Design of Mobile Robot for use as a Teaching Platform and Autonomous Navigation and Object Avoidance

Abstract

There is no end to the depth of learning possible In the field of robotics. However, we are many times limited by the methods we choose to teach ourselves and others. As a result, I looked at the current teaching platforms used, along with others available in the market, and found there was room for something more suitable for my coursework taken so far.

This thesis covers the design and implementation of a new autonomous mobile robot teaching platform, which has now been adopted by MIT’s Introduction to Robotics class. This involves the design requirements gathered from looking at what both students and instructors needed to improve their current platform for teaching many of the principles of robotics. The end result has been a successful, open-source mobile robot that is capable of a plethora of autonomous tasks and a high level of modularity—useful for applications in whatever designs are produced by students for the ever-changing term projects.