Designing robotic avatars in Second Life - A tool to complement robotics education

This paper presents some considerations on a new educational approach aimed at complementing the traditional robotics education. The main idea and contribution is to introduce students to Second Life (a free 3D social virtual world) and to the Linden Scripting Language (the Second Life programming language with a syntax similar to C) and then to ask them to design robotic avatars replicating low and medium complexity behaviors which they have previously seen or programmed for simulated or real robots. This approach brings flexibility in working time and a definite social dimension which add to the benefits of the traditional classroom education. Results from a survey conducted with students taking a Robotics and Virtual Reality course demonstrate the validity of this approach in stimulating the students in learning.