CSE378/ CSE525: Fall 06 Introduction to Robotics

Tue Thu 6:50-8:10  Psych A 146

Dimitris Samaras

www.cs.sunysb.edu/~cse378

Course Description:

The objective of this course is to use a hands-on approach to introduce the basic concepts in robotics, focusing on mobile robots and illustrations of current state of the art research and applications. Course information will be tied to lab experiments; students will work in teams to build and test increasingly more complex LEGO-based mobile robots, culminating in an end-of-semester robot contest. This course introduces fundamental concepts in Robotics. In this course, basic concepts will be discussed, including coordinate transformations, sensors, path planning, kinematics, feedback and feedforward control, stressing the importance of integrating sensors, effectors and control. These topics will be exemplified with LEGO Robot Kit labs. The last part of the course will focus on applying the knowledge from the initial lectures to the key approaches to mobile robot control (reactive, behavior-based, and hybrid), and briefly discuss robot learning and multi-robot systems.  In the lab, robot kits will be used in weekly exercises illustrating lecture material; the last month of the lab will be spent in applying the learned material to a final project, in which the students will design and build a robot for a final competition.  This course is intended for undergraduate students with interests in Robotics, Visual Computing, AI. Prerequisites include a foundation in Linear Algebra and Calculus, and the ability to program, preferably in C/C++.

 

Requirement for Graduate students will include extra work in Matlab/Simulink, optimal and behavioral control, as well as some different questions on the exam.

 

 

Topics:

Week 1.

Introduction Defining robotics Brief History

Week  2.

Coordinate Transformations. Effectors and Actuators

Week  3.

Sensing. Sensors

Week  4.

Basic Imaging for Robotics

 

Week  5.

Path Planning

 

Week  6.

Inertial Navigation

Week  7.

Review-Midterm

Week  8.

Mobile Platforms

 

Week  9.

Manipulators. Direct Kinematics

Week  10.

Dynamics. Inverse Kinematics

 

Week  11.

Feedback Control

 

Week  12.

Behavior-based control

Week  13.

Group Robotics

 

Primary textbook:
  • J. J. Craig, Introduction to robotics (Third ed 2003 Prentice Hall).
  • Handouts will be posted on blackboard for topics not covered in this text.
Additional recommended books:
  • Robotic Explorations: An Introduction to Engineering Through Design by F. Martin
  • Behavior-Based Robotics by R. Arkin.
Grading:

There will be homeworks, a final project, a midterm and a final exam. Homeworks will be 35%, the project 30%, the midterm 15% and the final 20%. Weights are approximate and subject to change. You are expected to do homeworks (4 or 5) by yourselves. Even if you discuss them with your classmates, you should turn in your own code and write-up.  Final projects can be done by one or two people. Two people projects will be scaled accordingly.

Midterm date:  Oct. 26, 2006
Final date:
You can have one sheet of paper as in the midterm.

Special Issues :

If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I would urge that you contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services office (DSS) in the ECC building (where the Computer Store used to be), Telephone number: 632-6748v/TDD. DSS will review your concerns and determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability are confidential.

 

Contact info:

    D. Samaras, Tel. 631-632-8464
    email: samaras@cs.sunysb.edu
    Office Hours: Wed, Thu 2:00pm to 3:30pm, or by appointment
                         Computer Science room 2429