Tipologia dell'ente/Kind of organization:
Istituto Istruzione Superiore (Scuola superiore di secondo grado)
Nome dell'ente che lo ha realizzato/Organization-institute presenting the project:
IIS Marconi Civitavecchia
Descrizione del progetto/Describe the project :
Do you want to create a real robot starting from the very basics? This is the goal of this project! Starting from a virtual simulation on the cloud, we go through the process of programming, designing, printing and deploying working(?) robots as rovers and drones.
The project was supported by Officine Robotiche, a Social promotion Association to spread robotics knowledge, and the virtual simulation is powered by the Riders.ai platform, which provides an online space. For students to interact with a hands-on experience, to enhance learning with applied practice. The project starts with the very basics of the Python programming language and its applications on robotics, followed by lessons including image processing, pathfinding, sensor feedback, and many more physics applications on robotics. The students can join competitions against their peers and test their skills at the end of the courses. Students move to design the real robot, both shape and futures. Finally, students deploy the code on real hardware (such as Raspberry PI, ESP32 and similar boards supporting MicroPython), printing 3D components and assembling parts to make robots live!
Tutorials are provided both in Italian and English languages. Students are encouraged to use the English language, but are not forced to. In this way we aim to keep a lower gradient of difficulty to entry but at the same time lead them toward the use of the English.
The Riders platform provides a forum, where students can ask technical questions. This is an old tool but incredibly useful to make students “break the ice”, overcoming shyness and learning how to effectively ask a question to resolve technical issues.
This project started in February 2021, involving more than 60 students coming from different school's addresses and backgrounds. In March we had a dissemination event with Officine Robotiche, an “Aperitech” where three students presented the project to a national audience. In April, we got in touch with Doğa Schools, a network of schools in Turkey that are also using Riders, starting a collaboration in order to start an eTwinning and an Erasmus+ in the next school year. On May 22, a student from our school participated in an international conference (Doğa BAP Conference 2021) where presented the project to an international audience. On today's date, students finished courses on the virtual platform and we started to design the robot. In the next few months we plan to finish the first batch of this project.
Link al video di presentazione/Link to the presentation video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR4OdmdbGWQ
Categoria del progetto/Project category :
Educazione fino ai 18 anni/Up to 18 years
Uso delle tecnologie / Use of technologies:
This project gives students a full overview of the process of how a robot prototype can be programmed and built.
Students will learn how to realize a physical robot without breaking against a steep learning curve and combining state-of-the-art technologies. The virtual platform (Riders.ai) helps to get started in a browser environment, with no particular prerequisites, and courses will guide the learner through the basics of programming (using Python) and robotics. After this phase, students make another step by designing a robot with 3D tools, as OnShape or Blender, using 3D printers to see results. The final model is then converted into a URDF file that can be integrated into the Riders platform to see the new robot in action. After this cycle of prototyping, students are ready to actually build the robot, assembling parts as modeled, concentrating only on hardware issues. As hardware, we plan to use Raspberry or ESP32.
Please note that Riders.ai simulates both a real robot (using the Robot Operating System - ROS) and the physics of the environment (using Gazebo simulator), in a way that the code written in Riders can be straightforward loaded into a real robot.
Competences: what is a robot, different kinds of robots, how a simulator works, what is a model, what is a 3D printer and how it works, what is a rapid prototyping board, how these boards can be programmed, read documentation written in English language.
Skills: write and run a Python program to move a robot in a virtual environment, process sensor input, create a 3D model, print a model with a 3D printer, use a rapid prototyping board, assemble a robot, tackle practical issues as energy consumption or actual wiring of components, write code- documentation in English, ask and reply to technical issues.
Indicare gli elementi di innovazione del progetto / What are the innovative aspects of the project?:
We use a blended approach, from virtual to physical, with an extremely low barrier to entry (no prerequisite, just a browser) and a shallow learning curve. Moving on the project, we can introduce new challenging subjects one by one. We are also using technologies that are both easy to use but suitable for professional use (Python, ROS, Gazebo, 3D printing, Raspberry, etc) that can provide students with a solid basis for the future.
Con quanti utenti interagisce il progetto?/How many users does the project interact with? :
For the first batch we cap the number of students at 60 (we actually received more requests). We participated to a national online event on March 24 (200 users) and to an international conference on May 22.
Di quali mezzi o canali si avvale il progetto?/Which media or channels does the project use?:
The project uses the Riders platform, that also uses a forum to allow students to discuss and ask questions. We also participated in the Officine Robotiche YouTube channel (Aperitech) and to the international Doğa BAP Conference on Microsoft Teams.
Il progetto è già stato replicato? /Has the project already been replicated? :
Not yet. We plan to replicate it in the next year.
Quali sono le aspettative future?/What are future expectations?:
We plan to start a new batch in the next year in our school. Moreover, we have already been in touch with Doğa Schools in Turkey for a eTwinning project that should start in a short time. After the eTwinning (6 months) should follow an Erasmus+ with the same network of schools.
Durata progetto/project duration:
Risultati ottenuti/Results:
At the moment, we have 52 students that finished the first course on Riders and 43 students that finished the second course. Beside these numbers, the interest in robotics in our school is dramatically increasing, and students are asking for more advanced courses on this subject. We also observed a gradual decrease in the English language barrier (from 4% to 19%), as students could start using Italian and then move at self pace toward English. Not least, we saw that the use of forum gradually increased, as students realized that there is no shame in asking publicly how to resolve a problem.
Cognome del coordinatore del progetto/project coordinator surname :
Nome del coordinatore del progetto/project coordinator name :
Il Progetto ha contribuito ad affrontare la pandemia da Covid-19? / Has the project helped facing the emergency of Covid-19? :
Yes, during the first lockdown in 2020 we looked for something that can be used at a distance, engaging students also from their home, but that could also be used after the emergency. Students were also asking for extracurricular courses that were missing during the emergency.
Through Officine Robotiche, our school discovered the Riders platform at the virtual Maker Faire 2020, in December. In february we started the project, receiving a very good response from students. The participation in national and international online events has been an occasion to help students in engaging themselves in something bigger, despite the limitations.
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