Abstract

This project is expected to develop a wireless wheeled robot, and a mobile application for helping the students with no background in technology to make and test their first robot in a flexible way.

This project is based on the teaching and learning experience of general education course UGEB2303: Robots in Action. Previously, this course is taught by lectures and followed by lab sessions, where students can only write their codes on desktops in the lab. Via the new wireless robot and mobile application, students could cherish the benefits that fundamental knowledge and tutorial of robots can be learned by mobile phones or tablets, and programming becomes an easy thing that coding and compiling can be done by simply using the proposed mobile application. To the best knowledge of authors, it is the first attempt to develop a mobile application of teaching purpose for programming, and coding in wireless robot control.

The whole process of the project development can be generally divided into two parts: The first part focuses on the development of hardware, while the second part is concerned with software development. For the first part, key technology and skills include Arduino board selection and compatibility checking, designing skills for the interface Printed Circuit Board for microcontroller, assembling skills for VEX mechanical hardware, assembling skills for robotic arms, assembling skills for interface printed circuit board, knowledge of robotics & Mechatronics, designing skills for the controller housing and other mechanical parts, 3D printing technology for the holder of robotic arms and controller housing. For the second part, key technology and skills include Arduino software development for robotic arms, wheels, and wireless communication and control, Android studio-based software development for tablet application, knowledge of robotics and Mechatronics.