Using Educational Robotics to Explore and Teach Trochoidal Curves

We give a new way of representing two large families of trochoidal curves, the epi- and hypotrochoids, in a classroom environment. The drawing of curves with educational robots is embedded in a complex learning process, making the use of dynamic geometry software an integral part of the STEAM-based methodology. In our paper, we provide a detailed description of the working principle of the robots developed for the methodology, with a full elaboration of the mathematical background. This active learning methodology was tested on university computer science students. The quantitative analysis of the questionnaire responses confirms the method’s success.