Through what’s known as a “2+2 Program,” students can take their first two years at NIC for an associate’s degree before transferring those credits directly to UI for the last two years of their bachelor’s. UI partnered with NIC with computer science programming. The Hedlund space was previously used by NIC’s career and technical programs, which have since moved to Rathdrum. Started three years ago, the robotics program was formerly located in the Innovation Den on East Lakeside Avenue before moving to Hedlund to start the fall semester, primarily because the program needed more space, Shovic said. The robotics courses are part of the university’s computer science degree program.
Students are also working with an autonomous submarine used for lake sampling. “A lot of people don’t even know we’re doing this.”īeyond Larry and Baxter, the robotics program is tinkering with a miniaturized “factory” set from Fischertechnik that simulates an automated manufacturing line.
#Dancing robot software
Shovic said the focus on ingenious software techniques, such as those that might drive Larry to learn “Chopsticks” on the piano in the next few months (if a student’s semester project goes well), is what makes UI’s robotics program stand out among others centered more on mechanical engineering. Larry, Baxter and the other robots on which UI students are working in Coeur d’Alene are only able to do what they can thanks to thousands of lines of code developed by students, Shovic said. Then there’s Baxter, a general-purpose robot who can pour cups of coffee with a smile. Named after Larry Stauffer, the former dean of UI’s college of engineering, Larry can dance to music just as well as it can recognize and follow faces. There, you’d meet Larry, a 784-pound FANUC robot donated to the university from Boeing.
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