Teaching robot motion planning through an integrated software environment

计算机科学（31）本项目旨在通过提供运动规划课程来改变大学生学习机器人的方式，该课程增强了深度学习，并得到了集成软件环境的支持。该提案的智力价值在于(a)开发一种可扩展的软件工具，用于向大学生教授运动规划，(b)在三所机构推广机器人课程，同时检查其对不同学习者的有效性，以及(c)在发展运动规划技术和用户实践的新兴用户社区中吸引更广泛的教师和学生。这项工作通过建立微积分和编程的先验知识，并提供与最先进的规划人员的实践经验，为教授机器人课程提供了一种新的方式。学生们致力于具有挑战性的问题，并通过反思和正式评估他们的结果来发展更深层次的知识。这个项目为学生提供了与最先进的规划的实践经验，教他们如何比较，修改它们，并建立具有挑战性的应用程序。其目的是通过将学生从繁琐的细节和繁重的编程中解放出来来支撑学习，并帮助他们通过实践问题为基础的学习方法来培养机器人内外的批判性思维。这项建议的更广泛影响是通过若干协调一致的活动来实施的。在机器人课程中测试过的文档和作业将通过Rice Connexions项目和国家科学数字图书馆共享，以便其他机器人教师使用。开发协作用户社区的努力也有助于这一方向，为选择在其课程中使用这些材料的教员提供支持，并鼓励用户通过联机通信技术对教学实践进行反馈和讨论。参加大学和高中机器人俱乐部的学生被要求对材料和软件环境进行审查和反馈。从长远来看，根据该建议开发的软件环境可以用于年轻的学生，以激励他们在计算机科学和工程领域从事职业。

Computer Science (31) This project aspires to transform how college students learn robotics by offering a motion planning curriculum that enhances deep learning and is supported by an integrated software environment. The intellectual merit of this proposal lies in (a) developing an extensible software tool for teaching motion planning to college students, (b) promoting a robotics curriculum while examining its effectiveness for diverse learners at three institutions, and (c) engaging a broader spectrum of faculty and students in the emerging user community in developing motion planning technology and user practices. This work leads to a new way of teaching robotics courses by building on prior knowledge of calculus and programming, and providing hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art planners. Students work on challenging problems, and develop deeper knowledge by reflecting on and formally evaluating their results. This project offers students hands-on experience with state-of-the-art planners, teaches them how to compare them, modify them, and build challenging applications. The intention is to scaffold learning by freeing students from tedious details and heavy programming and help them through a hands-on problem-based learning approach to develop critical thinking within robotics and outside robotics.The broader impact of this proposal is implemented through a number of coordinated activities. Documentation and assignments that have been tested in the robotics classes are shared through the Rice Connexions Project and the National Science Digital Library so that they can be used by other robotics instructors. The efforts to develop a collaborative user community also helps in this direction, providing support to the instructors who choose to use the material in their courses and encouraging feedback and discussion of teaching practices among users through online communication technology. Students who participate in robotics clubs at universities and high-schools are asked to review and give feedback on the materials and the software environment. In the long run the software environment developed with this proposal can be used with younger students to motivate them to pursue careers in computer science and engineering fields.