David Bloom

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About

David Bloom is a pioneering researcher in educational robotics and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on using embodied gaming to teach autonomous systems. His most influential work, "Roomba Pac-Man: Teaching Autonomous Robotics through Embodied Gaming" (2007, 13 citations), introduces an innovative pedagogical approach that transforms the popular video game into a tangible, real-world robotics challenge for upper-level undergraduates. This work, developed as part of a groundbreaking course at Brown University, demonstrates Bloom's commitment to bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and hands-on learning by having students program Roomba robots to navigate physical Pac-Man-like mazes. The approach exposes students to diverse control strategies, from reactive behaviors to more complex deliberative architectures, making abstract robotics principles concrete and engaging. Bloom's contribution lies not just in the technical implementation, but in his vision of using play as a vehicle for deep learning—a philosophy that has influenced how robotics education is approached in university settings. His work remains a touchstone for educators seeking to make autonomous robotics accessible and exciting to the next generation of engineers and computer scientists.