For University of Iowa sophomores seated in the cornerstone engineering class, Dynamics, a slide presentation about rigid body motion, angular velocity, and moment of inertia quickly came alive. 

One of the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s newest educational tools walked through the doorway, down the aisle, and to the front of the lecture hall – each step producing a thud. With legs and arms, a torso, and a faceless head, the silvery biped robot that students named “Cognito” looks like a human.  

“Bringing in a robot really enhances the experience because they can see the movement,” said Deema Totah, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “It’s a real-life object that they can directly apply what they learned to.” 

Two new robots, the humanoid and a dog-looking quadruped aptly bearing the acronym “ROVER,” are helping engineering students connect equations to real-world motion. ROVER stands for Robotic Operative for Vigilance, Exploration, and Retrieval.

Thus far, the robots have been incorporated into Dynamics and a handful of other venues, including senior design projects. 

The plan is to go much further.

Cognito and ROVER serve as a platform to explore robotics, AI, mechatronics, and other themes. Over time, the robots will be programmed, potentially by students, providing hands-on experience in a variety of applications including control systems, sensor integration, wearable robotics, and machine learning. 

The robots are housed in the black and gold Controls, Automation, and Robotics (CAR) Lab where Ryan Story, instructional lab manager, serves as the robots’ “caretaker.” Here, students can practice coding the machines to perform tasks. 

Totah hopes the exposure and hands-on experience helps students connect foundational mechanics to advanced technologies they will encounter in their future careers.