Robots Coming to Intro Computer Science Classes 175
dougblank writes
"Note to self: when talking to the press, don't use complicated technical jargon, like 'debugging' :) I think what I actually said was 'rather than debug a program to make it give the right answer, the students must debug the program to make the robot behave the way they want it to.'I think many of you will actually like the hardware, software, and curriculum that we are designing. Check out roboteducation.org/ and pyrorobotics.org. The new version of the software will be based on Pyro, Python Robotics. We think of the hardware as something like an iPod on wheels. The software is also being developed with an open source license. This project is not what many of you guess it might be.
The CS1 and CS2 that we are developing won't be watered down, but also won't be just the standard 'intro to programming, using robots.' It's a complete rethinking of the intro courses."
The Japanese are doing the same (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The Japanese are doing the same (Score:1)
Re:The Japanese are doing the same (Score:2)
Great (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Why you ask, that was what it costed in 1990 and MS does not sell any for less than they sold it before.
Re:Great (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Great (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Re:Great (Score:1)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Most of my computer science professors understood the racket that is the textbook industry, or had written so many of their own textbooks they just handed out notes (apparently it's unethical to teach from your own textbook, but not from the notes you used to write the textbook). So they had us buy cheap books that serve as good reference material, if any at all. And actually we did use them quite a bit anyway.
Maybe the market will find a good robot or two that are common across universities, that or an op
Re:Great (Score:3, Insightful)
I flirted with Comp Sci a long time before I actually got physical, and took a lot of classes at a lot of different places. I had classes that were too heavy on theory, I had classes that were too heavy on "practical" skills, which usually amounted to "how to use this language/program to do this thing".
I think, in the long run, a lot of places really don't have the faintest idea what it takes to make a good CS person. It doesn't help that CS covers way too much ground anyway.
Re:Great (Score:2)
I know the CS purists sneer at the guys in the trenches, like we should all have gone to ITT
Re:Great (Score:2)
Even if you don't use those classes, its useful to know on a basic level certain topics. Agreed, you are never going to program in machine code, but I know I like knowing what my C++ will compile to, and it also helps in making you a more efficient high-level prog
Re:Great (Score:2)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Not really. A good programmer is also a computer scientist in the academic sense, since he must understand all the theory. I have the unfortunate task of cleaning up a code monkey's program. If he had understood computer science he would still be a programmer with Java and Windows experience, but would have wrote better code.
I consider myself a computer scientist and I can check off most of
Georgia Tech's savior[ette] (Score:2)
Lego Mindstorms (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Lego Mindstorms (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/08/robosapien-rs-
So thats a cheap option for colleges looking to sex up the CS major.
Re:Lego Mindstorms (Score:2)
I would still prefer more female cs majors instead. Wouldn't it be awesome if part of a college's recruiting slogan is that they have a large number of sexy female cs majors?!?!?
Re:Lego Mindstorms (Score:2)
Agreed. Most of this stuff was kids play, this recognizing whether or not your hit a wall and which direction you were going. It could become very interesting though if it were in an artificial intelligence course. There are several additions you can get such as a device that determines what color surface you're on, what temperature it is, etc. Programming, for example, a bot that could complete a maze (remembering where it has alre
Re:Lego Mindstorms (Score:2)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Why? (Score:3, Funny)
As teachers or students?
Re:Why? (Score:3, Funny)
You mean there's a difference between robots and the people in the CS dept?
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Da Cheatbot (Score:4, Funny)
repair (Score:1)
Nothing all that new (Score:2)
A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:2, Interesting)
Kinda like discussing Bronte during Maths to make it "less about numbers", isn't it?
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:5, Insightful)
No, it's kinda like discussing economics or physics during calculus to make it more practical and show people the real-world applications. Robots are an application of computer science; Bronte is not an application of math, but physics and economics are.
It's a matter of giving people more practical work, which is both more interesting and easier to learn for some people. I usually find that I learn a language better when I can play with it, and doubly so if I can write something real with it. Having a real piece of hardware that responds to your program is more exciting than just printing messages on a console.
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:1)
>> No, it's kinda like discussing economics or physics during calculus to make it more
>>practical and show people the real-world applications.
One problem with this is that a person with a CS undergrad degree isn't qualified to go into automation programming, so it becomes a course which does not lead to employment. It sure would be an exciting course to most, but not a very useful one.
When a course like this is put into the curriculum, some other course must be taken out to make room for
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:1)
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:2)
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:1)
While the CS majors would usually figure it out well enough to get through, the non-CS people who had to take this class were
Re:A bit deceptive, isn't it? (Score:1)
It's a Trap! (Score:3, Funny)
"Fools!! Did you really think it would be that interesting? You're mathematicians now!! Now get back to computing runtime complexities for applications you will never have call to write, or understand! *Wwwuu-ttisshh* Bwahahahhahahaaa !!"
Re:It's a Trap! (Score:2, Funny)
I have the perfect robot for a computer science class. It doesn't do anything, it's just a plastic toy. But it is called "The Big O."
Re:It's a Trap! (Score:1)
Re:It's a Trap! (Score:2)
Let me guess, robots provided by the NSA? (Score:2)
-Eric
Re:It's a Trap! (Score:2)
Argh (Score:1)
I hope this program does well and encourages students to
Re:Argh (Score:1)
>>There really isn't an "intro robotics" course here,
Yes there is, it is over in the college of EE. They have a very nice robotics program at Ga Tech. Get a dual degree (CS and EE) and you will be unstoppable.
Really, I don't think robotics belongs in the CS undergrad curriculum. The graduates of that type of program are going into desktop and server programming, not automation. Automation programming requires a lot of hardware knowledge (microprocessors, bit banging, actuators, sensors, signal
Re:Argh (Score:2)
CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:1)
And freakin' robots? Kids were playing with robots in grade school 20 years go (Logo anyone?) - this sounds way too similar to me to belong in college level
Re:CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:5, Interesting)
They got rid of all the architecture classes, especially the good one where you learn about *how* memory works, threading, processor scheduling, all that stuff. They also got rid of the OS class. I mean, they still have an OS class, but its now a touchy-feely class where you don't actually *learn* anything. I feel bad for the kids who are going through right behind me...
We used to have a mandatory class on assembly too. Granted, its somewhat useless as a programming language in real life, but it still helps teach alot about what's going on at the low, low level.
Re:CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:2)
Until recently, it used to be several classes of C, and then the required electives you choose from were all the different object oriented languages. That way you had
ULM Alumni? (Score:2)
I started in the mid 90's. I was one of the last people to take all of the CS courses in C++ before the switch the Java. What do you think about the CS programming merging into the CIS program?
Re:CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:1)
Re:CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:CS isn't all about debugging programs (Score:2)
And as to CS degrees, we still take algorithms, theory, and OS as main core requirements, but we also have options to take elective high level courses such as AI, networking, etc.
We built and programmed football-playing robots (Score:2)
Re:We built and programmed football-playing robots (Score:2)
Re:We built and programmed football-playing robots (Score:2)
Practical CS. (Score:1, Insightful)
Welcome to DeVry.
Sounds like chaos to me (Score:1)
Re:Sounds like chaos to me (Score:2)
The GT Robots (Score:2)
Oh, and thanks for the webcomic link. *Loves Firefox's Morning Coffee Extension*
Coming? (Score:3, Informative)
Case Western Reserver University started a program like this 5 years ago [cwru.edu] using Lego Mindstorms kits, and I'm sure they weren't the first. This is seperate from the higher-level Autonomous Robotics (aka Lego Lab) [cwru.edu] course that's been going on since 1995 [cwru.edu] and is based largely on MIT's 6.270 Autonomous Robot course [mit.edu] that created the Handy Board [wikipedia.org].
Re:Coming? (Score:2)
In 1981...
Coming soon to people outside Minnesota? Guess some places are just ahead of the rest of the world
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Keep it low level. (Score:2)
Re:Keep it low level. (Score:1)
My intro to CS (I'm actually EE/CSE dual not CS) classes focused on the basic of programming with C++ including how the compiler worked etc, and then got into more complicated
Then it's not computer science (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Then it's not computer science (Score:1)
Here's the important bit. Whatever you get the kids hooked on up front is what they'll stick with for a long time. Microsoft is doing what many other companies have done before. I'm not sure why they're bothering with robotics now, honestly. When I started in college (1982), some people were thought to be thinking "video game programming!" bu
Re:Then it's not computer science (Score:5, Insightful)
MechE provides the muscles, the bones, the skin, and the structure of the robot.
CompE provides the nervous system, the veins and arteries, the heart, and the hormones.
CompSci provides the brain.
Take any one of these disciplines away and the robot fails.
Re:Then it's not computer science (Score:1)
Future work, for both money and glory, will likely require you to be much more than a code monkey, and instead require knowledge of how to create
Re:Then it's not computer science (Score:2, Funny)
A more appropriate way (Score:2)
Re:Then it's not computer science (Score:2, Interesting)
The idea... (Score:3, Interesting)
Or maybe the idea is to make sure that the students have to use windows in order to use the robots. MS wants its OS to be used more for embedded and controller applications and have to do something to stop the students from using those small, open, inexpensive Linux systems.
Or am I wrong? Could the students use the robots and textbooks without MS tech?
Throwing chairs (Score:1, Offtopic)
Didn't Seymour Papert do something like this? (Score:1)
Cornell's Doing it Too (Score:1)
All The Cool Kids Are Doing It (Score:4, Informative)
Re:All The Cool Kids Are Doing It (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:All The Cool Kids Are Doing It (Score:1)
The "predators" you're staving off are also A.I. and therefore have the same limitations and adhere to the same rules. Try programming a robot to go out into the Amazon Jungle and evade true predators that have no hardware limitations on their thinking.
This
Kudos to Microsoft (Score:2)
I have to wonder what kind of robots these are that cost so much money however. Robots like this should cost about $100 -$300 tops.
Profit is not evil.. (Score:1)
There are many of us here who love Microsoft. We just get drowned out by all the one's who do not.
Just because Microsoft is involved doesn't make this a "scheme" - as if they are up to something evil.
So Microsoft makes profit, so what. The company that made the components inside the computer you are using made a profit. This morning you got up and ate breakfast - the company that sold the food made a profit. And sometime today you will go potty. The company that made the toilet paper also made a profit.
Re:Kudos to Microsoft (Score:2)
Depends on whether it's general education or M$ vocational training.
And don't forget that most of the "funding" is likely to be M$ licenses, pseudo-money that costs M$ nothing. Hardly kudos for that.
---
Keep your options open!
Persocoms? (Score:1)
Re:Persocoms? (Score:1)
Good old Computer Engineering memories... (Score:2)
sadly, our Computer Science department is moving in the opposite direction. They recently changed the first language they teach freshman from C++ to Jav
I know the real problem (Score:1)
Lack of Interest (Score:3, Insightful)
The job market for computer science folks is flat right now with respect to new grads... If you don't have 5 years or more experience you are likely to have a difficult time finding a jump off point in the business.
Honestly I can say I don't help much... It's hard for me to hire grads out of college. They tend to be relatively worthless. They have 0 business experience and can't function without constant supervision. It's easier for me to just go out and hire someone with more experience... Until the job market heats up again and IT people are in demand I think most companies will continue to snipe the best people rather then someone new.
another nice distraction (Score:1)
A new dev that can't follow a stack trace isn't a dev at all... if they had a cool robot, that does us no good at all.
Oh dear (Score:2)
"Algorithms. Don't talk to me about algorithms."
It's all a plot.... (Score:1)
By getting entry-level programmers writing robot code they will be pre-disposed to the Actimates API, and will therefore build micro-borg robots instead of open-source robots.
DANGER DANGER! (Score:2)
1. Find humans.
2. Kill them all.
3. Define moment as 3000 milliseconds.
3. Collect some pretty flowers and enjoy the moment.
4. Go to 1.
Re:DANGER DANGER! (Score:2)
But another programmer who is not a robot decided to fix the bug in the program, and thus this was created:
1. Find humans.
2. Kill them all.
3. Define moment as 3000 milliseconds.
4. Eat some brains.
5. echo Muhahahahahahaha
6. Collect a large properly formated data
I didn't quite say that... (Score:2, Informative)
I think what I actually said was "rather than debug a program to make it give the right answer, the students must debug the program to make the robot behave the way they want it to."
I think many of you will actually like the hardware, software, and curriculum that we are designing. Checkout http://www.roboteducation.org/ [roboteducation.org] and http://pyrorobotics.org/ [pyrorobotics.org] The new version of the software will be based on Pyro, Pytho
Call me when... (Score:2)
Fresh, new ideas (Score:2)
Exploring Robotics @ Brooklyn College (Score:2)
For majors, there are other options (as in, taking an AI class with a professor who uses robots, or joining a group and programming AIBOs, etc.)
Pfah! (Score:2)
Computing science courses could be made more attractive by there being more jobs out there for new CS grads.
Uhmm... sorry... do I sound bitter?
Maybe just a little.
Worst idea yet. (Score:2)
Why?
1) Not everyone who's into CS is interested in robots. I'm as hardcore as CS students come, and I'm not into robots in the slightest.
2) Robots are fiddly and frustrating. They teach robotics courses here
All wrong (Score:2)
First of all, robots are stupid! I don't mean that they suck (by which I don't mean that they do anything orally), but that they aren't intelligent machines like some people imagine. In fact, robot programming is very tedious and only fun for a select group of individuals.
I think a better idea would be to include computers instead of robots. I mean, it's a computer science course, right? And before you get on my case about affording computers and whatnot, when we're talking about intro to computer scie
Programming Robots Not About Code (Score:2)
I once asked how industrial robots were controlled. I was thinking cool code, scripting languages. Unfortunately the answer was that they use more of a "macro" approach. They have a human who knows how to do the task the robot will be performing manually move the robot thru the motions and they record it like a macro. Then the robot can just repeat these motions to do the task. The macros may be edited for efficiency of motion, but overall not alot of program
Iowa State (Score:2)
Note that the X part of the course names meant experimental- I'm not sure if those courses went mainstream or not, but point is, ISU was checking this stuff out 6 years ago and as a
Re:Oh Great (Score:1, Troll)
What are you talking about? Robots are our friends [albinoblacksheep.com].