Abstract
In this paper it is discussed the proposal of a small robot prototype to be applied in the MicroFactory competition, a downsized version of the Robot@Factory competition. The MicroFactory is intended to help junior competitors to make the transition from the Junior Leagues to the senior competition Robot@Factory. The Robot@Factory competition takes place in an emulated factory plant, where Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) must cooperate to perform tasks. To accomplish their goals the AGVS must deal with localization, navigation, scheduling and cooperation problems, that must be solved autonomously.

Abstract
In this paper it is presented a low cost experiment based on a small Arduino based prototype. The chosen educational challenge is a classical introductory experiment, that consists in following a line with a mobile robot. The presented experiment has as goal to introduce students to mobile robotics, having as base a challenge and a kinematics that are commonly applied in Junior competitions. A group of students participated in a workshop that consisted, initially, in a lecture where tutors explained the differential robot kinematics and how to develop a controller for the proposed challenge. Then the students, after the theoretical introduction, implemented the proposed robot controller.

Abstract
This paper presents MicroFactory - a simplified version of the Robot@Factory competition. This version of the competition was conceived to be low-cost and easily implementable in a small space, be it a classroom or the school robotics club. The factory scenario size was originally 3.5m by 2.5m. The floor is now an A0 printed sheet and the warehouses and machines dimensions are so that they can be 3D printed or made out of LEGO (TM) bricks. Both machines and parts had active elements with leds; now they are passive. Robot@Factory is a Portuguese robotic competition whose first edition was held in 2011 in Lisbon. The scenario of the competition simulates a factory which has an Incoming Warehouse, an Outgoing Warehouse, and 8 processing machines. The robots must collect, transport and position the materials, self-localize and navigate while avoiding collisions with walls, obstacles and other robots. Participants' research contributes to improve AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicle systems) technology. Robot@Factory is now integrated in Festival Nacional de Robotica, a yearly event which attracts lots of public, contributing also to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) popularization. MicroFactory's main contribution is different - enhancing learning and the undergraduate experience in robotics. While Robot@Factory is intended for groups with high skills, MicroFactory is supposed to attract younger and less skilled people. So, the proposed challenges were simplified. It was also designed an official robot for the MicroFactory competition. It's a 3D printed robot, based on Arduino and low cost common electronic parts. CAD files for the mechanics (and every bit of the factory scenario), the hardware schematics and most of the software can be made available to the organizers or teachers trying to implement didactic experiences involving robotics. The challenge may then be reduced from developing a robot from scratch to implementing just a small part like programming the navigation algorithm. The presented work is part of a wider Open Source project, aiming to develop project-based collaborative didactic experiences involving robotics to foster STEM education, and low-cost 3D printed educational robots based on generic electronics to support those experiences.

Abstract
This paper describes the development of SMORA (Servo Motor Optimised for Robotic Applications), which consists of custom hardware and firmware that includes a microcontroller and a series of sensors, allowing for the motor current, temperature and voltage to be measured in real-time as well as precise position feedback thanks to the integrated hall-effect magnetic position encoder. It also incorporates an accelerometer and a gyroscope to measure the servo body relative position and rotation. © 2018 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Abstract
This work describes an experimental setup that was developed in order to automate the One-dimensional consolidation properties of soil test. This experimental setup assures repeatability in the data acquisition test, avoiding human errors. The described setup is based on LabVIEW, LVDT sensors, a 16 Bit Data Acquisition Board, a Load device and a Consolidometer. The experimental setup was developed according to the standard ASTM D2435 / D2435M - 11.

Abstract
In this paper it is described the prototyping of an instrumented chair that allows to fully-automate the "Timed Up and Go" and "30-Second Chair Stand" tests assessment. The presented functional chair prototype is a low cost approach that uses inexpensive sensors and the Arduino platform as the data acquisition board, with its software developed resorting to LabVIEW. The "Timed up and go test" consists in measuring the time spent in the task execution of standing up from a chair, walk three meters with a maximum speed without running, turn a cone and going back to the initial position. The "30-Second Chair Stand" test consists in the count of the number of completed chair stands in 30 seconds. It are agility and strength tests easy to setup and execute although they lack of repeatability, whenever the measures are taken manually, due to the rough errors that are introduced.