Real-world soft robotics – a hands-on project class

In the “Real World Robotics” course, we focused on teaching students how to collaboratively design, build, and control a robotic system capable of tackling real-world challenges. Several teams of four to five students take on the creation of a robot and showcase its skills in both teleoperation and autonomous execution, achieving multiple tasks.

For its inaugural run in Fall 2023, the specific challenge was to create an anthropomorphic robotic hand with musculoskeletal features for dexterous manipulation of objects. Students drew inspiration from natural mechanisms, analyzed previous research articles, surveyed industry products, and leveraged learning resources like video tutorials, online content, Q&As, and workshop sessions that we specifically designed and produced for this course.

Real World Robotics’ goal was to immerse students in the entire robotics development cycle — spanning design, fabrication, actuation, simulation, control, machine learning, and automation. Students were able to bring their designs to life, leveraging access to digital twin environments for simulation and testing, as well as resources and workspace for physical building and system integration. Their final effort was a class-wide competition, testing their robotic hands in real tasks, embodying the practical challenges and opportunities within the robotics field. This endeavor not only encouraged the application of their engineering foundations but also fostered an understanding of robotics’ potential and limitations.

The course aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in real-world robotics, a gap often observed in engineering education. While theoretical courses lay a solid foundation, they seldom address the complexities of translating solutions from theory to tangible, functional systems. This, however, is a critical hurdle in robotics. This disconnect is pronounced both in academic research and industry, where solving real-world interaction problems is key to advancing robotic solutions and products. Recognizing the value of hands-on experience, this project sought to equip students with the practical skills and insights necessary to navigate these challenges, thus enhancing their theoretical education with practical problem-solving in robotics.

The course was designed around the concept of building a robotic hand capable of performing a variety of object manipulation tasks. These tasks were divided into two categories: manual and autonomous operations. For manual tasks, students were challenged with activities such as lifting plush toys and toy blocks, spinning a fidget spinner, and operating a hand drill. To accomplish these tasks, their robotic hand was mounted on a robot arm, with each element being manually controlled by team members. In the autonomous category, the challenge was to train a reinforcement learning agent who could devise a strategy to execute a specific task, such as rolling a ball in the hand’s palm. Teams could earn bonus points by successfully demonstrating an additional autonomous task.

At the start of the course, students were grouped into teams of four to five based on their interests and prior experience in various aspects of robotic system development, including their preferred collaborators. This approach ensured a balanced distribution of skills across teams. Each team received a basic kit of hardware and materials to build their robot and is allocated a budget of 250 CHF for any extra supplies. The course outlined the challenge details and any restrictions, such as a maximum of 11 servo motors.

The curriculum was structured to cover the entire robotics development process. Each week focused on a different aspect, introduced through a video tutorial prior to class. During class, focused discussions delved deeper into the weekly topics and addressed any questions. This was followed by a practical workshop led by the instructors, showcasing live demos or implementations to help students apply these concepts directly. To support learning, short quizzes were administered. Every few weeks, project check-ups helped the teams to discuss their design in detail with the instructors. While guidance, tutorials, and support resources were provided, teams were expected to apply these principles independently throughout their project’s development cycle.

The video tutorials and a final video can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCer3cUU1JQ&t=11s

The project surpassed its goals, reflected in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from students who rated the course an impressive 4.5/5 for its first edition. They valued the depth of learning about the robotics development process the course provided. This success can be attributed to various elements of the course structure and its execution.

Firstly, the project-based nature of the course was highly valued by students, as indicated by both formal feedback and informal discussions. The tangible outcomes of their efforts, such as the creation of robotic hands and the development of software, provided valuable hands-on experience with robotic systems. This was further underscored by one team’s resulting scientific publication, highlighting the potential for significant academic and professional development opportunities through the course.

Evaluating each student team based on their robot’s performance in the challenges, independent of others, significantly contributed to the student’s success. This approach motivated teams to concentrate on maximizing their own performance rather than competing for grades, fostering a more collaborative environment. This was particularly evident in the latter weeks, as teams developed teleoperation software and trained their reinforcement learning agents. Despite each team working with uniquely designed robotic hands, the sharing of approaches and solutions between teams encouraged a rich exchange of ideas and techniques.
Students appreciated the permanent access to the classroom, which facilitated close interaction with instructors and created a supportive and positive learning environment. The blend of professional video tutorials with in-depth discussions and workshops offered by the advisors was well-received, enhancing their learning experience. However, because of the intensive nature of the project-based courses, students suggested awarding more credits in future iterations. Furthermore, the students would appreciate personal mentors for the next iteration and additional about project management.

Two key takeaways from the course feedback highlight the value of project-based learning. Firstly, such an approach enables students to apply and synthesize knowledge gained in previous academic endeavors, providing them with tangible outputs that demonstrate their skills. Secondly, emphasizing task completion over competitive ranking promotes not only individual team success but also a culture of mutual support and collaboration among students.

This feedback suggests potential areas for improvement, such as adjusting credit allocations to reflect the workload, enhancing support through personal mentoring, and incorporating more structured learning on project management to further enrich the student experience and the course’s educational impact.