Teaching Embedded Systems with a Robotics Theme using ROS on the Raspberry Pi
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Authors
Christopher J. Lowrance
Dominic M. Larkin
Issue Date
2018-04-27
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Many courses teaching the principles of embedded systems primarily focus on programming microcontrollers. However, the domain of embedded systems is a broad domain that encompasses other processor types including single-board computers (SBCs) with operating systems. SBCs are often overlooked in the curriculum of embedded systems despite their ability to meet the computational requirements of more sophisticated applications, such as robot controllers and network routers. To address this gap, we restructured our course to include coverage on SBCs while also maintaining some lessons and projects devoted to the register-level programming of microcontrollers. This paper discusses how we integrated SBCs, in the form of the Raspberry Pi 3 (RPI3), into our project-based, undergraduate course. Furthermore, the paper reviews how we introduce the fundamentals of the Robot Operating System (ROS) using a series of projects that are now feasible because of the incorporation of SBCs and a Linux distribution into our curriculum.
Description
Presented at the ASEE Northeast Section Conference hosted by the University of Hartford. This paper details the pedagogical shift to using the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Raspberry Pi hardware in an undergraduate engineering context.
Citation
Christopher J. Lowrance and Dominic M. Larkin, "Teaching Embedded Systems with a Robotics Theme using ROS on the Raspberry Pi," in Proceedings of the 2018 ASEE Northeast Section Conference, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, April 27-28, 2018.
Publisher
ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education)