Published

2012-09-01

A programming environment having three levels of complexity for mobile robotics

Entorno de programación con tres niveles de complejidad para robótica móvil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/ing.investig.v32n3.35947

Keywords:

Programming environment, mobile robot, STEM, meta-language (en)
Entorno de programación, Robots móviles, STEM, Metalenguaje (es)

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Authors

  • Carlos Alberto Giraldo ATOS International
  • Beatriz Florian-Gaviria Universidad del Valle
  • Eval Bladimir Bacca-Cortés Universidad del Valle
  • Felipe Gómez Universidad del Valle
  • Francisco Muñoz Universidad del Valle

This paper presents a programming environment for supporting learning in STEM, particularly mobile robotic learning. It was designed to maintain progressive learning for people with and without previous knowledge of programming and/or robotics. The environment was multi-platform and built with open source tools. Perception, mobility, communication, navigation and collaborative behaviour functionalities can be programmed for different mobile robots. A learner is able to programme robots using different programming languages and editor interfaces: graphic programming interface (basic level), XML-based meta-language (intermediate level) or ANSI C language (advanced level). The environment supports programme translation transparently into different languages for learners or explicitly on learners' demand. Learners can access proposed challenges and learning interfaces by examples. The environment was designed to allow characteristics such as extensibility, adaptive interfaces, persistence and low software/hardware coupling. Functionality tests were performed to prove programming environment specifications. UV-BOT mobile robots were used in these tests.

Este artículo presenta un entorno de programación concebido para apoyar la enseñanza en STEM y en particular la enseñanza de robótica móvil. Este ha sido diseñado para soportar un aprendizaje progresivo, desde personas sin conocimientos en programación o robótica, hasta expertos. El entorno es multiplataforma y edificado con herramientas de software libre. Las funcionalidades de percepción, movilidad, comunicación, navegación, y los comportamientos colaborativos, se pueden programar para diferentes robots móviles. El usuario puede programar los robots utilizando diversos tipos de lenguajes e interfaces de edición: 1) desde un ambiente gráfico de programación por bloques (nivel básico); 2) empleando un metalenguaje basado en XML (nivel intermedio); o 3) usando el lenguaje de programación nativo del robot ANSI C (nivel avanzado). El entorno soporta la traducción de los programas entre los distintos lenguajes de forma transparente al usuario o de forma explícita si este lo desea. El usuario dispone de interfaces para la solución de retos propuestos y la capacitación por medio de ejemplos. El diseño del entorno permite extensibilidad, adaptabilidad de interfaces, manejo de persistencia y bajo acoplamiento software/hardware. Se realizaron pruebas funcionales para comprobar las especificaciones de acuerdo con las cuales fue construido el entorno. Para las pruebas se utilizaron los robots móviles UV BOTs.

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Copyright (c) 2012 Carlos Alberto Giraldo, Beatriz Florian-Gaviria, Eval Bladimir Bacca-Cortés, Felipe Gómez, Francisco Muñoz

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