Mobile robots development: A case study from robotics competitions and course projects

In this paper, we present a proposal for a practical course on mobile robots at undergraduate level in engineering programs. The aim is to complement the theoretical concepts acquired in mechatronics, electronics and computer science in a practical manner with hand-on- experience with real robotic applications. The proposal is based on the lessons learned from robotic competitions and final year projects of student at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). The projects comprise: i) a mobile robot for a beach cleaning competition, ii) an improved version of the cleaning robot for an inventions contest, and iii) a mine detecting mobile robot. As a result, the products of these practical developments are reflected in functional prototypes that serve as research platforms, patents generation, research papers, and undergraduate theses, along with recognition at national and international level. The results and lesson learned from these case studies are presented and discussed for the mobile robots course proposal.