# 263: Experience the Theory

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2018-10-04
- Length: 1h 10m
- Episode: 263
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/263-experience-the-theory

## Summary

Professor Angela Sodemann of Arizona State University discusses her educational platform RoboGrok, which combines robotics theory with hands-on hardware kits to help students deeply understand concepts like kinematics and control. She details the design of her course, the use of the Cypress PSoC 5 microcontroller, and the challenges of online engineering education, including certification and dropout rates. Sodemann also describes her research into haptic displays for the visually impaired, explaining the manufacturing difficulties of creating resonant microbeam arrays.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=6) Introduction and RoboGrok Philosophy
- [4:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=254) RoboGrok Course Structure and Hardware Kit
- [10:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=612) Microcontroller Choice: Cypress PSoC 5
- [16:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=992) Flipped Classroom and Online Education Challenges
- [45:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=2754) Haptic Display Research for the Visually Impaired
- [59:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory#t=3575) Manufacturing Microbeams and Troubleshooting Robot Arms

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- RoboGrok (product)
- Cypress PSoC 5 (chip)
- Arduino (product)
- Oculus Go (product)
- Udemy (company)
- Coursera (company)
- meArm (product)
- NVIDIA Jetson TX2 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode Forty-Six: Carlotta Berry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-04-28-episode-forty-six-carlotta-berry) (Robot Talk)
- [The Walmart Greeter of Electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-09-18-the-walmart-greeter-of-electronics) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep 324: Ribbon Microphone From A Gumstick, Texture From a Virtual Log, and a Robot Arm From PVC](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-06-07-ep-324-ribbon-microphone-from-a-gumstick-texture-from-a-virtual-log-and-a-robot) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Episode 130: Robots learning from humans - Chad Jenkins](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-10-24-episode-130-robots-learning-from-humans-chad-jenkins) (Robot Talk)
- [Back Into The Swing Of Things](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-05-14-back-into-the-swing-of-things) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-10-04-263-experience-the-theory. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.