CS074 Robotics Course: The Power of Algorithms

A Boston College Computer Science professor has found a winning algorithm for turning students on to the joys of programming and logical thinking.

Prof. Robert Signorile is teaching CS074, “The Digital World: An Introduction to Information and Computing" using robots. According to Signorile, it’s the first time robots have been used in this course.

“It’s an introductory course that we offer for any student who is not a Computer Science major. The vehicles we use are personal robots called ‘Scribblers.’

Software programs written in a language called Python control the robots. Course participants are able to command the robots to navigate towards or away from light sources. They can even avoid obstacles using infrared and radar waves.  Signorile explains that each robot has a simple camera on board that can also be used to navigate around objects. “The students can program them to analyze pixels and discover objects in their path. They can even distinguish objects of different colors.”

According to Signorile, “programming the robots gives students the opportunity to solve exciting real-world scenarios algorithmically, instead of subjecting them to abstract math problems.”

Signorile is proud of the students’ progress this semester. “They’re doing very well, especially given the fact that they have no computer science or programming background.” Signorile says it’s been fun for him to watch his students discover how things work and to watch them grow in the process.

“The course has given them a better appreciation for thinking logically, regardless of the discipline they eventually end up in.”