About Robodyssey

Robodyssey Systems, LLC. is a privately-owned company based in Trenton, New Jersey, offering its products and services to a national market.

Background

This system has been piloted and implemented for several years in a New Jersey high school electronics program. Students learn the fundamentals of electronics by engaging in problem solving activities involving robotics that requires a knowledge of electronics to complete successfully. Presenting a problem that has an open ended solution encourages students to learn the basics.

At Robodyssey^TM, we believe that no one can duplicate the results of creative teachers' work in the classroom by merely attempting to copy their style, use their lesson plans, or mimic their techniques. You can, however, increase the level of enthusiasm by introducing real autonomous robots into the teaching of mathematics, science, and technology, thereby developing a synergistic learning environment where students see a purpose for learning. To this end, we have developed robust robotics platforms and instructional materials that require minimal mechanical skills to assemble and allow the teacher to teach electronics, not shop.

About Robotics

Robots are part electronics and part machine:

• Sensors gather information from the environment, which is often a very 'noisy' place.
  
  
• Logic calculates how to respond to signals from the sensors.
  
  
• Controllers deliver and condition power to actuators- motors, solenoids, lights, speakers, etc., to interact with the physical world in some way.
  
  
• Chassis or mechanical structures hold a robot's pieces together as it interacts with the world.

Most robots rely on electronics to connect sensors, logic controller, and actuators. Controllers may be simple electronic circuits using discrete analog devices, or programmable digital computers, re-programmable to do entirely different things without being physically rewired. Roboticists may use programming languages to give their robots logical behaviors.

About the Founder

David Peins teaches Electronics, and has taught a variety of traditional shop classes since 1987. He graduated from Trenton State College in 1978 and taught junior high school shop for one year. He decided to take a job in industry and, after ten years as a machinist, drafter, machine shop supervisor and designer, he returned to the classroom ready to change the world. He has since earned a Masters of Education in Vocational Education from Rutgers University and enrolled in the Doctoral Program at Columbia University. In order to develop mechanisms precise enough and durable enough to make the robotics creations of his dreams a reality, Mr. Peins began manufacturing robot bodies for his students in his own shop. The students refer to this magical parts factory as "Aisle 13, K-Mart." Many schools have sold their machinery and replaced their programs with 'Technology Education' programs, so the idea for a company that makes basic robotics components for teachers was born. Teaching is his real passion and he feels it is what he was put on earth to do. Robodyssey developed out of a love for engineering and design and a need to develop a way to get kids interested in pursuing careers in science and engineering. "I figured I had waited long enough for the robots I had dreamed about as a child. This generation holds the key to the Robotics revolution. The technology exists, now all we need is people in the field with good imaginations! I plan to do everything I can to get more young people interested in Robotics." You can see some examples of Mr. Peins' students work at http://www.cjrobotics.org

About the Other Guy

Brian Patton is the owner and president of Thin Air Creations LLC as well as Vice President of Robodyssey Systems. Thin Air is a company dedicated to helping people and companies create new and novel solutions to difficult problems. Thin Air has the ability to grasp the problem, propose solutions, design software and prototypes, draft patent claims and even produce product in limited scale. Previous projects have led to solutions in automated pharmaceutical processes, new and novel research tools for electro-physiology and robotics. The latter of that list has led to the creation of the first affordable method of robotic expression.

Robodyssey Systems LLC is a company dedicated to developing robotic platforms for use in education. ESRA, which stands for "Expressive System for Robotic Animation" is now an integral part of the Robodyssey line. ESRA allows kids to learn the basics of computer programming in a fun and engaging way. ESRA has even found it's way into other novel applications such as working with children with learning differences and helping to teach children the basics in how to be safe.