Mini robot dogs bring team spirit into Cottbus classrooms!

Mini robot dogs bring team spirit into Cottbus classrooms!

On June 20, 2025, the students of class 5b at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) experienced an exciting morning that was all about artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. This educational excursion was part of the initiative to strengthen the team spirit and coordination skills of the students by allowing them to work with mini robot dogs. How BTU reports, Beatrix Altmeyer from the BTU College explained to the children why dogs were chosen as the motif for the robots. A 3D projector was used to illustrate the key characteristics of a dog, which aroused children's curiosity and interest.

The students were divided into groups to identify similarities between the robot dogs Susi, Strolch and Pongo. Dedicated BTU employees and a MINT ambassador supported the team leaders in operating the humanoid AI-supported robots. They then passed on their new knowledge to their classmates, which promoted effective learning in the group.

Practical exercises with robot dogs

A special highlight of the morning was the course with four challenging stations. The students had to complete tasks that included, among other things, getting around objects, crossing a tunnel and steering over a seesaw. After successfully completing all stations and a few quiz questions, the children received the official BTU robot dog license. The robot dogs of the DLR_School_Lab thrilled both the students and the teaching staff, who were able to try out the functions of the robot dogs, such as jumping, dancing and showing gestures.

This morning was an exciting journey for the students into the world of artificial intelligence and robotics. The children gained valuable experience in dealing with robots and were made aware of future technologies. The college team led by Kathrin Erdmann and Beatrix Altmeyer set itself the goal of arousing enthusiasm for scientific and technical careers and preparing students for the digital future.

Insight into the future of education

In addition to the practical experiences in robotics, the BTU is planning the opening event “Experience the future - Humanoid robots and smart robot dogs in action / Education meets the future” on March 27, 2025. This event, which will take place in the BTU's DLR_School_Lab, is intended to give students a deep insight into artificial intelligence and robotics. Plans include, among other things, live demonstrations of robotics technologies by students from the Max Steenbeck High School as well as presentations of humanoid robots and smart robot dogs that are used to support everyday tasks.

The event is organized by BTU as part of its effort to raise students' awareness of new technologies. A new experimental offering called “Embodied AI” will be introduced from the 2025/26 school year, which includes interactive work with humanoid robots and AI-supported systems. Future classes should therefore be actively introduced to the world of AI, which will be supported by current educational approaches such as those in Education Server be displayed.

In recent years, the role of AI in education has changed significantly. A guide from the Telekom Foundation calls for the development of an interdisciplinary AI competency model that should be designed for teachers and students. Various teaching units are offered that deal with the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence. Platforms like the AI ​​Campus also promote digital learning and offer teachers and students valuable resources to create awareness of the digital future.