Beyond top down

Cubelets is a modular robotic building set that embodies a parallel distributed computing model. Unlike central-brain, top down command-and-control models that conventional robotics construction kits employ, a parallel distributed computing model accounts for emergent phenomena in the world. We compare the top down and parallel distributed models in the familiar task of constructing a maze-following robot. As we consider how these different robotics models contribute to maze following we also examine what role the parallel distributed model has in influencing students’ success, both at introductory robotics and at developing critical thinking skills.