We present a cloud-based robotics platform for teaching and training concepts of cognitive robotics. Instead of forcing interested learners or students to install a new operating system and bulky, fragile software onto their personal laptops just to solve tutorials or coding assignments for a single lecture on robotics, it is beneficial to avoid technical setups and directly dive into the content of cognitive robotics.
To achieve this, we utilize the open-source cloud service Binderhub to deploy and operate containerized applications, including robotics simulation environments and software collections based on the Robot Operating System (ROS). The web-based Integrated Development Environment JupyterLab is integrated with RvizWeb and VNC remote desktop to provide real-time visualization of sensor data and robot behavior in a user-friendly environment for interacting with robotics software.
The proposed platform is a valuable tool for education and research in cognitive robotics and has the potential to democratize access to these fields. This platform has already been successfully employed in various academic courses, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering knowledge and skill development. Additionally, many live demos on AICOR Virtual Research Building are built on this platform.
Platform address: https://binder.intel4coro.de/
