A Study about the Transition of Simulated Algorithms to Real Robotics and its Application in Distance Learning

The use of virtual environments to simulate experiments of technical disciplines, such as Robotics, is a strategy that is being used in some distance learning courses. However, students may become frustrated when they discover that their simulated algorithms do not present the same behavior when running in real robots. This study, which is part of the preparation of na Educational Robotics distance learning module, intends to investigate the main reasons for this different behavior, so that such reasons can be presented and discussed with students. The idea is to encourage students in developing their algorithms considering solutions for this divergence. Thus, a practical and known problem could be transformed in an opportunity for learning.