Track 3 - A robot in the classroom Author: Manuel F. Silva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiGPeD7VnPQ&index=1&list=PLboNOuyyzZ85UwWh70luNvKIhX8U1gxug

1. Implementation of a Novel
Industrial Robotics Course
and its Evaluation by
Students
TEEM 2015
International Conference on Technological
Ecosystem for Enhancing Multiculturality
Manuel Silva
ISEP/IPP – School of Engineering,
Polytechnic Institute of Porto

2. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

3. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

4. Introduction
 Current situation
 increased dissemination of robots in industry
 need to train people
 lack of funding for Portuguese HEI
 find new ways to teach robotics
 Solution
 ROBIN course for the ISEP MEEC students
 practical training using COTS robot simulation
software for off-line programming

5. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

6. State of the art in robotics
education
 Several courses in HEI on mobile robots
 Robotics teaching and education avoiding the
inherent costs of hardware
 internet based remote laboratories
 sites were user can interact with robots
 use of simulation software for teaching robotics

7. State of the art in robotics
education
 Courses on IRs not usual
 software simulation applications used teaching
several distinct subjects
 scarce information on the use of COTS simulators for
OLP to support teaching of programming and
operation of IRs
 exceptions
 Department of Industrial Technology at the University of Louisiana
at Lafayette (USA)
 Virtual CIM Laboratory (Turkey)

8. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

9. Organization of the course
Organization of the classes
 Theoretical classes (2h/w)
 presented the theoretical subjects by the teacher
 Tutorial classes (1h/w)
 support to a research work developed in groups
 Laboratory classes (2h/w)
 teach students the principles of robot programming
 divided in two periods

10. Organization of the course
Organization of the classes
 Instruction scripts
1. Creation of the world
model
2. Targets creation
3. Development of the
program
4. Simulation of the robot
program in the virtual
controller
5. Creation of a
mechanism

11. Organization of the course
Organization of the classes
 Sw and hw emulate manufacturing environment
 aid students rapidly testing and refining new behaviors
before running them on the actual robotic system
 laboratory resources extensively used for conducing
hands-on lab assignments
 Learning process extraordinarily fast
 students fully motivated
 developing their ideas and representing them

12. Organization of the course
Role of the teacher/tutor
 Teacher role different in the 2 phases of activity
 active at the beginning
 proposal of methodological guidelines for the development
of the project
 organized presentation of the tools to be used in the
simulation and off-line programming
 reference person in development phase
 ready to help in the solution of any problem
 no will to influence the choices of the designers

13. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

14. Course implementation results
 Assessment survey
 Q1&3: preferred
hands-on course
organized according
to project-based style
 Q1-4: learn more
with this course style
compared to lecture/
test style curriculum

15. Course implementation results
 Assessment survey
 Q5: project helped
better understand
material covered in
lectures
 Q6: considered good
way to link theory
with robot
programming

16. Course implementation results
 Assessment survey
 Q8: felt they learned
a lot about industrial
robotics in general
 Q11-14: increase in
robotics and robot
programming
knowledge,
compared to start

17. Course implementation results
 Assessment survey
 Q18: overall
experience with the
attendance of ROBIN
is very good
 Q9: willing to advise
their colleagues to
attend ROBIN next
academic year

18. Course implementation results
 Assessment survey
 open question
 satisfaction with the course, its organization and the hands-
on approach
 suggestions for improvements
 deepen the learning of RAPID

19. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

20. Discussion on the course
experience
 Hands-on courses on IRs not usual
 IRs cost makes difficult to equip laboratories
 time needed to program and test online
 solution
 practical classes using a COTS simulator
 Good solution
 number of enrolled students growing along the years
 approval rates consistently high
 effects of developed programs observed when finished
 full- or part-time working students

21. Discussion on the course
experience
 To improve
 students increase
 attendance in lab classes above initially expected
 another robot needed for to students test their programs

22. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

23. Conclusions
 Course on IRs being offered at ISEP
 lab classes taught using COTS simulation software
 Proved an excellent solution
 students “see” the effects of developed programs
 avoids delays in testing programs in real robots
 avoids costs associated with robots for practical training
 number of enrolled students growing along the years
 approval rates consistently high

24. Outline
1. Introduction
2. State of the art in robotics education
3. Organization of the course
4. Course implementation results
5. Discussion on the course experience
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments

25. Acknowledgments
 Students enrolled in the course that contributed
with comments / suggestions
 ROBIN former students
 Daniel Basto, Rui Carvalho, Cristiano Alves, José
Silva and Marco Silva
 ABB Portugal
 Ricardo Oliveira, José Magalhães, Manuel Sousa

26. Thank you for your
attention!
Questions?
Implementation of a Novel Industrial Robotics
Course and its Evaluation by Students
TEEM 2015
International Conference on
Technological Ecosystem for Enhancing Multiculturality
(October 7-9, 2015)
Manuel F. Silva
mss@isep.ipp.pt