Education Suite

Overview

The Education Suite runs directly on the robot’s onboard Raspberry Pi, providing an integrated learning environment. It allows users to code, test, and prototype directly on the robot, making it ideal for hands-on robotics education. The suite works seamlessly on both the real robot and in simulation.

Installing Education Suite for Simulation

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/robotservice.list

deb [trusted=yes] https://autobonics.github.io/bonicbot-robot-service-deb/ ./

sudo apt install bonicbot-education-suite

Note: The Education Suite is already installed on the real robot’s Raspberry Pi.

Coding Environments

Visual Programming

Drag-and-drop visual programming for beginners.

Visual Programming

Basic Python

Introduces text-based coding concepts.

Basic Python

Jupyter Notebook

Interactive coding and experimentation environment. (coming soon)

Jupyter Notebook

3D Visualization and Usage

The 3D Visualization module in the BonicBot Education Suite provides a real-time graphical view of the robot, its position, map, and navigation behavior. This view helps users understand how the robot moves and navigates in the real world. It works in coordination with ROS, Blockly, and the robot’s sensors.

Connecting the Robot

1. Enter the robot IP address in the Robot Host field Example: 172.27.142.216
2. Click the Connect button

Once connected:

• Robot Status changes from Disconnected to Connected
• ROS connection becomes active

Warning: If ROS is not launched, the status will show ROS Disconnected

Robot Model

• A 3D model of the BonicBot is displayed at the center
• The model represents the robot’s current position in the environment

Servo Visualisation

Shows live servo and joint movements on the 3D robot model for better understanding of motion behavior.

Mapping Visualisation

Shows the environment map being generated by the robot during exploration.

Navigation Visualisation

When navigation is active, users can visually observe:

• The robot moving inside the 3D environment
• Changes in position as the robot navigates
• Direction changes during turns

Camera Visualisation

Displays the robot’s camera view in real time, allowing users to visually monitor what the robot sees during program execution.

Benefits of 3D Visualization

The 3D Visualization page helps users:

• Visually understand robot movement
• Observe navigation behavior
• Learn how robots operate in space
• Relate real-world motion to a virtual view