Team Focus

Robotics as a Common Framework for Engineering:

• Integrated system Mechanical and computational Circuitry to software
• Embedded Systems
• Requires a cross-functional team effort

Inexpensive Robot Platforms:

• Lego Mindstorm (closed architecture)
• Handy Board (open architecture)
• Others

Overall Goal

Use of inexpensive robotics platforms for:

• Design/development projects in current courses
• Design/development projects in outreach programs
• Cross-disciplinary curriculum
• Cross-disciplinary research issues

How are the research activities finding their way into teaching?

Research in “Constructionism”

• Pedagogical Theory – Seymour Papert
• Learning happens opportunistically, while we are engaged in purposeful and meaningful construction
• Related to Piaget’s developmental theory of “constructivism”
• “Tinkering” similar to applying the scientific method

Teaching Advanced Concepts in Current Courses

• Micro-controllers
• Signal processing
• Time and space complexity of programming
• Intelligent agents architecture
• Artificial intelligent programming methods
• Compiler construction
• Operating system development
• Various mechanical engineering concepts
• Integrated systems development
• Design and project planning
• Cross-functional team development

Current Efforts

• Developing curriculum to integrate into current courses
  
• Developing projects for outreach programs
  
• Developing a grant proposal for a cross-disciplinary course with a focus on cross functional team development
  

Challenges of a Multidisciplinary Team

• Registration of vocabulary & theories
     Modularity of artificial systems reduces this problem
  
• Finding a common focus
     Integrated systems reduces this problem
  
• Traditional Group Problems
  
  • Team Identity – Team Gelling
  • Communication overhead
  • Space & Time

Overcoming these problems

• Official recognition (MPAG Program)
• Resources (MPAG Program)
• Name Recognition
• Dedicated meeting place
• Time credit
• Electronic support for communication