Robotics technology and knowledge development educational robot kit: Altino

7 programming languages for learning

Saeon is the company that developed Altino. Altino is an educational robot kit that allows students to develop car functions and robotics skills and knowledge through coding. It is a self-driving robot developed for the purpose of education and research. It consists of three types: basic type, Arduino type, and Raspberry Pi type, and with only the basic type, you can learn 5 programming languages: Crayon, Scratch, Entry, Python, and C language. If Arduino board and Raspberry Pi are installed in the basic type, 7 programming languages can be learned with one product. In the case of the Raspberry Pi type, it is possible to learn to perform autonomous driving by recognizing arrows, judging directions, or distinguishing colors through image processing using a camera. In October 2022, an image processing contest using Altino was held at the ‘17th International Robot Contest’ at KINTEX, Ilsan. Also, the AI Mission Challenge sector using Altino has been run by Saeon every year for the 11th year at the ‘Robot Convergence Festival’ held by Daejeon City every year. Altino has 16 different sensors and functions that can be configured and operated via a programming language. In the case of 8x8 dot matrix, it is possible to study complex algorithms that output characters/special symbols corresponding to ASCII CODE and display electronic signboards using strings. In addition, it is equipped with 4 brake indicators, 4 left/right indicators, and 4 front/rear indicators, creating an environment similar to driving a real vehicle to increase students’ motivation to learn. One of them, the buzzer, which functions as a speaker, can play the music you want using 1~8 octaves and musical scales. 

▲ Saeon / CEOs Jeong Se-young and Kang Seok-beom and Kim Jin-hyun

Real manless driving experience

Used by Google and Facebook

The biggest advantage of Altino is that students can directly experience and learn the technology and knowledge applied to autonomous vehicles. Altino’s steering method is a front-wheel steering and works with the same mechanism as a car. In addition, the motors of the left and right wheels are individually controlled, allowing stable driving on curves. There is an illuminance sensor that checks the amount of light in real time, so it is possible to do mission coding where students explore what sensor value should be to turn on the light when a car actually passes through a tunnel. An infrared obstacle detection sensor can measure distance and detect obstacles with the value returned by infrared rays reflected from an object. A total of 16 sensors, including a 3-axis acceleration sensor, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, temperature sensor, steering control sensor, and IR receiver, help the vehicle to move in the same way as a real self-driving car. 

Saeon provides a one-year curriculum for each programming language, and textbooks are well organized. The company developed Orchestra, a coding app for Altino, so that various contents from play to learning can be used in PC, tablet PC, and mobile environments. In the case of Altino Light, it has good cost-effectiveness and is equipped with AI capable of voice recognition, and through this, various languages can be taught to elementary school students and middle school students. Overseas companies such as Google and Facebook are also paying attention to Altino and are using it. In particular, in Hawaii, there are more than 5,000 instructors who provide training through Altino. 

Big Data Based Smart Farm Training Kit: IoT Smart Farm 

Learning from server setting, operation and network control to app development

Smart farm technology is attracting attention in the agricultural sector also. In response to the increasing number of smart farm-related departments in domestic universities, Saeon has developed an IoT smart farm for education. It is a training kit that helps students build a farm that automatically controls the optimal growing environment based on big data. Through the app, crops can be managed remotely and their status can be monitored, and students can check and assemble the sensors for this. Students are provided with technical training for employment and entrepreneurship in this course. Following this, Arduino Sketch programming will cover the basic understanding, allowing students to individually control all sensors with open source. Sensors include a temperature and humidity sensor, soil sensor, and illuminance sensor. The controller includes a water pump, heater, ventilator, sub-motor, OLED, and RGB LED. Saeon said that the CO2 sensor, camera, and fine dust sensor can be added as optional components. In addition, it receives sensors serially and transmits them to the Web, and through network programming, clients build and remotely control servers that share server data. Students can learn Android app control, which creates apps that can individually control IoT smart farms with voice recognition. CEO Kim Jin-hyun said, “Smart farm education can be provided through three courses: server setting and operation, IoT sensor network control, and Android app development.” Saeon also developed a real smart farm where students can learn coding while growing 24 types of plants. Real Smart Farm helps purify the air by growing plants by circulating water with a water pump in a hydroponic cultivation method, and students can actually grow and code plants. 

Non-face-to-face education and student management

Non-face-to-face online real-time video solution: JAM

Saeon developed JAM, a non-face-to-face online real-time video solution that allows instructors to provide education and manage students. JAM is a platform that combines online education system and video conferencing technology and can be used on mobile, tablet and PC without installing a separate program. It is possible to make the site address, logo and banner image, and category according to the characteristics of the customer. You can record lectures, share the same documents and communicate, or play external videos to share. The multi-white board enables writing, creating small meetings in conference rooms, real-time voting, announcements through live chatting windows, and even file sharing. Classes and meeting rooms can be opened without limit, creating opportunities for educators to provide a variety of training. Through these functions, it can be used in a variety of ways, including presentation classes, competitions, hobbies, online education, meetings, events, interviews, video conferences, consultations, buyer meetings, product introductions, and 1:1 meetings. In fact, Saeon held the 2021 Robot Convergence Festival as a non-face-to-face competition using JAM. Saeon was selected for a service voucher support project to promote the digitalization of small and medium-sized/venture companies in the post-COVID-19 era and to promote the non-face-to-face service industry.