Academic year 2013-14
Robotics
| Degree: | Code: | Type: |
| Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science | 21450 | Optional subject |
| Bachelor's Degree in Telematics Engineering | 22624 | Optional subject |
| Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Systems Engineering | 22686 | Optional subject |
| ECTS credits: | 4 | Workload: | 100 hours | Trimester: | 1st |
| Department: | Dept. of Information and Communication Technologies |
| Coordinator: | Vladimir Estivill-Castro |
| Teaching staff: | Vladimir Estivill-Castro |
| Language: | English |
| Timetable: | |
| Building: | Communication campus - Poblenou |
The hardware for robots and autonomous systems is so cheap now that deployments are happening beyond industrial environments. The robots and their applications are now common in human environments, both at home and in the office. Many practical situations and make use of robotics . However, there are still many challenges in the production of correct software for a robot. So many techniques to be considered for the construction of programs for robots.
This course provides a practical introduction to robotics , based on using LEGO robots and possibly other platforms. The course will present the basic concepts of robotics, such as sensors , actuators, and will discuss the most important approaches to control the robots. Students will have the opportunity to apply the concepts (covered in the theory sessions) in the laboratory sessions through the construction of their own robots and the development of robotic controllers for different tasks . The course will have components of lectures and a laboratory component . More details about the classes , the semianrios and laboratory sessions will be posted on the WEB page of Moodle ( Global Campus ) .
The different activities during the course are divided into:
Theory Sessions: in these are introduced and explained the different concepts and principles of robotics .
Practical sessions / laboratory : students , individually , work to build and implement programs to solve different problems , putting into practice the techniques outlined in the theory classes .
Seminar Sessions : where students , individually , shall design and model a solution to particular problems, possibly for them to be implement in practical sessions.
Upon completion of the course students will be able to:
Implement programs that constitute a reliable behavior in a robot and lead the robot to perform a task
Understanding the structure of a robot and the challenges to be solved by software to effectively interrelate sensors and actors
Modeling a solution that solves a particular problem
Fundamental concepts of programming objects (preferably familiarity with C + +) and basic concepts of UNIX programming tools.
Basic concepts of operating systems, processes, threads, system calls
Maturity in the study demonstrated for approving all second-year subjects
| Cross-disciplinary competences | Specific competences |
|---|---|
|
Instrumental
Interpersonal
Systematic
|
|
General evaluation criteria
All competency types of section 3 will be evaluated as well as the specific competencies using the following compulsory evaluation activities.
The final grade is computed as follows:
Provided that the following criterion of integral evalaution is met.
The final exam must be completed to at least a passing mark, a grade of 60% is obtained in the seminars and at least a grade of 50% on the practical problems in order to pass the subject
| Elements | Weight | Recuperable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writen Tets |
Final Exam |
30% |
YES |
|
Small Test |
10% |
YES |
|
| Practical tests |
Laboraotry Practice |
40% |
NO |
| Written products |
Problems for presentation at semianrs |
20% |
NO |
Details of the evaluation
Final Exam
The final exam includes concrete problems and a series of questions on analysis and design. Problems must be solved in the limited time provided. Students can use their notes and supplementary material.
What will be evaluated?
Small test
What will be evaluated?
Laboratory sessions
During the labs the course will introduce tools that illustrate the methods of robotics and useful techniques in robotics that will conform the phases of a project to be developed individually and where students practice the general competencies and the specific competencies. Collaboration with another person is encouraged, and oral and written skills must be used.
What will be evaluated?
Collaborative work in software development
Command of the basic techniques for the programming of a robot.
Understanding of the architecture of a robot.
Use of the concept that enable robots to use sophisticated sensors and act in complex ways in their environment.
Ability to understand and code a desirable behavior on a robot.
Particiaption en seminars and discussion of practical exercises.
During the seminar sessions there will be a group discussion of solutions and concepts in study cases and practical exercises. Students will be required to present their solutions and they shall be discussed with the entire class and/or the tutor. The goal is to deepen the general capacities and the specific capacities and provide continuous feedback and continues evaluation.
What will be evaluated?
Command of the basic techniques for the programming of a robot.
Understanding of the architecture of a robot.
Use of the concept that enable robots to use sophisticated sensors and act in complex ways in their environment.
Ability to understand and code a desirable behavior on a robot.
Presentation
1.- Introduction
2.- A Brief History of Robotics
Main components
3. The actuators and effectors
4. simple sensors
5. complex sensors
The control
6. `Feedback control '
7. Control architectures, reactive control
8. the subsumption architecture
Behavior
9. behavior-based control, coordination behavior, emergent behavior
10. Emergent behavior, Deliberative control, hybrid control
Advanced Topics
11. learning
12. Future of Robotics
| In-class activity | Out-of-class activity | Assessment activity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | Full group | Medium group | Small group | |||
|
1. Introduction |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
|
2. A Brief History of Robotics |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
||
|
3.The actuators and effectors |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
||
|
4. simple sensors |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
||
|
5. complex sensors |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
|
6. `Feedback control ' |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
||
| 7. Control architectures, reactive control | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 8. the subsumption architecture | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 9. behavior-based control, coordination behavior, emergent behavior | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 10. Emergent behavior, Deliberative control, hybrid control | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 11. learning | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 12. Future of Robotics | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Small test | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Final exam | 3 | 3 | ||||
|
Total: |
18 |
10 |
8 |
60 |
5 |
Total: 100 |
Basic reference
The Robotics Primer. Maja J. Mataric. MIT Press ISBN-10: 0-262-63354-X ISBN-
13:978-0-262-63354-3
Supplementary Bibliografy
• Introduction to autonomous mobile robots (2nd), Roland Siegwart and Illah
R. Nourbakhsh, MIT Press, 2011.
• Mobile robots : inspiration to implementation (2nd) ,Joseph L. Jones, Anita
M. Flynn,A K Peters, 1999 Edició 2nd. ed.
• Autonomous robots : from biological inspiration to implementation and
control / George A. Bekey, MIT Press, 2005
• Probabilistic robotics, S. Thrun, Wolfram Burgard, Dieter Fox, MIT Press,
2005
Materials that will placed in the WEB site of the Global-Hall (Moodle) for this subject
• Powerpoint slides for the theory classes
• Explanatory notes for the practical exercises in the lab
• Explanaroty notes for the seminars
• Link to other complementary information