Robot soccer as a teaching and examining tool

In this paper an idea is presented on how to motivate students to learn an complex subject such as Computer Aided Control Systems Design (CACSD). The idea is that the exam is a virtual race, competition or a match meaning that the students are graded according to the success achieved in the competition. The aim of the competition is set by the professor, and the students have to design a computer program to achieve the best possible result they can. In the paper the continuation of the proposed examining practice of CACSD education at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, is reviewed with emphasis on the robot soccer. The mathematical model of the two wheeled nonholonomic robot was given to students. Their task was to design the control algorithm for steering the robot and to implement a high level strategy to prescribe the reference path of the robot. This new approach also tries to break the traditional notion that students are allies against the professor and introduce a new notion with the professor and student being allies and with students competing against each other.