Development of a Low-Cost Robot for Teaching Register-Based Programming in Higher Education

Due to the widespread use of microcontrollers, teaching students how to use this critical technology is essential. Robots can be used for practical programming and demonstration to increase motivation in such courses. This paper proposes the development of a modular robot, the socalled EGR Robot, optimized for teaching. The robot is lowcost to manufacture, so each student receives their own set for participating in the course. In addition, all components of the robot can be replaced easily and inexpensively, allowing the kits to be used sustainably for several years. Furthermore, modern debugging tools can be used with the robot to optimally teach the important ability to find errors in a system. A detailed description of the robot's structure, the electronic components used and the recommended software for programming are shown. The functionality of the robot as well as the teaching success were demonstrated in a final autonomous competition, and the acceptance of the robot among the students was evaluated using a survey.