Fable II: Design of a modular robot for creative learning

Abstract

Robotic systems have a high potential for creative learning if they are flexible, accessible and engaging for the user in the experimental process of building and programming robots. In this paper we describe the Fable modular robotic system for creative learning which we develop to enable and motivate anyone to build and program their own robots. The Fable system consists of self-contained modules equipped with sensors and actuators, which users can use to easily assemble a wide range of robots in a matter of seconds. The robots are user-programmable on several levels of abstraction ranging from a simple visual programming language to powerful conventional ones. This paper provides an overview of the design of Fable for different user groups and an evaluation of critical issues when we attempt to integrate the system into an everyday teaching context.