Integrating Big Data into Robotics: Research Experience for Teachers

An opportunity to learn from researchers about how big data and robotics are being integrated into smart cities of the future. 

Funded by the National Science Foundation, research experience for teachers, or RET sites, support collaborative partnerships between K-12 teachers and university researchers. 

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site at the University of Nevada, Reno aims to deliver a unique holistic research experience to K-12 teachers of Nevada in relation to future smart cities and the cutting edge topics of robotics and big data, as well as their intersection. The overarching goal is to enable a critical mass of teachers in Nevada to be able to help their students develop a passion for these domains, strengthen their critical thinking and broadly nurture an interest to excel in STEM fields.

Research in the fields of robotics and big data is currently of paramount importance in order to address the multitude of open challenges to achieve truly autonomous driving and the realization of smart cities. The relevance and significance of cross-disciplinary research in robotics and big data cannot be overstated in the context of STEM education and its potential is daily growing. This site will attract K-12 teacher participants towards STEM education by providing tangible research experiences and appropriately designed knowledge modules, in turn enhancing the STEM education for their students,and further designing and deploying transferable research and education tools for the school environment. This project aims to nurture an interest and passion for robotics and big data research to K-12 teachers of all levels, especially from the perspective of their intersection for smart cities. RET site goals The RET site will provide a tangible experience in the fields of big data and robotics through: Educational activities on the fundamental principles of machine learning and big data in autonomous driving A custom-designed, miniaturized, and transferable test-bed of a smart city called Duckietown To enhance the quality of STEM education in local K-12 schools at all levels, a team with both senior and junior faculty has been assembled to support the development of curricular modules and provide a set of mechanisms that allow research to be seamlessly transferred to the school environment.