Virtual robotics learning: A step to support technical disciplines in e-learning

The concept of e-learning has become popular in recent years as higher education institutions have been introducing it to support the conventional teaching approach. However, the implementation of e-learning in technical disciplines (e.g. Robotics and Simulation) is still far behind the rapid growth of practice in narrative disciplines (e.g. Database and Theory of Computer Science). The perception is that technical discipline education is inevitable in laboratory exercises, and increases the complexity of e-learning implementation. Information Technology (IT) experts´, lecturers´ and technicians´ expertise combines to create interactive virtual learning for technical disciplines as well as a physical laboratory experience with real equipment. To prove the feasibility of the concept, Robotic decided to represent a technical discipline in Computer Science. This subject has been taught in many higher education institutions to produce knowledgeable workers for industry. However, problems such as an unbalanced ratio of student-robots, high cost of robot mainconventionaltenance, high risk of robot improper operation are mainly occur in the conventional robotics learning. This project proposes virtual robotics learning. The goal of research is to enable virtual learning through e-learning platform for robot movements (direct and inverse kinematics), robot control (joint/manual and assigned coordinate) and MELFA Basic code. A mathematical model for kinematics will be applied to create a simulation and dynamic virtual appearance. The research results such robot simulation and generated MELFA Basic code presented at the end of the paper.