ECE 4340/7340 and CS 4730/7730 BUILDING INTELLIGENT ROBOTS
Spring, 2009
Instructor: Dr. Marjorie Skubic
skubicm@missouri.edu
office: 221
EBW
phone:
882-7766
Web: http://www.cs.missouri.edu/~skubicm/BIR/
Prerequisites: Some programming experience; Junior, senior, or
graduate standing
Course Description
The course covers the design
and development of intelligent machines, particularly emphasizing topics
related to sensor-based control of mobile robots. The first part of the course
covers mechanics, kinematics, and components such as sensor characterization,
sensory perception, motor sizing, motor control, and simple reactive behaviors.
The second part of the course focuses on how to achieve more intelligent
machines by combining multiple sensory inputs and multiple behaviors. In this
context, several control architectures will be discussed, including methods of
controlling cooperative robots.
Course Structure
The course will be structured
as three lectures and one 2-hour lab per week. Students will be grouped into
teams and provided with robot kits, including a small micro-controller board, a
mobile robot base, motors, sensor components, and structural parts for adding
to the base. Programming projects using the kits will be assigned to reinforce
the lecture topics. Assignments will include enough flexibility to encourage
design creativity. At the completion of each project, each group will give a
short presentation and demonstration of their project; each student will write a project report documenting their
progress. The programming assignments will be structured to encourage
incremental progress, culminating in the completion of a small autonomous
mobile robot.
Course Philosophy
The class will operate in a
cooperative spirit. Students are encouraged to discuss ideas and problems with
each other, even members outside your group. You may also want to use a
technique developed by another student or group; this is acceptable as along as
you give them credit in your reports and discussions.
Text
R. Siegwart, I.R. Nourbakhsh, Introduction
to Autonomous Mobile Robots, MIT Press, 2004
Other
References
R.R. Murphy, Introduction
to AI Robotics,
MIT Press, 2001
Fred Martin, Robotic
Explorations,
Prentice-Hall, 2001
Handouts and on-line references; lab
reference material will be kept in the lab
Grading: ECE 4340 and CS 4730
|
Exam #1 |
15 % |
|
Exam #2 |
20 % |
|
Project #1 |
15 % (Basic locomotion and
kinematics) |
|
Project #2 |
20 % (Open-ended project:
Multi-sensor, Multi-behavior) |
|
Project #3 |
20 % (Structured project:
Topological navigation) |
|
Class participation |
10 % (Discussion
questions; in-class discussion of assignments) |
|
& Lab books |
(Reviewed for each project.
The lab book is intended to provide an informal, sequential documentation of
your progress throughout the semester.) |
Grading: ECE 7340 and CS 7730
|
Exam #1 |
15 % |
|
Exam #2 |
20 % |
|
Project #1 |
15 % (Basic locomotion and
kinematics) |
|
Project #2 |
15 % (Open-ended project:
Multi-sensor, Multi-behavior) |
|
Project #3 |
15 % (Structured project:
Topological navigation) |
|
Class participation |
10 % (Discussion
questions; in-class discussion of assignments) |
|
& Lab books |
(Reviewed for each project.
The lab book is intended to provide an informal, sequential documentation of
your progress throughout the semester.) |
|
Paper presentation |
10 %
(A
list of papers will be provided) |
Note: Late assignments will
not be accepted. The participation grade will be based on your lab books, your
participation in class discussions, and your participation in the Engineering
Open House exhibits. This is a subjective grade. To score well, you must
convince me that you are actively engaged in the class.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic integrity is
fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of
the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been
responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to
gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the
effort is successful. The academic community regards breaches of the academic
integrity rules as extremely serious matters. Sanctions for such a breach may
include academic sanctions from the instructor, including failing the course
for any violation, to disciplinary sanctions ranging from probation to
expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting,
collaboration, or any other form of cheating, please see me in advance.
From Webster`s New Collegiate Dictionary, to plagiarize is``to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another)
as one`s own use without crediting the source.``
Please supply supporting references where appropriate. If phrases are copied verbatim, they must be shown as direct quotes. Attempts at plagiarism will be given a grade of 0 points.
If
you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical
information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the
building must be evacuated, please inform me immediately. Please see me
privately after class, or at my office. (See office hours and location on the
course website above.)
To request academic accommodations (for example, a notetaker), students must also register with the Office of Disability
Services, (http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu),
S5 Memorial Union, 882-4696. It is the campus office responsible for reviewing
documentation provided by students requesting academic accommodations, and for
accommodations planning in cooperation with students and instructors, as needed
and consistent with course requirements. For other MU resources for students
with disabilities, click on "Disability Resources" on the MU homepage.
Intellectual Pluralism
The University community welcomes intellectual
diversity and respects student rights. Students who have questions concerning
the quality of instruction in this class may address concerns to either the
Departmental Chair or Divisional leader or Director
of the Office of Students Rights and
Responsibilities (http://osrr.missouri.edu/).
All students will have the opportunity to submit an anonymous evaluation of the
instructor(s) at the end of the course.
Topics by Week
|
Week |
Lectures |
Lab |
|
1 |
Course intro; Braitenberg vehicles |
No lab |
|
2 |
Intro to robotics; Review
of C prog. lang. |
Review of C |
|
3 |
Hierarchical paradigm;
Locomotion |
Robot kit: motors and
sensors |
|
4 |
Kinematics |
Work on project #1 |
|
5 |
Biological Foundations;
Reactive paradigm |
Project #1 due |
|
6 |
Reactive Paradigm; Sensing
and perception |
Camera introduction |
|
7 |
Sensing and Perception |
Work on project #2 |
|
8 |
Sensing and Perception;
Exam #1 |
Work on project #2 |
|
9 |
Hybrid architectures |
Project #2 Due; Engineering
Open House |
|
10 |
Hybrid architectures;
Topological navigation |
Start project #3 |
|
11 |
Topological navigation;
Localization |
Work on project #3 |
|
12 |
Planning and navigation |
Work on project #3 |
|
13 |
Multi-robot systems |
Work on project #3 |
|
14 |
Multi-robot systems;
Human-robot interaction |
Project #3 due |
|
15 |
Human-robot interaction;
Exam #2 |
More Project #3 demos |