The teaching of engineering and computer science often relies on theoretical instruction with limited practical applications. This lack of hands-on experience can reduce student engagement and comprehension, contributing to high dropout rates in technical courses. To address this issue, we developed Baratinha, a compact and modular educational robot designed to integrate theory and practice in university classrooms. Baratinha is a 10 cm diameter two-wheeled mobile robot, powered by an ESP32-S3 N16R8 microcontroller, and equipped with infrared reflectance sensors, encoders, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and Time-of-Flight (TOF) distance sensors. It supports WiFi and Bluetooth communication, enabling multi-robot interconnectivity and IoT applications. The robot is programmable in C++ (Arduino Framework, VS Code), MicroPython and ESP-IDF, offering flexibility for different educational contexts. This paper presents the hardware and software architecture of Baratinha and explores its applications in control systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, and embedded systems. The robot enables practical experiments, such as PID control, autonomous navigation, swarm robotics, and real-time sensor data acquisition, making it a versatile tool for hands-on learning. Preliminary feedback from students–many of whom have excelled in international robotics competitions–indicates that Baratinha significantly enhances engagement and comprehension. Future developments aims to enchance computational capabilities, broaden sensor integration for AI applications, and refine software documentation for enhanced usability. Through this interactive platform, Baratinha seeks to advance engineering education and promote hands-on student engagement.