"If robots are to clean our homes, they'll have to do it better than a person." - James Dyson
Robots play an increasingly important role in our lives. Think about robots in a toyshop, welding robots in a car factory and care robots in a hospital. The specific tasks of a robot are dependent of programming. Where some robots are repeating constantly the same tasks, other robots do something dependent on their environment
Course: Battle of the robots
In this course you will focus on robots who can be programmed to react swiftly and intelligently to their surroundings. You will learn how a robot ‘thinks’ and performs tasks, you will explore how to program a robot by the use of C/C++ programming and how to use a robot’s sensors. This will be done in interactive lectures, tutorials and a group project. The course concludes in the building of your own robot in a small group. Then, it will be put to the test in a Robot Sumo Tournament where it competes with the other robots in an all out rumle for victory.
Learning Goals
In this course you will learn about functional decomposition, logic theory, the programming language C/C++ and its syntax, and lots more. At the end of this course you will have programmed your very own battle robot with its unique battle strategy that will (probably) eliminate its opponents. Some important learning goals are stated below:
After this course, you….
- Understand how a robot ‘thinks’ – i.e. how a robot makes its decisions.
- Understand what functional decomposition is, and understand its usefulness.
- Are able to explain what information a robot needs to function properly.
- Understand the basics of programming, like how the syntax of the C/C++ language works, and be able to program in C/C++
- Understand more about how to convey your desired functionality in a programming language to ensure that the robot understands you .
- Understand how the sensors of the robot work and how you can use these to your advantage
- Understand why several strategies have proven to be successful or unsuccessful
Pre-knowledge
The course is designed for high school students who are preparing for a bachelor’s programme at an University (minimum age of 15 years) with an interest in robotics. Specific knowledge about and experience with programming languages is not required, but can be useful. When you are not sure about the fit between the course and your pre-knowledge, please feel free to contact us.
Robotics at the university of twente
Robotics is a key research theme at the University of Twente. In this research theme they are especially working on the application of robots. Examples of robot application areas are inspection robots (UAVs, UGVs, UUVS), medical robots (assistance to surgeons, diagnostics) and service robots (street cleaning, service to people). The bachelor studies that are partly or exclusively concerned with robotics are Advanced Technology, Creative Technology, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Computer Science.