Abstract
This article presents the prototyping of an educational manipulator robot, based on the "EEZYbotARM Mk2"robot, tailored for first-year master's students in the field of robotics. The project encompasses the assembly of the robot arm, computation of both forward and inverse kinematics, and analysis of two path-planning movement algorithms. These features are consolidated into an Arduino library to streamline the process for students to generate instructions for the robot. The "EEZYbotARM Mk2"features a three-degree-of-freedom revolute arm with a gripper that remains parallel to its base at all times, enhancing its suitability for educational applications such as pick-and-place tasks. The article provides detailed descriptions of the materials and methods employed, along with proposed challenges for student engagement.

Abstract
In this paper it is presented a Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) mobile robot programming approach, to be applied in a robotics educational context. The motivation to apply this approach is the fact that students can program the robots without access to the robot hardware, but still maintain some important closed loop control critical features, such as a realistic lag time and the possibility for a larger number of students to program at the same time. Therefore, the developed software is applied to the real hardware without any change. The HIL approach was applied to provide a simulation close to reality, once the processing occurs in the real robot processor and the actuation and sensorization inside the simulation, adding to the advantage to test the firmware avoiding damage in the physical robot.

Abstract
O presente artigo expõe o estudo de aplicabilidade do ensaio edométrico a uma areia siltosa, existente na cidade de Bragança, sendo que objetiva a aplicabilidade do ensaio aos solos de granulometria mais fina da região, com a ressalva de que a curva granulométrica destes se afasta de forma substancial das curvas granulométricas dos solos que por norma são alvo do ensaio edométrico. Objetiva assim o artigo, a aplicabilidade do ensaio aos solos mais finos oriundos de uma região com predominância de maciço residual granítico. Para tal, foram recolhidas amostras de dois solos com acentuada percentagem de finos, no contexto da predominância de solos da região, nomeadamente amostras indeformadas de uma areia siltosa, e amostras remexidas de um solo, posteriormente peneirado, com 100% de passados no peneiro nº 10, cuja granulometria corresponderá a um silte de elevada plasticidade. Devido à maior predominância de finos no silte de elevada plasticidade, o comportamento mecânico deste solo, mais condicionado por forças de natureza eletroquímica, representativo do comportamento dos solos finos, servirá de termo comparativo ao comportamento mecânico das amostras indeformadas de areia siltosa, com comportamento menos dependente destas forças, permitindo assim evidenciar a aplicabilidade do ensaio a solos de amostras indeformadas, com menor percentagem de finos, com comportamento gravítico mais acentuado e, portanto, mais atípicos a este ensaio devido à predominância de grossos na sua constituição. Dos resultados obtidos para a areia siltosa, verificou-se um elevado valor do assentamento imediato, após aplicação de cada ciclo de carga. Dado que a correta identificação do início do processo de consolidação carece de rigor no registo dos tempos de assentamento, fundamental para aplicação das metodologias de cálculo do ensaio, evidencia-se a necessidade de automatização de registo que minimize erros por parte de operadores humanos. Assim o recurso a um sistema de aquisição de dados revelou-se fundamental na identificação do início da consolidação primária, permitindo assim o alargar do espetro de aplicabilidade do ensaio.;This paper exposes the applicability study of the oedometer test to an existing silty sand soil, from the city of Braganza, with the purpose to verify the applicability of this test to soils with fines in his composition, in a region with predominance of granite residual soils, considering that the granulometric curve of these soils are substantially different from the granulometric curves of the soils that are usually tested. For this, two types of soils were collected, namely intact samples of a silty sand, and a disturbed soil sample whose grains size distribution curve built into laboratory corresponds to a high plasticity silt. Due to the greater predominance of fines in the high plasticity silt, the mechanical behaviour of this soil, more conditioned by forces of an electrochemical nature, serves as a comparative term to the mechanical behaviour of the undisturbed samples of the silty sand, with a behaviour less dependent on these forces, thus allowing to show applicability of the test to soils with lower percentage of fines, with a more pronounced gravitational behaviour and, therefore, more atypical to the oedometer test. From the results obtained for silty sand, a high value of the immediate settlement was verified after each applied load cycle. Thus this observation, the beginning of the consolidation process demands high accurate recording of the settlement that clearly identify the time that primary consolidation begins. In this way, the implementation of the data acquisition system, allowing the correct reading of the consolidation beginning, minimizing human errors, expands the spectrum of soils existing in the region that can be study by the consolidation problematics point of view.

Abstract
This paper exposes the applicability study of the oedometer test to an existing silty sand soil, from the city of Braganza, with the purpose to verify the applicability of this test to soils with fines in his composition, in a region with predominance of granite residual soils, considering that the granulometric curve of these soils are substantially different from the granulometric curves of the soils that are usually tested. For this, two types of soils were collected, namely intact samples of a silty sand, and a disturbed soil sample whose grains size distribution curve built into laboratory corresponds to a high plasticity silt. Due to the greater predominance of fines in the high plasticity silt, the mechanical behaviour of this soil, more conditioned by forces of an electrochemical nature, serves as a comparative term to the mechanical behaviour of the undisturbed samples of the silty sand, with a behaviour less dependent on these forces, thus allowing to show applicability of the test to soils with lower percentage of fines, with a more pronounced gravitational behaviour and, therefore, more atypical to the oedometer test. From the results obtained for silty sand, a high value of the immediate settlement was verified after each applied load cycle. Thus this observation, the beginning of the consolidation process demands high accurate recording of the settlement that clearly identify the time that primary consolidation begins. In this way, the implementation of the data acquisition system, allowing the correct reading of the consolidation beginning, minimizing human errors, expands the spectrum of soils existing in the region that can be study by the consolidation problematics point of view.

Abstract
The aim of this paper was to identify active drag determinants and classify swimmers based on such features. 67 young swimmers made a maximal 25m Front-Crawl to measure with a speedo-meter the swimming velocity (v), speed-fluctuation (dv) and dv normalized to v (dv/v). Another two 25m bouts with and without a perturbation device were made to estimate active drag coefficient (CDa). Trunk transverse surface area (S) was measured with photogrammetric technique on-land and in the hydrodynamic position. Cluster 1 was related to swimmers with a high speed fluctuation (i.e., dv and dv/v). Cluster 2 was characterized by the anthropometrics (i.e., S). Cluster 3 was associated with the high hydrodynamic profile (i.e.,CDa). The variable that seems to discriminate better the clusters was the dv/v (F=53.680; P<0.001), followed by the dv (F=28.506; P<0.001), CDa (F=21.025; P<0.001), S (F=6.297; P<0.01) and v (F=5.375; P=0.01). Stepwise discriminant analysis extracted 2 functions. Function 1 was mainly defined by dv/v and S (74.3% of variance), while Function 2 was mainly defined by CDa (25.7% of variance). So, it can be concluded that kinematics, anthropometrics and hydrodynamic features are determinant domains to classify and characterize swimmers’ profiles.

Abstract
In contemporary society, there is a growing demand for professionals with the essential skills required in the 21st century. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) disciplines have emerged as pivotal in facilitating the acquisition of these skills. Indeed, these disciplines have exhibited their capacity to enhance workforce performance and fortify a nation's innovation potential, emphasizing the critical need to promote STEAM education among students and integrate it into existing educational curricula. Nonetheless, the inclusion of students with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) in these disciplines presents formidable challenges. These challenges can be attributed to prevailing low expectations regarding the potential of disabled individuals to excel in STEAM fields, the inaccessibility of STEAM education curricula, and the limitations that educators face in fully supporting the integration of students with disabilities. In response to these challenges, we introduce the RoboSTEAMSEN project. The principal objective of the RoboSTEAMSEN project is to bolster educational processes by equipping teachers working with students with IDD with methodologies and tools that employ Robotics and Active Learning Methodologies to promote STEAM education. The project's overarching goals encompass comprehending the specific needs of disabled students and adapting robotics and active learning techniques to accommodate various disabilities, designing comprehensive training programs for teachers to enable them to individualize the learning experiences of students with IDD, establishing a community of practice supported by a technological ecosystem that serves as a central hub for educators and decision-makers to engage in discourse on how to achieve success in STEAM education for IDD students. The primary outcome of this project will be the enhancement of STEAM education for students with IDD. To achieve this objective, we will develop a taxonomy for the categorization of resources tailored to this demographic, institute a user model for personalized learning, generate guides, resources, and courses for teachers, formulate workshop models for the wider dissemination of project findings, and establish a technological ecosystem to facilitate a thriving community of practice dedicated to this important educational domain. © 2023 Copyright for this paper by its authors.