap between Lego Mindstorms and
Arduino based DIY robots.
 We intend to fill this gap by making an EduBots robotics kit
which is powerful and extendable, but still easy to use and
affordable.
Open Source & DIY

21. Research
 Design Based Research
 By developing this tool we want to know:
 Usability of the EduBots tool for primary user group.
 Relevance of robotics kits for stimulating interest in
STEM.
 Feasibilty and mechanics of DIY and Open Hardware
as a way of spreading robotics kits.

22. Handling the complexity
 Developing EduBots is big challenge, how to handle the
complexity?
 We’re working together with:
 UGent – Department of Education
 VUB – Robotics and Multibody Mechanics
 Howest – IDC, Elit, bachelor secondary education
 Dwengo, Dwengo Blocks
 ...

23. Website
http://io.workspace.howest.be/edubots
/