🎓 Hackathon at Tufts University: when robotics meets artificial intelligence

Last week, Learning Robots had the pleasure of hosting a hackathon at Tufts University around AlphAI, our pedagogical software dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Our intern Clément guided the students through this unique experience, combining LEGO Spike robotics, free exploration and collective challenge.

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Fun, intuitive start-up

To break the ice, participants began with 15 minutes of free exploration. Clément had prepared a turnkey project: a robot equipped with a photodiode capable of playing different notes depending on the color of the bricks.

The aim? Discover AlphAI for themselves, test, explore, dare to click without fear. This playful start immediately aroused curiosity and commitment.

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The challenge: getting out of a maze

The heart of the hackathon was a challenge: train a robot to guide it out of a maze of yellow Spike boxes.

Divided into 6 teams, the students had 45 minutes to meet the challenge. Many chose to equip their robots with ultrasonic sensors, and tested different strategies.

Despite some technical obstacles - notably a bug with the obstacle detection sensor - the participants persevered, exploring alternatives and finding creative ways to simulate their environment.

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Rich, hands-on learning

Although none of the robots completed the entire course, feedback from the students was extremely positive:

• AlphAI was found to be intuitive and accessible, even for first-time users.
• The competitive and collaborative aspect of the hackathon really appealed.
• The experiment revealed the importance oftraining in real-life conditions to optimize robot performance.
• Several participants expressed their desire to go further, in particular by exploring neural networks in AlphAI.

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A solid foundation for future workshops

Above and beyond the technical challenge, this hackathon demonstrated how AI and robotics can be integrated into a university setting in a fun, educational and interactive way.

For Learning Robots, it's confirmation: these immersive formats arouse curiosity, stimulate creativity and open up exciting educational avenues.

The next step? To offer a workshop focusing on neuralnetwork learning, enabling students to dive even deeper into the mechanisms of artificial intelligence.

✅ In short: a lot of enthusiasm, ideas for improving the experience, and a shared desire to go even further. A fine illustration of our mission: to democratize artificial intelligence through educational robotics.

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