Thymio Robot light show
52 schoolchildren from the Freies Gymnasium attended the closing event of their project days in robotics at the ETH Zurich. During the project, they programmed Thymio robots with the help of students and Professor Siegwart’s team. The aim was for the robots to travel over a specially-designed pad and to light up motifs chosen by the pupils, according to the black markings. HB
Thymio Robot light show
On the first day of the project, the schoolchildren selected their motifs and designed the surface over which the robot would drive to light up the motif. The roughly two to three square meter pad was furnished with black bar codes, for the robot to read as it travels. On the second day, they programmed the Thymio robot to light up in different colors, according to the particular markings on the base.
On their final project day, the schoolchildren were given a tour of the ETH campus and found out more about student life and what goes on in the main building. The Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL) gave them an insight into what scientists in the robotics field are currently researching. At the closing event, the Thymio "light trip" was presented in a darkened room. The overall image was that of the pupil’s chosen motif.
Stefan Bertschi in Professor Siegwart’s team is most impressed: "The schoolchildren have learned a great deal and have put this into practice in a very short time.”
