Right now, robotics is one of the leading research areas that opens up great opportunities for enhancing automation and labor productivity in various sectors of the Russian economy – from industry and agriculture to space exploration and cargo delivery.
In these conditions, grows the importance of training professionals capable of developing and maintaining robots as well as engineering their software. Besides, since, due to economic expediency, a certain type of robotic systems with different functionality is required in each sector of the economy, the most valuable are personnel with a universal set of skills in robotics.
“Our team has developed an educational cloud environment for teaching programming to ground-based robotic platforms at universities. It encompasses three main components: robots that can be equipped with modular systems for various purposes, a unified information environment for developing programs the robots can autonomously execute tasks with, as well as detailed methodological materials allowing for the developed complex integration into educational courses or programs at any educational institution. Jointly, these constituents distinguish our product from all market available practice–oriented solutions for training personnel in robotics,” says Anton Savelyev, Head of the Laboratory of Autonomous Robotic Systems at SPC RAS.
The hardware part of the complex consists of a wheeled robotic vehicle, which could be equipped with various sensors, like, sensors for measuring distance, reading RFID tags, identifying lines and other equipment to implement artificial intelligence technologies. Moreover, computer vision systems, modules for payloads of various weights and volumes are installed on the wheeled platform, up to the installation of a take-off platform for small unmanned aerial vehicles. Together with robots one or more tracks can be supplied to practice
The digital system for robots is located on the server. It is an environment for convenient software development all robotic devices are connected to. “Now developers often run in the problem of a long search and connecting their robot to an effective digital environment. And it may become especially relevant in case of novice developers. We solved all these problems for the user: any robot is connected to our programming environment without additional settings. A teacher and students can work in it independently, and also a supervisor can connect any student and analyze his code at the current time to help solving the problem,” explains Anton Savelyev.
Besides, a prerequisite for the complex introduction into the educational practice of any university is a development of methodological manuals for setting up robots and creating software within the training courses. To do so, the scientists of SPC RAS have developed an appropriate methodological base, that can be adjusted to the features of educational programs at different universities
“With the help of our robots, students can be taught basic skills in robotics, programming, as well as competencies related to information sciences. Students can master the practical skills in programming and upgrading robots over their full diversity. And the complex versatility allows for adapting it to any requests of universities and other organizations, and quickly adjust them to specific educational programs. In a result we will receive broad specialists in robotics with practical skills, who are currently required by enterprises of high-tech sectors of the Russian economy,” notes Polina Chernousova, Head of Scientific and Organizational Department at SPC RAS.
The first batch of ten robots has already been delivered to the Kaliningrad State Technical University, and the other dozen have been used for over a year to teach robotics related disciplines at the St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation. The project is being developed with the support of “RuFilms Innovation”. Now the SPC RAS researchers are looking for new educational partners who can be potential customers of the complex.
A video review of robotics is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snyovtmKHBw
