Students
Build something you can explain.
Turn a drawing, sorting rule or robot sequence into a small portfolio project. Keep your code, tests and what you changed—not just a video of a moving arm.
Find a first projectSTEAM education · Real-world engineering
From first experiments to real engineering.
Build practical STEAM skills with projects, desktop robots, modular training stations and industrial educational cells. Find a starting point for yourself, your family, your classroom or your research team.
Explore equipment and training cellsFind your next step
Different starting points. Something real to learn.
Use the free project ideas, explore equipment, or bring a teaching challenge to a technical conversation. You do not need to be buying a full laboratory to begin.
AI-generated learning illustrations, not product photographs or approved cell designs.
Makers & hobby enthusiasts
Give your next idea a working prototype.
Explore creative motion, sensors and desktop automation. Start with a manageable task, then check the tool, software and interface before buying add-ons.
Explore desktop setups
Parents & families
Begin with curiosity, not a shopping list.
Try an unplugged activity together before choosing hardware. Match the next step to ability, interest and adult supervision—not a universal age promise.
Try an activity together
Teachers & school leaders
Make the lesson—not the robot—the starting point.
Connect science, coding, mathematics and creative design through projects with visible learning evidence. Plan shared stations, teacher preparation and an achievable first term.
Plan a classroom rollout
Vocational instructors
Teach the system around the robot.
Bring PLC logic, HMI operation, I/O, tooling and fault recovery into one documented training task. Ask about modular stations and industry-like educational cells.
Scope a training cell
Professors & PhD researchers
Choose a platform around the research question.
Define the experiment, measurement method and software interface first. Discuss calibration, vision, manipulation or mobile robotics without assuming every robot supports every SDK.
Explore research briefsYour starting point
One idea. Three ways to go deeper.
Choose the learning outcome first. Every track offers practical project briefs, including a teacher view and a route that starts without powered hardware.
01 / K–12 / STEAM
Discover
Predict a movement, draw a story and turn an idea into a sequence.
I can explain why my programme works.
02 / Vocational / FP
Build
Connect robot, tooling and signals. Learn how a complete cell behaves.
I can document a cycle and its recovery.
03 / University / research
Investigate
Test calibration, trajectories and perception with reproducible evidence.
I can design a measurable experiment.
Try it yourself
The robot follows instructions. You supply the logic.
Move the block from A to B. The starting programme has a mistake: predict what will happen, run it, then change the order. The checker explains the first missing condition before moving anything.
Same task, a different question
Can you predict the next move?
A robot does not know you meant to pick up a block. It needs the right action in the right place. Explain the four commands to a partner before pressing Run.
Think about it: does moving an open gripper move the block?
What must be true before a move?
A real sequence also needs signals and fault handling. This drawing adds a conceptual sensor/controller: part present → request → busy → done. The challenge itself checks order only; it does not implement a PLC or safety system.
Think about it: which device owns each signal, and what happens if “done” never arrives?
How would you know the result is repeatable?
The added axes and dashed target region represent coordinate frames and measurement uncertainty. They are illustrative, not measured data. Define the start conditions, target tolerance and evidence before comparing experiments.
Think about it: can a robot repeat the same result accurately relative to itself, but miss the intended target?
Learning here stays in your browser. No student names, answers or contact details are collected by this challenge.
The pick-and-place lab
Simplified simulation. No real robot, account or connection required.
Ready. The block is at A and the gripper is open.
Read the solution and what it teaches
Go to pickup → Close gripper → Move to target → Open gripper. A command needs the right conditions before it can work. Going to B with an open gripper moves the robot, not the block. This model checks command order; it does not simulate forces, collisions or safety functions.
The learning ladder
Build understanding, not just a longer programme.
Move between these steps as the project requires. A coordinate frame defines where positions are measured; kinematics describes how a robot’s geometry relates joint movement to tool position.
- 01
Move & create
Explain a coordinate, draw a pattern and connect code with design.
- 02
Sense & decide
Turn an input into a decision—and handle an uncertain observation.
- 03
Program & test
Predict a sequence, inspect its result and explain a correction.
- 04
Integrate & recover
Connect tools, signals and people with a documented recovery path.
- 05
Investigate
Control test conditions, measure results and report limitations.
Make something. Learn something.
Eight projects with a reason to use robotics.
Suggested teaching briefs, not accredited courses or universal manufacturer lesson plans. Open a teacher view for prerequisites, materials, guided steps, evidence, safety and inclusion.
Photos show example equipment; illustrations are labelled. They do not define a supplied package or certify a setup. The projects can still begin on paper or in simulation. Select an image to view it larger.
Discover · K–12 STEAM
Begin with prediction, creativity and a teacher-led discussion. Adapt the activity to the learners; K–12 is not one ability level.
Project 01
Draw a robot story
Turn a character’s journey into coordinates, then compare the planned route with the drawing.
Teacher view: Draw a robot story
- Starting point
- Learners who can follow a short sequence and compare positions. Start on paper; introduce coordinate pairs when ready.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Combine Arts/design, mathematics and computing: describe a shape as ordered instructions, test a prediction and explain a revision.
- Minimum materials
- Squared paper, a pencil, command cards and a partner acting as the robot. No powered robot is required.
- Optional hardware
- A teacher-supervised desktop robot with a manufacturer-approved pen holder and drawing software; confirm the exact robot/kit combination.
- Guided activity
- Design a three-landmark story. Mark a shared origin and write the route. Let a partner follow only the instructions. Compare the drawing with the plan, correct one ambiguous instruction and repeat.
- Evidence & discussion
- Keep the first and revised programme beside both drawings. Ask: which instruction changed the result, and why did everyone need the same origin?
- Safety & supervision
- Use the unplugged version first. A teacher sets any hardware limits and exclusion area; learners never hold paper or a pen inside a moving robot’s workspace.
- Access & participation
- Offer large-print grids, tactile route cards or spoken instructions; rotate designer, programmer and observer roles. No precise mouse gesture is needed.
- Take it further
- Translate the same drawing to a new origin or scale it. What must change, and what can stay the same?
Project 02
Make a sorting rule
Decide what should happen when a part is present, missing or difficult to identify.
Teacher view: Make a sorting rule
- Starting point
- Learners comfortable with if/then decisions. Shape or labelled-symbol cards work without colour recognition or reading long text.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Connect science, design and computational thinking: define a rule, identify an uncertain input and explain why “unknown” needs its own response.
- Minimum materials
- Labelled object cards, two destination mats, an “unknown” mat and a paper input/output table.
- Optional hardware
- A compatible classroom robot, gripper and approved sensor or vision kit. A teacher validates detection before any autonomous movement.
- Guided activity
- Agree a sorting rule. Predict a destination for each card. Have one learner report only the sensed symbol and another apply the rule. Introduce a missing and an unreadable card. Revise the rule to stop and ask for help.
- Evidence & discussion
- Present a decision table and explain an incorrect classification. Ask: is moving faster useful when the input is wrong?
- Safety & supervision
- Use lightweight non-sharp teaching objects. Real faults are discussed or simulated; do not introduce obstacles into a running robot.
- Access & participation
- Use shape, texture and text together rather than colour alone. The sensing role can be performed verbally or with a large button.
- Take it further
- Count correct, incorrect and unknown classifications. Investigate how changing the rule affects those three counts.
Build · Vocational / FP
Move from a successful robot movement to a documented cell sequence, including the conditions needed to start, stop and recover.
Project 01
Build an I/O handshake
Make a controller and a robot agree on ready, request, busy, done and fault states.
Teacher view: Build an I/O handshake
- Starting point
- Students with basic logic, robot jogging and electrical-safety training; use a software model before connecting devices.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Apply control engineering and documentation: define signal ownership, sequence transitions and timeout behaviour. A PLC is a programmable controller, not a safety guarantee.
- Minimum materials
- A paper or software state machine, signal table and simulated part-present input.
- Optional hardware
- An assessed teaching cell, compatible robot controller and PLC, suitable isolated I/O and a correctly specified gripper. Electrical interfaces require verification.
- Guided activity
- Assign who writes each signal. Model request/acknowledge and completion/reset. Test one normal cycle in simulation. Hold a signal high and simulate a missing part. Define timeout and manual recovery before testing on authorised equipment.
- Evidence & discussion
- Submit a timing chart, I/O list and fault table. Demonstrate that a stale request cannot start a second cycle. Explain who clears each fault.
- Safety & supervision
- Ordinary PLC I/O and software checks are not safety-rated functions. A qualified person owns the risk assessment, safeguarding and hardware commissioning.
- Access & participation
- Use a labelled signal chart, visible state indicators and keyboard-operable simulation; allow learners to explain the sequence without performing wiring.
- Take it further
- Compare a four-signal handshake with a command/status word. Which faults become easier or harder to diagnose?
Project 02
Commission, stop and recover
Write a start-up and recovery procedure that another learner can follow without guessing.
Teacher view: Commission, stop and recover
- Starting point
- Technical learners who already understand coordinate frames, tool setup and the cell’s authorised operating procedure.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Combine mechanical engineering, control and human-centred design: separate normal operation, fault diagnosis and authorised restart.
- Minimum materials
- A simulated cell, tool/workpiece drawings, a fault scenario and a blank commissioning checklist.
- Optional hardware
- A documented teaching cell with validated safeguards and an instructor authorised to supervise commissioning.
- Guided activity
- Check the simulated tool and work frames. List start conditions and a dry-cycle procedure. Introduce a simulated missing workpiece. Diagnose the condition and record the recovery steps. Exchange checklists and review where the second team needs clarification.
- Evidence & discussion
- Deliver a marked-up checklist, fault log and evidence of a repeatable return to the known start state. Ask: what prevents an unexpected restart?
- Safety & supervision
- Do not bypass interlocks, force safety signals or deliberately crash hardware. Physical intervention and energy isolation follow the site’s approved procedure.
- Access & participation
- Use plain-language instructions with diagrams; split observation, documentation and operation roles. Do not grade only speed or physical dexterity.
- Take it further
- Compare two recovery instructions with another team. Measure ambiguity and missed checks, not just completion time.
Project 03
Inspect a part with machine vision
Connect lighting, image capture and a clear accept/reject decision to a documented robot cycle.
Teacher view: Inspect a part with machine vision
- Starting point
- Learners with basic sequencing and spreadsheet skills; begin with recorded images before connecting a camera.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Define a visible defect, control lighting and compare a rule-based detector with an optional AI classifier. Keep training and held-out test images separate.
- Minimum materials
- Labelled images of acceptable, defective and uncertain parts, plus an inspection table. No moving equipment is needed.
- Optional hardware
- An assessed camera, lighting and robot or PLC setup with verified interfaces and an agreed reject-handling sequence.
- Guided activity
- Agree the inspection rule and label a sample. Test unseen images, record false accepts and false rejects, and route uncertain results to review. Simulate the decision-to-controller handshake before hardware trials.
- Evidence & discussion
- Submit the labelled test set, confusion matrix and signal table. Explain which lighting changes break the result and why a confident prediction can still be wrong.
- Safety & supervision
- A standard vision result is not a safety signal. Review lighting hazards, camera mounting and the safeguarded workspace before any powered trial.
- Access & participation
- Use shape, text and contrast together; provide image descriptions and keyboard-accessible result tables.
- Take it further
- Change one lighting or part-pose condition. Compare the rule-based and AI approaches on the same held-out examples.
Project 04
Plan and inspect a robotic weld
Link joint preparation, tool orientation, a simulated weld path and inspection evidence.
Teacher view: Plan and inspect a robotic weld
- Starting point
- Vocational learners with mechanical drawing and workshop-safety foundations; start with simulation and sample images.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Explain how workholding, tool centre point, approach, seam path and inspection criteria affect a repeatable welding task.
- Minimum materials
- A joint drawing, an offline cell model and labelled weld-sample photographs. An arc-off activity teaches sequencing without welding.
- Optional hardware
- A purpose-designed welding cell, qualified instructor, approved welding procedure and suitable inspection equipment. Agree these separately from the robot purchase.
- Guided activity
- Choose a joint and inspection criterion. Model the fixture and tool frame, compare two approaches offline and document an arc-off dry run. Evaluate sample photographs and record the limits of visual inspection.
- Evidence & discussion
- Deliver the joint sketch, simulated path, start-condition checklist and inspection record. Explain why an attractive bead alone does not prove joint strength.
- Safety & supervision
- Powered welding needs a separate risk assessment, fume extraction, arc shielding, fire controls, appropriate protective equipment and authorised supervision. Never bypass interlocks or use a robot photo as a safety design.
- Access & participation
- Provide replayable simulations and accessible inspection records; learners can assess the process without entering a welding area.
- Take it further
- Compare manual and camera-assisted inspection on documented samples. Separate visible defects from properties that require other tests.
Investigate · University & research
Treat the robot as an experimental platform. Specify the question, control the test conditions and keep evidence that another group can reproduce.
Project 01
Where did the calibration error go?
Trace a target through coordinate frames and distinguish bias from trial-to-trial variation.
Teacher view: Where did the calibration error go?
- Starting point
- Students familiar with coordinate transforms, basic statistics and experimental recording.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Apply mathematics and measurement science: formulate a hypothesis, document frames and distinguish accuracy from repeatability.
- Minimum materials
- A synthetic set of image/robot coordinates, a documented transform and a spreadsheet or numerical notebook.
- Optional hardware
- A compatible robot/camera system, calibration target and independently suitable measurement method. Verify SDK and camera interfaces by exact version.
- Guided activity
- State a hypothesis about a known transform bias. Reserve independent check points. Introduce the bias into the synthetic transform and calculate residuals. Compare with repeat runs under fixed conditions. Report both the mean offset and variation.
- Evidence & discussion
- Submit the coordinate convention, dataset, code/version, residual plot and limitations. Ask: can a highly repeatable system still be consistently wrong?
- Safety & supervision
- Test coordinate changes offline first. Hardware trials require a reviewed workspace, speed settings and supervision; software bounds alone are not safeguarding.
- Access & participation
- Provide the dataset in accessible tabular form and a text description of plots. Separate the analysis task from physical lab access.
- Take it further
- Change lighting or target placement one variable at a time. Identify which uncertainty sources the measurement method cannot separate.
Project 02
Compare trajectories fairly
Design a repeatable test for two motion strategies without mistaking an attractive path for a better experiment.
Teacher view: Compare trajectories fairly
- Starting point
- Learners familiar with kinematics, trajectory concepts, logging and basic experimental design.
- Learning objectives / STEAM
- Connect engineering and research methods: choose measurable outcomes, control confounders and report unsuccessful trials as well as successful ones.
- Minimum materials
- An offline simulator or recorded trajectories, identical start/target conditions and an agreed results schema.
- Optional hardware
- A research cell with verified motion interface, time synchronisation and suitable measurement/logging tools. ROS/ROS 2 support is checked per controller and driver, not assumed.
- Guided activity
- Define success and a timing boundary before testing. Hold payload, start state and target fixed. Run both strategies over the same documented trials. Record failures and resets. Compare distributions and explain what your measurements do not establish.
- Evidence & discussion
- Deliver an experiment manifest, anonymised technical results and a reproducible analysis. Ask: did the faster path also satisfy the same task constraints?
- Safety & supervision
- Use offline comparison first. A simulated collision-free path does not certify a real cell or justify exceeding approved limits.
- Access & participation
- Supply replayable logs and a keyboard-accessible analysis workflow. Team members can reproduce results without attending every hardware trial.
- Take it further
- Add controlled target uncertainty or a different payload, then identify which conclusions still generalise.
Experimental platforms for vision, AI and embodied robotics
Choose the research question before the platform. The examples below separate manufacturer descriptions from proposed experiments; availability, interfaces, licensing and safe integration require a project-specific check.
DOBOT X-Trainer
DOBOT describes an AI data-collection and training system with teleoperation, joint and gripper data, RGB/depth camera access and an SDK for training and inference.
Suggested experiment: record a manipulation demonstration, hold out new object poses and compare replay with a learned policy. Report failures and recovery, not only successful videos.
Check before choosing: Verify the delivered arms, cameras, dataset format, compute requirements and SDK release. A demonstrated task does not prove general-purpose autonomy.
Manufacturer information
ROS 2 mobile manipulation / AMM
An autonomous mobile manipulator combines a mobile base, arm and perception. DOBOT documents the E6 ROS Mobile Platform for recognition, navigation and mobile grasping with ROS-based development.
Suggested ROS 2 experiment: connect mapping and navigation with an arm-planning task using Nav2 and MoveIt 2, then measure docking error and picking success after each move.
Check before choosing: The linked E6 page does not identify a ROS 2 distribution. Require working base, arm and camera drivers, transforms and timestamps before choosing a ROS 2 configuration.
Manufacturer information
Humanoid research / DOBOT ATOM
DOBOT presents ATOM for humanoid manipulation and locomotion research, with distinct configurations for data collection and advanced development.
Suggested experiment: study perception and upper-body manipulation in a controlled task before combining them with locomotion. Compare teleoperation, replay and learned behaviour under the same conditions.
Check before choosing: Confirm the exact ATOM version, permitted control level, data access and supplied development tools. Plan fall protection, exclusion space and supervised recovery; do not infer an open ROS 2 interface.
Manufacturer information
INFFNI Rover X1
INFFNI lists Rover X1 as a quadruped robot. Consider supervised mobility and perception experiments only when the required development access is supplied.
Suggested experiment: log camera or motion observations during a supervised route, compare repeated runs and evaluate recovery after a simulated localisation failure.
Check before choosing: INFFNI lists SDK support for EDU versions only. Confirm the edition, licence, firmware, sensor access and control modes; do not assume ROS 2 support or unrestricted locomotion control.
Manufacturer informationPlatform descriptions checked on 14 October 2026. Suggested experiments are original teaching ideas, not guaranteed capabilities, accredited courses or confirmed stock offers.
From a desk to a complete training environment
Buy the next learning capability—not simply a bigger robot.
Explore five equipment pathways. Catalogue products, configurable cells and custom project ideas are identified separately; the quotation defines what is supplied.
01 / Start at the desk
Desktop robots & starter kits
Explore drawing, coordinates, programming and simple handling with a compact arm. Magician Lite, Magician and E6 serve different learning goals; they are not interchangeable bundles.
Ask for the robot, approved tools, software requirements and a first practical activity as an itemised scope.
Browse educational robots
02 / Make a process visible
Didactic models & mini production lines
Build teaching scenarios around conveyors, sorting, sensors, vision and part flow. Add one process at a time so learners can see what each component contributes.
ReBots lists conveyor, rail and AI/vision accessories. Compatibility and the assembled teaching model need their own specification.
Explore teaching accessories
03 / Learn integration
PLC & HMI training stations
Discuss a modular station for signal ownership, sequences, alarms and recovery. Pair a robot or process model with a PLC, operator interface and documented I/O.
A proposed configuration, not a fixed catalogue bundle: agree controller versions, protocols, software licences and supervised exercises.
Discuss a modular station
04 / Train with industrial equipment
Industrial educational cells
Eurobots describes configurable teaching cells using new or refurbished industrial robots, controllers and tooling. This opens a route from isolated movements to commissioning and maintenance practice.
Specify enclosure, access protection, utilities, operating modes and acceptance tests for the actual task. PLC/HMI integration and safety validation must be explicitly included in the agreed scope.
See the industrial teaching-cell offer
05 / Investigate a real question
Research & advanced robotics setups
Scope a platform for vision, calibration, force interaction, autonomous mobility or manipulation. Start with a reproducible interface test and the measurements your experiment needs.
Custom project discussion: verify the exact controller, drivers, data access and integration responsibilities before committing to hardware.
Discuss a research setupPublic catalogue and educational-cell descriptions checked on 14 October 2026. Model availability, included equipment, services and prices require confirmation in a current quotation.
Three stages, one modular approach
Start with one robot. Grow into a teaching lab.
Match the setup to your curriculum, space and budget. Begin with a base, add a demonstrator, or scope a complete educational cell without treating every project as a full laboratory purchase.
Base setup
Start the first practical lessons.
Define the robot or cobot and the accessories needed for the first task, with initial setup and introductory programming practice.
Demonstrator module
Make an automation process visible.
Combine robot, tooling and process accessories for mechatronics, electrical and manufacturing practice. Vision and safety-circuit integration are scoped to the demonstration.
Complete educational cell
Teach an integrated application.
Scope a cell with robot, tooling, safeguarding and PLC, plus HMI and vision where specified. The complete-cell proposal includes initial teacher training.
These are configurable solution levels, not identical off-the-shelf bundles. The current quotation defines equipment, training, integration, safeguarding, delivery and acceptance responsibilities. Required protection is never an optional teaching extra.
EduCell & MiniCell
Choose a process your learners can recognise.
Explore the ReBots application families below. The learning prompts are suggestions to shape your brief; hardware, interfaces and exercises are agreed for each project, not presented as accredited courses.
EduCell Handling
Suggested lesson: relate gripping, workholding and coordinate frames to a repeatable handling task.
EduCell Pick&Place
Suggested lesson: connect part detection, sequencing and transfer; explain what happens when a part is missing.
EduCell Machine Tending
Suggested lesson: model loading and unloading with machine/robot handshakes, operating states and a documented recovery path.
EduCell Vision
Suggested lesson: investigate calibration, recognition and inspection, including uncertain or rejected results.
EduCell Welding
Suggested lesson: begin with simulation and path planning. Powered welding requires a separately assessed process, safeguards and competent supervision.
EduCell Palletizing
Suggested lesson: build a layer pattern, track occupied positions and explain cycle logic before testing a supervised setup.
MiniCell ROS2 / AMR
Suggested lesson: define a navigation or mobile-manipulation experiment. Verify the supplied platform, drivers and ROS 2 interfaces before selecting the exercise.
One platform. Value across the centre.
Vocational foundations
Introduce electricity, electronics, robot handling, safety and workshop logic through visible, understandable tasks.
Advanced vocational learning
Go deeper into PLC, HMI, vision, diagnostics, simulation and higher-level programming, with AI applications where the project supports them.
Teacher confidence
Build around documentation, modularity and initial training. Plan preparation time and phased growth so the setup remains useful beyond its first demonstration.
A centre connected to industry
Use the same platform for practical teaching, demonstrations, open days and conversations with local employers—not just as equipment on display.
Industrial practice, designed for teaching
Teach control, safety and recovery as different responsibilities.
A useful training cell makes the whole system understandable. Discuss these work packages when defining the station—not as an invitation to wire or bypass a live machine.
The process-control layer
Robot controller, PLC, HMI, sensors and actuators: learn operating modes, signal handshakes, cycle logic, diagnostics and documented fault recovery.
The assessed safety functions
Define guarding, interlocked access, emergency stops, safe stopping, restart prevention and energy isolation through the risk assessment. Appropriate safety-rated sensing, logic and outputs are specified and validated by competent people; ordinary PLC code is not a substitute.
The teaching and handover package
Agree electrical documentation, I/O lists, backups, operating instructions, supervised exercises, teacher onboarding, maintenance and acceptance evidence. Simulate faults; never defeat safeguards to create a lesson.
These are specification topics, not a certified circuit or a promise that every item is included. Integration, compliance assessment and final validation need named owners in the project scope.
From learning goal to equipment
Choose a platform, not just an impressive robot.
These manufacturer-documented examples serve different jobs. Published figures below are reference specifications, not proof of suitability for your application. Confirm the exact supplied revision, accessories, support and availability.
First classroom experiments
DOBOT Magician Lite
4 axes · 250 g payload · 340 mm reach
A desktop arm for teacher-led motion, drawing and sorting activities. DOBOT lists DobotLab block programming and optional pen, gripping and sensor/vision accessories.
Check before choosing: Confirm the Magic Box, end effectors, operating-system support and exact educational bundle. It is not a six-axis industrial arm.
Manufacturer information
Desktop robotics & creative projects
DOBOT Magician
4 axes · 500 g payload · 320 mm reach
A desktop teaching arm with drawing, gripping and configurable accessory options. Manufacturer documentation distinguishes DobotLab- and DobotStudio-based learning workflows.
Check before choosing: Verify the robot generation, kit contents and software together. A conveyor or vision exercise needs its own compatible accessories; it is not included by default.
Manufacturer information
Explore mobile robotics
DOBOT Magician GO
Mecanum-wheeled mobile platform
DOBOT describes GO as a mobile platform that can combine with Magician Lite. Use it to discuss movement direction, odometry and the difference between an arm frame and a mobile base frame.
Check before choosing: Confirm the Lite/base combination, camera package and software version. Do not assume it carries an E6, a CR arm or arbitrary payloads.
Manufacturer information
Six-axis teaching & research
DOBOT Magician E6
6 axes · 750 g payload · 450 mm reach
A desktop educational cobot for orientation, coordinate frames and automation exercises. DOBOT lists graphical programming, drag-to-teach and DobotStudio Pro.
Check before choosing: Tooling, external control and perception need a specified interface and reviewed cell design. Confirm controller/software versions rather than borrowing Lite instructions.
Manufacturer information
Advanced cell planning candidate
DOBOT CR5A
6-axis CRA family · 5 kg payload · 900 mm reach
A manufacturer-documented industrial cobot candidate when vocational or research work needs a larger cell. CRA documentation describes DobotStudio Pro block and Lua programming.
Check before choosing: Not a default school kit or a confirmed stock offer. Specify mounting, tooling, controller options and safeguarding with the project team; suitability and availability need confirmation.
Manufacturer informationSources reviewed 13 October 2026. Product pages may use different languages. Reach and payload describe different constraints; tools and workpieces must be assessed against the actual robot specification.
See the process move
Four demonstrations. Look for the system around the robot.
These publisher videos illustrate equipment and processes. They are not a substitute for the supplied instructions, a lesson plan or a safety assessment.
Videos stay unloaded until you choose to load one. Loading connects to YouTube, which may process device information. You can also open the video on YouTube. Audio and captions depend on the publisher.
Publisher: Top 3D Shop Inc.
Meet a desktop robot
Watch how a desktop arm moves and changes tools. Compare the demonstration with your intended lesson and the actual kit.
Publisher: Dobot Robotics
A miniature production line
Follow a teaching assembly line using Magician robots and a Siemens PLC. Notice the stations and signal coordination, not just the arms.
Publisher: rebots
From boxes to a pallet
See a palletizing demonstration from ReBots. The layout and protection shown belong to that example, not every proposed cell.
Publisher: Eurobots
Vision-guided picking in practice
Watch an industrial bin-picking example from Eurobots. Ask how the part is located, gripped and transferred.
The complete learning setup
A robot is one part of a robotics lab.
Start with the teaching task and map the whole setup. This is a conceptual planning checklist, not a wiring diagram or an approved safety architecture.
- 01
Robot & tool
Manipulator, end effector, mounting, payload and reachable task—not just maximum reach.
- 02
Parts & perception
Workholding, part presentation, sensors and optional vision, with a defined response to missing parts.
- 03
Control & software
Controller, optional PLC, verified I/O or network interfaces, computers, software and reproducible programmes.
- 04
People & safeguards
Assessed hazards, appropriate safeguards, power/energy isolation, supervision, procedures and accessible workstations.
Collaborative or educational branding does not remove the need for risk assessment. Safety functions, emergency stops and restart behaviour must be specified and validated for the real installation by the responsible competent people.
Before buying
Seven questions for a useful purchasing brief.
A clear learning and operating scope helps separate the initial robot price from the cost of a usable, maintainable teaching setup.
- 01
What can learners already do, and what must they demonstrate after the course?
- 02
How many learners share a station, with what supervision, space and accessible working positions?
- 03
Which robot, end effector, workholding, sensor and safety components are actually included?
- 04
Do school computers support the exact software, accounts, permissions and offline workflow required?
- 05
Are Python, PLC protocols, APIs or ROS genuinely needed—and verified for the supplied controller and versions?
- 06
What time and budget cover teacher training, preparation, consumables, licensing, maintenance and spares?
- 07
Who owns risk assessment, installation, safeguards, commissioning, acceptance and ongoing support?
Turn a teaching ambition into a practical brief.
I’m Alex Ye Xu. Through AYXWORKS, I share practical robotics learning ideas. For equipment and technical projects, I work with Eurobots and ReBots to help connect the learning objective, robot, tools and integration scope.
Eurobots brings industrial robotics, refurbishment and technical support; ReBots connects that experience with R&D, STEAM education and modular teaching demonstrators.
Bring the outcome you want learners to demonstrate. Ask about an equipment shortlist, a demonstration, a phased lab plan, teacher preparation and ongoing support. We will define which services can be provided and who owns installation, safeguarding and acceptance before a proposal is agreed.
Explore equipment with ReBotsQuestions worth asking
Before the first lesson—or the first purchase.
The right answer depends on the activity, users and actual equipment configuration.
Which age group is an educational robot suitable for?
There is no universal age threshold for every robot and activity. Start with learner ability, the task, the manufacturer’s instructions, supervision and risk assessment. Paper and browser exercises can teach sequencing before powered equipment is appropriate.
Is a robot kit the same as a complete teaching cell?
No. An arm may still need an end effector—the tool attached to it—workholding, sensors, control interfaces, software, mounting and safeguards. Ask for an itemised scope that separates equipment from engineering, training and acceptance.
Can we move from blocks to Python?
That is a useful curriculum goal, but software support is model-specific. DOBOT documents block and Python activities in parts of the DobotLab ecosystem; E6 and CRA use different controller/software workflows. Verify the exact robot, operating system, interface and supported examples before selecting a course.
Can students learn industrial communications?
Yes, by starting with a conceptual I/O handshake and then using a verified training setup. Which protocols and options are available depends on the controller and software. Standard I/O, Modbus or a network connection must not be mistaken for a safety-rated control function.
Does “collaborative” mean safe without safeguards?
No. The final task, tool, workpiece, surrounding equipment and users determine the risks. Supervision, safeguarding and validated operating procedures are required as appropriate; a product label or browser simulation does not approve a real classroom installation.
Will a robot work with ROS, ROS 2 or our research code?
Confirm the specific model, controller generation, firmware, driver release and operating system. Request a small reproducible interface test before committing to a research platform. Do not assume a driver for one DOBOT family supports another.
What should we send with a laboratory enquiry?
Share learning outcomes, learner level, group size, available equipment and space, required software/interfaces, budget range and timetable. Do not send student personal data. The next step is a scoped technical discussion, not an automatic equipment recommendation.
From curiosity to a teaching setup
What would you like to build—or help others learn?
For an equipment or laboratory enquiry, share your learning goal, group size, existing kit, space, budget range and timetable. The first conversation defines the right scope, not the largest robot. Please do not send student personal data.