Robotito: programming robots from preschool to undergraduate school level

Abstract

Computational thinking is a skill that is considered essential for the future generations. Because of this it should be incorporated into the curricula as soon as possible. Many robots can be programmed using graphical languages or physical blocks instead of writing code. This makes programming more accessible for the youngest programmers. Looking to extend the programming activities to preschool students, we present a novel approach that allows to program a mobile robot, Robotito, by changing its environment. We describe the architecture of Robotito, software used to program its interaction with the environment, and developed behaviours. Moreover, Robotito exports his sensors and actuators using ROS standard mechanisms and is modelled in Gazebo allowing it to be used in research and undergraduate school courses providing researchers an autonomous and safety mobile platform, which can be integrated with any system using ROS.