Utilizing Microsoft robotics studio in undergraduate robotics

Abstract

Robotics as an upper-level undergraduate computer science class has a lot of potential, since it allows students to apply their skills in a new and novel domain, and since many students find it motivating to obtain the immediate, concrete feedback of seeing their program control a robot. Because of both cost concerns and the practical constraints of the available robotic platforms, the traditional approach to teaching a robotics class has been to select a single platform and write code using an API specific to that platform. However, as the price of various robotic platforms decreases, and the selection increases, it is becoming feasible for universities to purchase a variety of robots. Microsoft Robotics Studio provides a useful way to utilize multiple robotic platforms in one class without wasting time on learning multiple platform-specific APIs. This paper documents our experience utilizing Microsoft Robotics Studio, along with Lego NXTs and iRobot Creates, in an upper-level undergraduate robotics elective.