Use of a Mini Humanoid Robot Platform for Experiential Lab Activities in a Biomechatronics Course

The field of Biomechatronics is important for the design of devices, such as wearable robots, humanoid robots, assistive devices, or rehabilitative robots.Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, courses in Biomechatronics typically encompass fundamental background material in both engineering and biomedical disciplines, as well as more domain specific knowledge related to the end application areas.To reinforce this multidisciplinary knowledge, a series of team-based challenge exercises were recently incorporated into a Biomechatronics course at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) using the low-cost Robotis Mini Humanoid robot and a project-based learning approach.Students were required to complete task-based challenges using both the Robotis virtual platform and the physical humanoid robots.The virtual environment allowed students to do the majority of programming outside of the laboratory, thereby minimizing the amount of time required with the actual robots.As part of the challenge exercises, students needed to both complete the challenge task and describe the associated biomechanics associated with the task.Examples of challenges included hitting targets in 3D space, designing a wearable exoskeletal device to add functionality to the robot platform, or participating in a limbo contest to demonstrate balance.Student responses to the challenges were favorable and suggest that the Mini humanoid platform can be used as a relatively low-cost, engaging means of reinforcing key multidisciplinary course concepts.