Advancing Robotics Education: The DRIMS2 Summer School Experience

This article highlights the best practices and key features of the DRIMS2 course, a summer school integral to the National PhD Program in Robotics and Intelligent Machines. With a focus on interdisciplinary learning, the course aims to equip PhD students with advanced skills and knowledge essential for developing robots and intelligent machines for diverse applications. The article provides an overview of the course structure, objectives, teaching methods, and its unique contribution to nurturing deep tech talents through collaboration with student organizations.

Introduction

The DRIMS2 course emerges as a critical component of the National PhD Program in Robotics and Intelligent Machines, addressing the growing demand for advanced skills in the field. Supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative, the course is strategically positioned to foster research and innovation infrastructures.

Course Overview

Target Audience: The primary audience comprises PhD students enrolled in the DRIM program and those from related PhD courses. This inclusivity promotes a rich, diverse learning environment.

Training Objectives: The course aims to impart in-depth knowledge on mechanical design, sensors, vision, and control. Through multidisciplinary teamwork and real-world applications, students gain practical insights into designing and developing robots tailored to complex environments.

Teaching Methods

Innovation lies at the core of the DRIMS2 course, employing a blend of traditional lectures and cutting-edge methodologies. Practical laboratories, group projects, and research-based learning complement theoretical instruction. The incorporation of advanced tools, including collaborative robots and artificial vision sensors, ensures a hands-on and engaging educational experience.

Course programme

Lesson Learned

At the current state-of-the-art, the successfull and market-driven application of Robotics and AI requires, with no doubt, the synergic integration of several engineering skills (mechanical engineerin, Electronic Engineering, Control Science, IT competences) as well as business orineted skills (Business and Management, Industrial Design). On the oher hand, at PhD and Staff levels, Italy academia is origanized in stand-alone scientific fields (named SSD – Settore Scientifico Disciplinare) and so are PhD Summer Schools and Deep Tech dates, always tackeld to a single, vertical issue. The DRIM School has been the very first anc very sucessfull attempt to tackle Robotics in an ACTUAL multidisciplinary fascion, including Staff member from all discplines. As a lesson learned, this very first attempt, has produced extremly promising results in terms of student satisfaction and involvement. Also, as a second lesson learned, the inclusion of hands-on activity has been proven very stressfull and demanding from an orgnaizational point of view, but extremly appreciated by the students and by the industrial sponsors