Studying Electrical and Computer Engineering through the Construction of Robotic Teams and Systems

1 Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi , Centro Universitário – UniFEI – Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, Av. Humberto de A. C. Branco, 3972, CEP 09850-901, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brasil, [email protected] 2 Alessandro La Neve, Centro Universitário – UniFEI – Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, Av. Humberto de A. C. Branco, 3972, CEP 09850-901, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brasil, [email protected] Abstract  The development of robots involves more than simple integration of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering techniques. It can be used as a basis for Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science education based on practice, because of it’s multidisciplinary domain that includes a large variety of fields. Besides this, it motivates a large number of students, due mainly to its challenging nature and because of the increasing public interest. At Centro Universitário UniFEI several strategies are being developed to help students in studying electrical and computer engineering subjects, through the design, construction and operation of robotic teams and systems. Students are involved in part time work on scientific initiation projects and final course projects, designing robots and implementing control and computational vision software. The result of these projects, such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Graphics and Programming related material, are successfully being used in the computer engineering course.