The Robot Programming Network

The Robot Programming Network (RPN) is an initiative for creating a network of robotics education laboratories with remote programming capabilities. It consists of both online open course materials and online servers that are ready to execute and test the programs written by remote users. Online materials include introductory course modules on mobile robots and humanoids, aimed to learn from basic concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to more advanced programming skills. The users have access to the online server hosts, where they submit and run their programming code on the fly. The hosts run a variety of robot simulation environments, and access to real robots can also be granted, upon successful achievement of the course modules. Skill tests and challenges are given for checking the success, and online competitions are scheduled for additional motivation and fun.

Learning Management System

The Learning Management System (LMS) consists of the Moodle software package for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of robotics courses.

Skill tests and challenges are given for checking the success, and online competitions are scheduled for additional motivation and fun.

RPN uses badges as a reward method to the students who complete the different activities in the course. Leaderboards allow users to show off their achievements and provide additional recognition.

Online materials include introductory course modules on robot programming, mobile robotics and humanoids, aimed to learn from basic concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to more advanced programming skills.

ROS Middleware

Use of standard robotics middleware (ROS) allows the system to be extended to a large number of robot platforms, and connected to other existing tele-laboratories for building a large social network for online teaching of robotics.

Users must first sign in with a recognized user account, or log into the system with an identification provided by other web service (e.g. Gmail or Facebook).

Virtual Machines (VM) provide both safety and control of resources. Users' code has only access to the virtualized system, without any possibility of intrusion into sensitive processes, like those controlling the robot hardware or the RPN system itself.

Existing online robots are welcome to join to the network. The source code of the project is open and available.

The hosts run a variety of robot simulation environments, and access to real robots can also be granted, upon successful achievement of the course modules.