Abstract—Finch is a small, inexpensive robot used to aid students in learning programming languages at schools of all levels including universities. However, proposals for an integrated system surrounding the Finch and studies to improve the forward movement of the Finch have not been reported in literature. This paper proposes a wireless Finch with an attached camera through mounting a Raspberry Pi and battery on the Finch’s back using a unique 3D-printed cover. Furthermore, the research introduces a GUI to control Finch movements and a support wheel at the Finch’s back to stabilize the Finch’s performance and increase its speed. Experiments have shown that with the back wheel and wireless connection, the Finch can move forward faster and more in a straight line and rotate in a circle faster. This research will impact the application and education design areas. The experience gained could be applied in product design and fabrication, program design, GUI design and implementation and wireless network component set-up. In education design, the scaffolding technique can be employed to create a series of practical exercises for students to gain design, software implementation, and networking knowledge.
 

Index Terms—finch, wireless, back wheel, GUI, application, education design

Cite: Wu Chuyi, Ma Hezu, and Yoong Cheah Huei, "Learning Experience to Improve on the Finch," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 90-94, June 2017. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.3.2.90-94