Spring 2009, Dr. Ken Hoganson

Lecture time 2:00 PM, M/W, Clendenning CS Building, Room 3028
All lectures are live online, and recorded at: Lectures
Web site under construction!!

This is a survey course covering topics Robotics with some needed Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Each student will receive a robotics kit to allow students to analyze, design, build, and test simple robotic systems from home.
This course will be taught as a hybrid-course - where some class meeting times will be used for project work.

Textbooks: The Robotics Primer, Mataric, MIT press. This is an excellent introduction and a very good read. Second text: Autonomous Mobile Robots, Siegwart, MIT Press.

Equipment: VEX Robotics Systems, which you will receive in February.
Vex Labs Web Site

The following course layout will be revised: See syllabus for more details.

1st Lecture	2nd Lecture
Jan 13, Lecture 1    Course Intro, definition of robot	Hand out Robot Kits    Begin familiarization project
Jan 20, Lecture 2    Overview of AI
Jan 27 Lecture 3    Robot Control: read Ch3&4 in Mataric text	Hand out kits
Feb 3, Lecture 4 Robnot effectors and actuators	Feb 3, Lecture 5   Game playing and Genetic Algorithm Assignment Robot design specs
Tuesday Feb 11, Various Online Articles	Robot Controlled by Slime Mold article from New Scientist AJC article on defense robot AJC 2nd AJC article Short article on PhoBot (phobia robot) from competition in the Netherlands :Robot with Phobia Robot with phobia
Feb 17, Lecture 6 Perception Lecture 7 Robot motor control	Feb 3, Lecture 8  Clips expert system CLips zip file
Feb 24, Exam will be posted on Feb 23, open books, open notes, open lectures, closed neighbor.	Exam 1 no Class on Feb 24, work the exam. Exam is due on March 2 midnight. Anything from lectures, assigned online articles, and genetic algorithm project through today.
March 3: No lecture today: Exam Due	Work on genetic algorithm and robot project, make sure you have working CLIPs engine
March 10 Spring Break	March 10 Spring 10
March 17, Lecture 9    More on Clips, grad check expert	March 17: Expert system project assignment Expert system lab work
Extra Credit Opportunities. To get the most from this course, you can attempt all three optional homework exercises: Wumpus game, Genetic Algorithm, Expert System.	Each of these optional AI labs is worth up to 6 extra credit points (%) toward your final grade for the class. You may choose to do none of these projects (without penalty), or you may do all three of these projects.
March 24: Expert System and robot lab day, no lecture. Read this article on Fox News on an automated robot dog Robot Dog for military use. Check out Boston Dynamics web site.	March 24: Expert system and robot lab work
March 31: Expert System project due. Project work day: Teams may meet in CL 3033. I will be available for help and consultation on any of the projects and the robot project.	March 31: Expert system project due Clarifications and Additional Robot Specs
Robot Project Grading Partial Credit will be allowed.	As per the syllabus, you need to turn in: Robot Design Document: Explains your plan, design, how your machine will hand each subtask. 10% of grade for the course. Turn in whenever you have this ready. Robot course navigation demo. 10% of grade for the course. Whenever you are ready for this demo, contact me - but no later than April 28. Final Robot demonstration. 30% of grade for the course.
April 7: Lecture 10   Sensors; Ch8 & Ch9 Lab Work Time, questions, help	Robot Project Lab Time Robot "dog" for military video - very cool Robot Scientist National Geographic
, Read and Research   Robots for security and military applications. Research on web, prepare to discuss. Also read this: AJC article	Read these articles on: Dextre(CNET) AJC
April 14- robot lab time, experiments, testing and demos. Feel free to come by the office for testing and discussion, I have a sheet-with-line for demo and testing.	.As explained in class you can make your own test-track according to the specs that we covered in the lectures.
Alternate course option! Easier in a number of ways, most important is the center path to follow constructed from two strips of black. Build your own course.	Alternative Course
IBM Supercomputer to compete on Jeopardy game show.	New York Times 4/26/09 News Story
Out of Town at ITNG Conference	April 27 - April 30.
Robot testing and grading. I have a sheet-with-line for demo and testing, or make your own according to specs.	April 28 - Last day to demo the robot is the last day of class. Extended to May 7.