Improving Early Robotics Education Using a Line-Following Robot Simulator

Abstract

Line-following robots have the ability to recognize and follow a line drawn on a surface. Elements of their operating principles could be used in the evelopment of numerous autonomous technologies, with applications in education and industry. A simulator has been developed to aide in performing several trials in order to validate a project. By taking the Pololu 3pi Robot as the model, the proposed solution simulates its physical structure, behavior, and operations - being able to read lines on surfaces - enabling the user to observe the robot following the line according to the code used. This paper aims to validate the developed simulator as an alternative to ease the process of learning to use the 3pi platform applied in both educational and competitive environments.