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SqueakBot is a open-source project carried out as a collaboration between the non-profit organisation Planète Sciences (http://www.planete-sciences.org/robot/, in French) and the University of Caen (France). The project aims to integrate a “robot control” layer to Squeak Etoys and to allow an easy access to a set of electronic modules (based on low-cost microcontrollers). Those modules are used in turn to connect various sensors (for instance temperature, light, position) and actuators (motors, servo-motors).

Etoys environment for controlling remote robots

A mars rover built with Etoys

The Etoys visual programming approach enables children to easily program robots by building complex behaviors from simple bricks (value of a sensor, angle of a servo-motor, etc). The project has already been tested under real conditions (workshops during several Science festivals, activities at school, scientific summer camps) and is currently being ported to the OLPC platform. SqueakBot is part of a larger robotic platform for educational activities in robotics called “The BotsInBox”.