Beyond barriers: How Fireline Science brings robotics education to disconnected spaces

Introduction

Professor Collin Sellman and Sean Schaefer of Fireline Science, an engineering-first education platform for low-internet-access environments, used Viam to run a Python programming course at a women’s prison in Perryville, Arizona. If you'd like to get involved, we have resources to help! Whether you’re a teacher in a classroom, a mentor in a community center, or a leader in a maker space, Viam for Educators provides the tools to inspire curiosity and foster innovation through guided workshop, project plans, and more.

The challenge: Create an accessible robotics education program despite physical barriers

When Sellman and Schaefer were exploring options for a final project in their Python programming course at a women’s prison in Perryville, Arizona, they wanted something that would engage students and allow them to apply their coding skills hands-on. They were particularly interested in robotics but faced logistical challenges:

1. Unreliable network connectivity.
2. Inability to bring devices into the prison.

As they searched for alternatives, Sellman stumbled upon the Try Viam experience. Inspired by Viam’s network flexibility and direct interaction with the rover, he soon replicated the setup in his own garage.

The final project Sellman and Schaefer eventually designed looks very similar to the Try Viam experience. Students program a Viam rover to navigate a course and take a picture of a stuffed pigeon from the children’s book “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus.”

Building the bridge: A virtual environment for testing and deployment

In order to make this work with the connectivity constraints, Sellman and Schaefer needed to build an intermediary application that could simulate commands and allow students to test their code in a virtual environment. They achieved this by creating a Python application that emulates Viam’s SDK where students could iterate on and test their code.

Once code was confirmed to work in the virtual environment, it was exported and transferred to a TypeScript-based dashboard that was connected to the Viam rover in Collin’s garage. On the day of their final project, students would be able to see their code run on the real robot (via a regulated video call).

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Schaefer states, “Viam’s architectural decision to use webRTC as the way to connect to and control the robot, has given us a lot of flexibility… It’s actually really straightforward.”

Results: Creating meaningful engagement through real-world application

In the end, students were able to successfully program their robot remotely, Sellman recalls “Not only the students, but everybody in the facility was watching the students program the robot and watching the iterations… even now, it makes me a little bit emotional, because they were just cheering each other on.” 

Following the success of their pilot project, they’ve since run the project in the prison four times, and twice with middle school students in Cottonwood, AZ. Sellman attributes the level of engagement they’ve received to the ability for students to work with real things and real data in the physical world, rather than  simulated environments. 

About Fireline Science

 Fireline Science is an engineering-first education platform for low-internet-access environments founded by Prof. Collin Sellman and Sean Schaefer. They are committed to bridging the digital divide and delivering solutions that drive meaningful improvements in student performance. While they started off designing for K-12 schools in rural areas, they soon realized their solution could extend to other low-internet-access environments. 

Tuneni, their flagship platform, is the result of relentless innovation by a world-class engineering team. Designed to excel both online and offline, Tuneni’s advanced AI capabilities enhance student focus and ensure access to high-quality learning in any environment. With a proven track record of developing cutting-edge, AI-driven solutions, their team is dedicated to creating tools that empower students and teachers alike.

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