IntegratingEducationandRealResearchAbstractPopularmediahasspawnedarecentinterestinteachingroboticsintheclassroom.Manydifferentapproacheshavebeenattempted,withmanythatfocusonrobotcompetitions.However,followingthecompetition,studentsoftendonotknowwheretoturntokeeptheircuriosityinroboticsalive.Thispaperdiscussesacollaborativeapproachthatshowsstudentsaclearpathfromearlyrobotcompetitionsthroughtocareersinthefield.Theapproachreliesonstudentparticipationinrealresearchandaladderofmentorshipthroughtheiracademicjourney.IntroductionTherehasrecentlybeenasurgeinroboticsinterestinthepopularmedia.Studentsfromkindergartenthroughgraduateschoolhavecaughtthefeverandarestudyingroboticsinmanydifferentways.OneofthemostpopularhasbeenthroughrobotcompetitionsthathaverangedinstylefromLegorobotleagues,likeBot-ballandFirstLegoLeague,tocomplexmechanicalleagues,liketheFirstRoboticsCompetition,tosimulationonlyleaguessuchastheRoboCupSimulationleague.Formanystudentsthesecompetitionsareaneyeopeningandlifechangingexperience；forthefirsttime,manymayseeapracticalandexcitingapplicationofmathandscience,andmaywishtopursuerobotics.Buthow,whatsthenextstep?TheRemoteExplorationProgram(REP)isanattemptatbridgingthegapsthatexistbetweentheseearlyexperiencesandthenextstepsthatcanleadtoacareerinscience,engineeringandevenrobotics.REPisacollaborativeeffortbetweenWashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis(WUSTL),theIdahoNationalEngineeringandEnvironmentalLaboratory(INEEL),theSt.LouisScienceCenter,andSt.Louisareaschools.Thegoalistocreateaninclusiveoutreachprogramofscience,engineeringandoriginalresearchthatinturnfostersaclearerpathforstudentstopursuecareersinthefieldsofscience,engineering,androbotics.Theprogramconsistsofongoingoutreachactivitiesthatculminateintheremoteexplorationofanunknownsiteusingrobots.TheRemoteExplorationProgramTheRemoteExplorationProgram(REP)isstructuredwithongoingscienceandengineeringoutreachprogramsthroughouttheacademicyear.However,thekeystoneeventistheremoteexplorationofanunknownsite.Forthisexploration,studentswillcometotheSt.LouisScienceCenterandteleoperatearobotthatisphysicallyagreatdistanceaway(inanotherstate),toexploreanunknownenvironment.ThevisionforREPisthatthisremoteenvironmentwillshowmountainsandothergeologicfeaturesthatstudentsfromtheMidwestareunfamiliarwithtoengenderarealsenseofbeingsomewhereelse.Themissionwillthenbeforthestudentstosimplyexplorethisforeignremoteenvironmenttheyhavebeenplacedin.TheotherconceptisforstudentstocompletearealworldmissionsimilartotasksthattheINEELgroupisinterestedin.TwoofINEELscurrentinterestsareremotecharacterizationofhighradiationenvironmentsandurbansearchandrescueoperations.Forthepilotprograminthespringof2004,theremoteenvironmentwillbehousedattheSt.LouisScienceCenterandtheexplorationwillbesimilartoarealworldrobotictask.Webelievethatitwilladdvaluetoboththehumanfactorsresearchandtothestudentsexperienceiftheteleoperationactivitysimulatesarealworldroboticmissionsuchasexploringasimulatedhazardousmaterialcontaminationorexploringamockcollapsedbuilding.Startinginthespringof2005,theremoteenvironmentwillbeoutdoorsneartheINEELfacilityinIdahoFalls,ID.Forthisoutdoorenvironmentwearestillconsideringseveralexplorationtasks.Wewouldliketosimulateanenvironmentalcleanupandmonitoringtask,buthavenotworkedouthowtosimulatethiswithcontaminantsthatcaneffectivelybesensed.ProgramGoalsItsimportanttokeepinmindthattheremoteexplorationisonlyavehicletoaccomplishourgoals.REPstruefocusisitstwomaingoals:toinvolveyoungstudentsinrealresearch,andtodelineateaclearpathfromearlychildhoodinterestinroboticsthroughtocareersinthefield.Scienceandengineeringoutreacharemerelyaddedbenefitsnecessarytofulfillthemaingoals.RealResearchRecently,introducingstudentstorealresearchhasbecomeahottopicinacademia；butitreallyhasntreachedthelevelthatREPistargeting.TheNationalScienceFoundationsprogramssuchasResearchExperienceforUndergraduates(REU)andtheSt.LouisareaStudentsandTeachersasResearchScientists(STARS)programsoftenintroduceundergraduatesandhighschoolstudentstoresearch,butREPwillofferstudentsasyoungasKindergartenanopportunitytoparticipateinrealresearch,albeitinalimitedway.Themostsignificantportionoftherealresearchwillbehuman-robotinteractionstudieswhichwillfocusonimprovingtheperformanceoftheGraphicalUserInterface(GUI)developedbyINEELfortheirrealworldrobotmissions.Aspartoftheirongoinghuman-robotinteractionandlong-termrobotautonomyresearch,K-12studentswillbeintertwinedwiththeresearchasbothparticipantsandreviewers.Forthespringremoteexploration,oneofthevariableswewanttostudyisuserperformancebasedonpriorexperiencewiththeGUI.Toaccomplishthis,studentparticipantswillbedividedintoseveralgroups,basedonthelevelofexperiencethestudentshavewiththeGUI.Somewillhavenoexperience,otherssomeexperienceandtheremainderextensiveexperience.Thestudentoperatorwillthenbeallowedtoteleoperatetherobottoaccomplishthetask,whiletherestoftheclassassiststheoperatorbyperformingdataanalysisontheenvironment.Forthemoreadvancedstudents,followingtheremoteexplorationtheywillhaveanopportunitytomeetwiththehumanfactorsresearcherswhowillgiveanintroductiontohuman-robotinteractionstudies.Thestudentswillthengettocontributeasresearcherastheyparticipateinreviewingthevideooftheirinteraction,guidedbytheprofessionalresearchers.CareerPathThesignificanceofusingrealworldapplicationsforthepurposeofthesimulationismultifaceted.Oneofthemostimportantreasonsisthattheserealworldactivitiesgroundthehuman-robotinteractionresearchbecauseitevaluatestheGUIbeingusedforitsoriginalintention.Butevenmoreimportantly,usingarealworldapplicationisanessentiallinkinREPschainthatleadsinterestedstudentstocareersinscience,engineeringandrobotics.Itsasubtlepoint,butmanystudentsthatparticipateinrobotcompetitionshaveverylittleexposuretorobotsoutsidethecompetition.WhenaskedforarealworldapplicationtheironlyexamplesmaybefactoryrobotworkersorMarsrovers.Factoryrobotsarentsexy,andNASAisntabouttoletakindergartenerdriveSpritorOpportunity.REPoffersstudentsanopportunitytoseefirsthandwhatrobotsandroboticistsdointherealworldandtomeetpotentialfuturerolemodels.ButthenREPbuildsonthisexperience.Forthosestudentsthatareinterestedtheycanparticipateatthenextlevel.TheycanparticipateinvoluntarysupplementalprogramssuchastheSaturdayScienceSeminarsortheSaturdayEngineeringEventsorevenoneofthesummeropportunities.REPhasamentorshipladderforinterestedstudentsbuiltintotheseactivities.Itusesstudentsthatexcelatonegradeleveltoassiststudentsinlowerlevels.Inthisinteractionthehighergradestudentsalsohavetheopportunitytosharewiththeyoungerstudentstheircurrentprojects.Bothstudentstakeawayfromthisexperience.Theolderstudentseestheenthusiasmandtherespecttheyoungerpaysthem,andtheyoungerstudentgainsfromadviceandguidanceoftheolder.Thementorshipladderisalreadybeingestablished.Thefirstrungwasestablishingasummermentorshipprogramforaspiringhighschoolstudents.ThesestudentshadtheopportunitytocometoWUSTLduringthesummermonthsandstudyrobotics.AsecondrungwasestablishedwhenanundergraduatewhohadgottenexcitedaboutFIRSTroboticscontinuedherinterestandcontinuedtheworkofothersonaprototypeplanetaryroveratWUSTLunderthementorshipofagraduatestudent.Andtheladdercontinuestodevelop；thisfallstudentsatGatewayMiddleSchool,aSt.LouisPublicSchoolthatWUSTLworkswith,workedoncreatinganoutdoorrobottobedeployedattheremotesite.Thosestudentsthatexcelledhavebeenaskedbacktohelpmentornewstudentsinasimilarproject.Andtheladderwillcont