Seamless multi-robot programming for the people: ASEBA and the wireless Thymio II robot

Robots are an ideal tool for introducing programming to young generations. To be accessible to a large public, educational robots must be affordable and easy to use. In a previous work, the authors have developed Thymio II, an educational robot costing about 100 $. Thymio II is programmable using the ASEBA framework, which provides an interactive development experience through real-time compilation and inspection of the internal variables of the robot. However, this solution currently requires a USB cable connection between the robot and a computer, impairing the robot's mobility. This paper presents a radio-based wireless interface, allowing to program the Thymio II robot without the hassle of wires. This solution is transparent to the user, and implements the ASEBA protocol in a backward-compatible way. It is built on top of IEEE 802.15.4, costs a fraction of the robot's price, and does not affect its battery life significantly. After discussing the challenges and presenting the design of the interface, this paper shows performance results assessing the suitability of this interface for educational use. The presented solution opens new perspectives for the use of robotics in schools from the first graders to the universities.