Institute for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE) was initiated by a $

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

1 million grant from Microsoft Research

Microsoft Research

Microsoft Research is the research division of Microsoft created in 1991 for developing various computer science ideas and integrating them into Microsoft products. It currently employs Turing Award winners C.A.R. Hoare, Butler Lampson, and Charles P...

 to Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....

 and the Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...

 and announced in July 2006. IPRE is designing introductory computer science

Computer science

Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...

 curricula centered around a Personal Robot

Personal Robot

A personal robot is one whose human interface and design make it useful for individuals. This is by contrast to industrial robots which are generally configured and operated by robotics specialists...

. Their vision is that each student will purchase a small, inexpensive robot at the bookstore which they will use throughout their classes in exploring computer science. The hope is that the robot will cost about as much as a textbook. IPRE will develop the hardware, software, and curricular materials for these courses.

The software being developed for introductory computer science courses is called Myro, short for My Robot, and is based in part on Pyro from Python Robotics

Python Robotics

Python Robotics is a project designed to create an easy-to-use interface for accessing and controlling a wide variety of real and simulated robots.-History:...

. Myro is an interface to communicate with robots. It is designed to be used through a number of computer languages, include Python

Python (programming language)

Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...

, Ruby

Ruby (programming language)

Ruby is a dynamic, reflective, general-purpose object-oriented programming language that combines syntax inspired by Perl with Smalltalk-like features. Ruby originated in Japan during the mid-1990s and was first developed and designed by Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto...

, and Scheme.

The robot currently being used is the Scribbler

Scribbler (robot)

The Scribbler is a small, low-cost fully programmable intelligent robot with multiple sensor systems. It is capable of interacting with its environment. It is capable of auto navigation....

 from Parallax, Inc. (company)

Parallax, Inc. (company)

Parallax Inc. is a privately held company in Rocklin, California. Parallax Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells BASIC Stamp microcontrollers, Propeller microcontrollers, microcontroller accessories Parallax Inc. is a privately held company in Rocklin, California. Parallax Inc. designs,...

 augmented with a small computer board, called the Fluke. The Fluke contains Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...

 and a camera. This allows any robot that has a serial interface to be controlled through the low-cost Fluke.

History

• Announced in July 2006
• First courses taught at Bryn Mawr College
  Bryn Mawr College
  Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
  
   and Georgia Institute of Technology
  Georgia Institute of Technology
  The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
  
   in Spring 2007

External links

• Institute for Personal Robots in Education
• http://wiki.roboteducation.org/Hacking_the_Fluke - details on the Fluke board