Dobots in the Classroom with High School Students (Part 2)

Team RENi: Hey Chris, thanks for letting us join your class again! We are so impressed with your students and the way they are using the Dobot Magician. We just have to ask, is there something especially unique to Dobot that stimulates or encourages their learning?

Chris: Hi Team and welcome back! Yes it is great to work with the students and Dobot! Again, Dobot mimics what is done in industry. The different end-effectors encourage learning. We can use the vacuum (suction-cup), the mechanical grippers or a laser for laser marking materials. Everything works well together… this is hard on a school network. The software and hardware work great!

Side note from Team RENi: Hey friends, if you did not already know. A few of the unique features of the Dobot Magician are these multi-tasking capabilities. Dobot comes with several end-effectors or end-of-arm tools. These can easily be switched out to accomplish various tasks for different projects. Chris and his students can be seen in the pictures working on a project moving tiles from one venue to the next with the vacuum suction cup. In addition to the vacuum, there are the grippers, the pen for writing/drawing, the 3D printer, and the laser engraver. Unique to TEAM RENi, is the curriculum for grades 5-12! With our curriculum, students can gain knowledge using the different end-effectors while meeting educational standards as outlined in the various lessons. In the advanced lessons teachers will find lab exercises that direct them in teaching students blockly programming!

Team RENi: That’s so exciting Chris, from what we have observed your students are really engaged. Are you teaching Blockly with your students or are you using other coding with the Dobot Magician?

Chris: We are mainly utilizing the teach and playback mode in Dobot Studio, because it teaches the concepts I need students to know about programming the following:

• Pick and Place routines
• Palletizing
• Product labelling
• Teaching points
• Recording points
• Jump moves

Team RENi: It is so impressive that these students can learn these concepts for programming! Before we find other students busying themselves with the Dobot would you think other Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Schools can benefit from Dobot? …Does Dobot actually incorporate PLTW principles?

Chris: Definitely. It allows a teacher to go way beyond what they teach now, with better hardware and software, in a much simpler fashion. It is the best of all worlds.

Team RENi: Well thank your students for us Chris, a big high five to these stars! And thanks again for letting us join your classes!