Mobile robotics for freshman design, research, and high school outreach

Describes the educational activities and outcomes of the Penn State Abington mobile robotics program. The objective of the robotics program is to establish an effective suite of mobile robotic teaching resources, curriculum and experiences to enhance a college freshman engineering design course, undergraduate research opportunities and a high-school outreach program. Key concepts include interdisciplinary design, collaborative learning, rapid prototyping and systems integration. These goals have been achieved by utilizing low-cost and readily-available equipment and tools. Participation in regional and national autonomous robot design competitions has played an integral role in the success of the program. Innovative approaches to robot design involving personal digital assistant (PDA) technology are also introduced