| CODE | TET2013 | ||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Iconic Programming for Educational Robotics | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Technology and Entrepreneurship Education | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit introduces students to different types of educational robots. It also develops core mechanical and programming knowledge necessary to build and program robots using educational kits such as LEGO Mindstorms. Students will develop programs to interface with robotic kits and control them using a simple icon-based high-level programming language and IDE. Topics covered include basic control theory, mechanical concepts, actuators, sensors, data logging, flow charts, the software design process, and core programming constructs. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to: • explore the various forms robots can take in our everyday life, including robotic toys, home robots, and educational robotic kits; • introduce students to the basic components of educational robotic kits; • introduce students to a variety of simple robotic platforms often used in educational contexts such as Bee-Bots and LEGO WeDo; • introduce the LEGO Mindstorms architecture - the CPU brick, input and output ports, sensors and motors; • introduce students to the construction of simple robots using LEGO Mindstorms; • introduce students to basic software design principles and core programming constructs using an iconic programming language; • introduce students to event-driven programming and data-logging; • introduce students to ethical and social issues arising from the everyday (non-industrial) use of robotics. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • appreciate the ubiquitous role robot technologies play in modern life; • demonstrate an understanding the social and ethical issues arising from the everyday use of robot technologies; • identify educational uses of robotics in K-12 education; • distinguish between a variety of educational robotic platforms and their respective uses; • demonstrate an understanding of the basic architecture of a typical educational robot; • apply basic software engineering best-practice to design simple programs in a non-textual high-level programming language. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • use a variety of educational robots, such as Bee-Bots and WeDo kits; • use a variety of sensor and actuator blocks to build simple robots using the LEGO Mindstorm platform; • design, write and debug simple programs in an iconic high-level programming language to control a robot; • design, write and debug simple event-driven programs in non-textual high-level programming language to read sensors, process the input, and in response trigger activators from a PC. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: • Bee-Bot User Guide • LEGO WeDo User Guide • LEGO Mindstorms NXT User Guide • Floyd Kelly, James (2010) LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide, 2nd edition, Apress. ISBN 978-1430229766 or • LEGO Mindstorms EV3 User Guide • Griffin, T. (2014) The Art of LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Programming. No Starch Press. ISBN 9781593275686 Supplementary Readings: • Trobaugh, J. & Lowe, M. (2012) Winning LEGO MINDSTORMS Programming. Apress. ISBN 978-1430245360 |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Lara Maria Attard Leonard Busuttil |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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