The Institute for Personal Robots in Education The First Year

1. The Institute for Personal Robots in EducationThe First Year Stewart Tansley, PhD Program ManagerMicrosoft ResearchRoboBusiness, May 2007

2. Our Journey Today • A view of the future • Where we are today • Robotics in CS • IPRE introduction • IPRE elements • IPRE origins • IPRE timeline • IPRE & you • Microsoft Robotics Studio • Call to action

3. Aof the (near?) future VIEW

4. Make it happen

5. Where we are TODAY

6. Computer Science in DeclineComputer Science Listed As Probable Major Among Incoming Freshman Source: HERI at UCLA

7. So….to do? WHAT

8. You are here http://local.live.com

9. A popular choice

10. But… #Schools teaching CSwith robots today ~200 [US] #Schools teaching CSwith robots if the technologymet the actual requirements! ~2000 [US]

11. is this? WHY

12. Some Challenges in Educational Robotics Price Performance Durability Flexibility Ease of use

13. A New DirectionThe Institute for Personal Robots in Education http://roboteducation.org

14. Our VisionOur Mission A Personal Robotfor everyStudent Programmer

15. IPRE Elements

16. IPRE Community The broad community interested in robotics-enhanced education

17. IPRE Software & Hardware Concepts

18. IPRE Hardware Today

19. Robots for CS EducationA little more detail • Our proposal is not to create a set of introductory robotics courses . . . • But to create a set of introductory computer sciencecourses using robots that reveal the fundamental concepts of CS • Focused on CS1 initially • Leading to CS2 in due course • And potentially to both K12 and advanced courses later • Robotics is “just” the motivator

20. Elements of Our Plan

21. Element: Robots • Recall the PC • Meet the PR • Every student with their own personal robot • Key design goals: • Inexpensive • Reliable • “Brainless”

22. Element: Curricula “Use robots to reveal the fundamental issues in computer science” • This is a research problem • We have a roadmap pioneeredby Prof Mark Guzdial • Experience from teaching with Pyro at Bryn Mawr College

23. Element: CS Teaching Laboratories • Four diverse universities: • Georgia Institute of Technology • Bryn Mawr College • Georgia State University • The University of Georgia • IPRE Associate Program & the broader community • <your school here> • …

24. Element: Software • Pyro  Myro • Evolution of the leading educational robotics software platform (originally NSF funded) • Windows, Mac/Unix • IDE choices • Python IDE (specifically designed for teaching) • Visual Studio • Others TBD • Microsoft Robotics Studio “inside” • Hardware flexibility for long term • Programming language independence to maximize professor’s options • Simulation option, VPL option, SOA/Concurrency teaching

25. Element: Evaluation • Substantial experience with media-based CS education • Test deployments at 4 universities • Proven assessment instruments • Rigorous assessment methodology • Open publication of results

26. Element: Dissemination • Initial deployment at 4 partner universities • Two workshops for broader audience • Textbooks • Robots • We’ll publish research papers • It’s all on the web too • It’s all open – you can follow along or actively participate

27. Status Celia & Victoria – chemistry major CS1 students at Georgia Tech, March 2007

28. What’s coming • First CS1 pilot deployments Spring Semester (2 schools) • Just completed • First “full” CS1 deployments Fall 2007 (4+ schools) • Opportunities to follow along/participate • Formal academic publications to follow • CS2 to follow • 3-year seed project (for MSR) • Expectation is indefinite lifetime • Seeking support from NSF, industry, the community at large • Next academic event presence: Education Workshop at RSS 2007 • http://www.roboteducation.org/rss-2007/ • June 30, 2007 – Atlanta, GA

29. How did we get here? • A Microsoft perspective • We learned, from professors, that education is a key scenario for robotics • “Thinkweek” robotics papers, Christmas 2003 • Product incubation as a forcing function for us, not a science project • IPRE invitational RFP, Christmas 2005 • MSRS announcement in June 2006 • IPRE announcement in July 2006 • MSRS v1.0, Christmas 2006 • IPRE first academic conference presence, March 2007 • IPRE first commercial conference presence, May 2007 • You are here 

30. Runtime Authoring Tools Services and Samples • Samples and tutorials • Robot services • Robot models • Technology services • Concurrency • Services infrastructure • Simulation Tool • Visual Programming Language Microsoft Robotics Studio • A development platform for the whole robotics community, supporting a wide variety of users, hardware, and application scenarios http://www.microsoft.com/robotics

31. Call to action • Check out the MSRS today! • http://www.microsoft.com/robotics • FREE for non-commercial use, education, and prototyping, full version • ~60MB download, ~10 mins to install • Simulation requires reasonably modern video card • MSRS is usable in the classroom today! • For research • For teaching • It’s a generic tool • Limited specific features for pedagogy • Community support • IPRE will be a definitive and comprehensive solution for educators • IPRE will save professors time & resources in due course for CS1, CS2, … • Monitor our progress, and join in our research: • http://roboteducation.org

32. © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.