Part of Lesson Plan: Autonomous Service Robots by Michael May

Activity Overview / Details

I use a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to introduce common applications and uses for consumer service robots. I also introduce some of the major corporations that manufacture domestic service robots including iRobots Corporation and Husqvarna. (PowerPoint attached).

Our class has a short leader led discussion about how robots in the future might be built for the sole purpose of serving and waiting on humans. I use the Rumba robotic vacuum cleaner and the robot lawn mower that are available for purchase today as examples of products that are on the leading edge of this technology trend. Some of examples and pictures used in this lesson are funny, including a robotic cat litter box cleaner.

The lecture concludes with a design challenge for my students. They are to design, build, and program a robot that serves me a beverage. The robot must use autonomous code and perform this activity without any input or assistance from a human.

The lesson includes a specific set of design criteria and constraints. It also explains how the robot will be assessed and when the project must be completed. To assist the students in understanding the assignment, I have also included pictures of robots created by prior year students from my class, and I have used arrows to point out some of the critical design features on those robots.

So let the design challenge begin!