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“Open-source Robotics for Academics: A Platform that Grows with the User.”
Robotics is an ideal tool for illustrating connections between multiple disciplines such as computer science, electrical, mechanical engineering, and social science. It is also a wonderful way to get young people interested in, involved in, and excited about the possibilities of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, some challenges may limit the ability of some diverse or resource-limited communities from being able to access the benefits of robotics education. These barriers include the cost of educational robotics platforms and the lack of a knowledge base for novice educators to access.
Open-source robotics builds on the principles of open-source hardware and software. They both encourage publicly available models that afford collaboration through modification, making, selling, improvement, and distribution. This represents a shift in the traditional method that academics use for research and publishing but a necessary one to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in STEM. By not restricting access to work behind journal paywalls or conference fees, communities with limited resources can still benefit from them.
The “Robotics for the Streets” initiative was implemented in 2022 through the generous support of the Open-Source Hardware Association and Sloan Foundation to diversify STEM by using open-source robotics to increase access to and visibility of STEM technology. There was also a goal to illustrate to academics how to use open-source robotics to support their teaching, service, and professional development goals.
This paper describes the design and modifications of an open-source robotics platform, Flower∞Bots to increase access and inclusion in STEM and aid academics in professional development goals. The open-source robots described here are comprised of half 3D printed parts and half commercially available off-the-shelf parts. All the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files, printer files, code, and videos for these robots are available online on YouTube, GitHub, HacksterIO, and Instructables. In the past, the open-source robot platforms, Flower∞Bots, have been used by organizations such as Black in Robotics, Girl Scouts, and Boys and Girls Club as well as university professors, graduate students, undergraduate students, K-12 teachers, K-12 students, and STEM enthusiasts around the world. It will be shown that the modularity of the Flower∞Bots make it suitable for a variety of applications as well as users with varying expertise.