Mexican EPICS in IEEE Team Builds Portable Educational Platform

In Guadalajara, Mexico, many high schools have motivated teachers and talented students with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but they lack access to advanced tools such as robotics laboratories. The resources shortfall limits the students’ opportunities for hands-on learning on cutting-edge applications.A team from ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, is working to change that. Through the EPICS in IEEE initiative, a multidisciplinary group of 15 engineering students, faculty advisors, and IEEE Guadalajara Section volunteers developed RoboMeshA. The portable, self-contained educational platform brings robotics and AI experiences into classrooms.EPICS is administered by IEEE Educational Activities and funded by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.A mobile laboratoryRather than requiring a school to build a dedicated computer lab or install complex software, RoboMeshA operates as an all-in-one mobile learning network.“RoboMeshA brings robotics and AI to students who don’t have access to specialized facilities or preinstalled software,” says team member Fernando Vidal Luna, an IEEE student member and a mechatronics engineering major at ITESO.Students connect directly to the platform from a user-friendly web browser. They can interact with the robot manually or use its control modes to watch it move and detect and avoid obstacles.“The project combines mechanical design, embedded systems, control engineering, computer vision, and AI into a single robotic system that functions as a mobile learning laboratory,” says faculty advisor Jorge A. Lizarraga.The team says young students are interested in technology, programming, and robotics but don’t have an opportunity to work with systems that combine mechanics, electronics, software, and control.“RoboMeshA allows students to see how all these disciplines work together in a tangible and understandable way,” says team member José S. González, who also is studying mechatronics engineering.The team has built two units and is developing a modular coupling framework to expand the system’s capabilities for research and classroom demonstrations. The structured system design approach connects independent software components while minimizing internal dependencies, enabling four RobotMeshA robots to operate together.Overcoming design challengesThe team faced significant hurdles while designing the project.“One key challenge involved the robot’s structural design,” Luna says. “It wasn’t only about making a chassis where all the components fit and the design had sufficient stability, rigidity, and weight distribution. It was also about ensuring that the electronics were protected while still being accessible for maintenance, testing, and modifications.”“It was also challenging to design a platform that could be used by students with different levels of experience,” González adds.“When students realize the technology they develop can inspire others and improve lives, engineering becomes far more meaningful.” —Luis Fernando Luque-VegaThe team partnered with the CETI Colomos and Prepa ITESO high schools to validate the platform in classroom settings.“We wanted the first interactions with the robot to be simple and intuitive,” González says, “such that students could simply power the robot, connect to its network, and begin interacting with it, rather than having to deal with software installation, extensive configuration, or troubleshooting.”Engineering with social impactMany of the students who participated were from ITESO’s applied professional projects program. The experience offered them practical training in project management, system integration, and user-centered design.The team also presented a research paper and a project poster in May at the Engineering Congress of the Jesuit University System.“Seeing a design move from a digital model to a physical system was invaluable,” González says. “Working with students from different backgrounds taught us to listen to end users and design for their actual needs.”Project lead Luis Fernando Luque-Vega, an IEEE member, says he’d like the venture to serve as a blueprint for engineering education.“I hope RoboMeshA is adopted by schools, universities, and IEEE student branches across Mexico and internationally as a model for integrating technical innovation with community engagement,” Luque-Vega says.By pairing engineering talent with community service, initiatives such as EPICS in IEEE demonstrate how targeted support can turn academic concepts into real-world solutions.“When students realize the technology they develop can inspire others and improve lives, engineering becomes far more meaningful,” Luque-Vega says.For more information on service-learning opportunities, visit the EPICS website.]]>

Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/epics-in-ieee-portable-educational