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Alphabot2 Revisited: An Educational Tool to Program and Learn Robotics

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ROBOT2022: Fifth Iberian Robotics Conference (ROBOT 2022)

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Abstract

In recent years there has been an increasing diversity of educational equipment surrounding the themes of robotics and programming. AlphaBot2 is one of the most comprehensive robots in this field, with great potential for students, especially between ages 15 and 18. In this paper, we tested one of the versions of the Alphabot2 robot that works with Raspberry Pi, which can use Python, a programming language of growing importance in the curriculum of high school students, and that can use, additionally, Linux with ROS. Furthermore, we analyse the opportunities of using it in the context of the different classes and the advantages and pitfalls of selecting it as a tool for learning in the STEAM areas.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://balena-etcher.eu/.

  2. 2.

    https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/AlphaBot2-Pi.

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Acknowledgements

This work was part of a project in the context of a post-graduation in Programming, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence class at the School of Sciences and Technology of the Azores University for the school year 2021/2022, supported by the Azores Government.

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Correspondence to José Cascalho .

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Medeiros, B., Mousinho, R., Cascalho, J., Funk, M. (2023). Alphabot2 Revisited: An Educational Tool to Program and Learn Robotics. In: Tardioli, D., Matellán, V., Heredia, G., Silva, M.F., Marques, L. (eds) ROBOT2022: Fifth Iberian Robotics Conference. ROBOT 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 589. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21065-5_46

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