Project-Based Learning Connecting Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The combination of knowledge and skill sets from robotics and Artificial Intelligence has proven as a powerful catalyst for students’ learning experiences, when applying available resources and knowledge acquired through vocational training. Within the Department of IT at an Austrian vocational high school, our students actively engage in projects that combine robotics and AI. Our diploma theses extend beyond mere classroom theory, allowing interested students to apply their knowledge in authentic, real-world scenarios in the form of thesis projects which span different engineering and IT disciplines. Our goal is to emphasize hands-on experiences and encourage our students to design, construct and program robots, even with the addition of AI technology, such as image recognition and classification trained for specific tasks. Through this practical immersion, our students gain a deeper understanding of robotics and AI, disciplines that are at the forefront of today’s technological innovation. We worked with two groups of students on interdisciplinary projects bridging the gap between robotics and AI and based on our students’ feedback found an increase in motivation to learn not only about the fields themselves, but also about related fields, from mathematical theory to better understand the intricate workings of AI algorithms to electronics and working with microcontrollers. Personal interviews with involved students have also pointed toward an increased motivation through the intense cooperation between the team members as well as the teachers responsible for supporting the project teams through their thesis projects. Projects connecting robotics and AI empower students to become adaptable, creative problem-solvers which is a crucial foundation for success in the twenty-first century. By fostering collaboration and critical thinking, while enhancing students’ technical skills and equipping them with the adaptability and creativity they require, this educational approach prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world where both disciplines play pivotal roles. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Artificial intelligence Machine Learning Project based learning data science Software development robotics

Index Keywords

Teaching Apprentices Students Project based learning Vocational training Machine-learning Federated learning Contrastive Learning Adversarial machine learning Higher School Skill sets Real-world scenario Machine design Robot learning Robot programming Classroom theory Knowledge set Student learning experiences ]+ catalyst

Author Affiliations

TU Wien, Vienna, Vienna, Austria, TGM – Vienna Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria

Funding & Acknowledgements

No funding information

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Project-Based Learning Connecting Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

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