Libre software environment for robot programming

When facing the problem of teaching the basis of robot control programming to computer science students, apart from the syllabus of the course, some other requirements have to be considered, such as which is the most appropriate robot and which are the right tools for learning how to control it. In this paper, we describe the tools we have chosen for teaching robotics, focusing on an environment that supports practical assignments. We also analyze the reasons that made us choose each tool, giving special emphasis to the Libre software requirement that we have imposed on every tool we are using. Finally, we present the results and opinions we have obtained from our students and the lessons we have learned by using this Libre software approach.