Developing and Improving a Multi-Element First-Year Engineering Cornerstone Autonomous Robotics Design Project

Abstract

For the past 23 years, The Ohio State University's College of Engineering has offered to firstyear engineering honors students the Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors (FEH) program. In that time, The Ohio State University has worked to incorporate and develop best practices for student development in engineering. With student immersion and growth in mind, the program has developed to include an engineering cornerstone project in which students work in teams to design, build, and program autonomous robots to complete tasks on an interactive robotics course. In support of the project, a variety of technologies were designed and polished as the program grew. Classroom methodologies were also evaluated and improved with time in response to student feedback and research on best practices. This paper provides a historical review of practice for the program with an emphasis on the technologies and methodologies that have been most effective in the program as it has developed.

Using Microservices to Modularize Components and Teaching Assistant Development Teams for a Robotics Design Project Computer System

“…The most popular of the second-semester cornerstone design projects is the robotics project. This robot project has many components which have been developed over the years [2]. Teams of four students are tasked to design, build, program, wire, budget, and document an autonomous robotic vehicle to complete tasks on a robot course.…”

Engaging First-Year Students with a Hands-On Course using Student-Driven Projects

“…First-year project-based learning (PBL) experiences are an important and common occurrence at many universities today [1]- [3]. This paper addresses PBL as defined by Dym et al [4], where projects enhance specific learning objectives and are differentiated from project-oriented curricula [5], [6] where specific learning topics are driven by a large project.…”

“…While engaging, these do not truly serve the need for science and engineering students to apply creativity and exercise the design process as described by Dym et al [4]. Newer technologies, including 3D printing and microcontrollers, offer the possibility of creative, unique team projects; however, project-based courses using these technologies are frequently targeted at honors and senior level students [3,8,9]. Interdisciplinary team-oriented projects enhance engagement and retention [10], and are, at least, equally effective at engaging both male and female populations of students [5].…”

Work in Progress: Development and Implementation of a Self-guided Arduino Module in an Introductory Engineering Design Course

“…The course, which begins with a design challenge description and culminates with students demonstrating a working physical prototype by the end of the semester, serves as a first exposure to the engineering design cycle for many students. This project-based approach is used by numerous other first year engineering programs and is certainly not unique to this particular course, but it comes with both advantages and disadvantages [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. On the positive side, students typically enjoy the hands on aspect of the course and are able to experience firsthand what it takes to design and build a product.…”

“…Use of microcontroller technology in freshman level courses is not new, and these concepts have been taught through in-person laboratory instruction with positive results at numerous universities [2], [3], [6]. Additionally, multiple universities have employed a "flipped classroom" approach to teaching microcontroller basics with online instruction prior to in-class lab activities [1], [7], [8]. This work aims to build on these successful examples by developing and implementing a fully online and self-guided microcontroller module in the introduction to design curriculum.…”