Merging Backgrounds – An Interdisciplinary Course Concept for a Robotic Laboratory

Abstract. Interdisciplinary work is seen as an essential part in industrial development and scientific research projects. Modern education should address this skill. But integrating interdisciplinarity in a teaching curriculum is a demanding task. In this paper, we present a design of an introductory robotic laboratory, which is suitable for students in robotic related study programs, such as computer science, electrical engineering, mechatronics, and mechanical engineering. The course concept proposes the application of optional individual tasks to balance the different backgrounds and levels of the participants. Active participation and self-contained learning is identified as a key aspect in the proposed concept and therefore specifically addressed. Criteria for a suitable robot kit were formulated and a corresponding robot kit as an attractive teaching platform is presented. Results of a questionnaire provide an evaluation of the realized course concept