Overview
The course deals with four major components: robot manipulators
(more commonly known as the robot arm), robot vehicles, image
processing and embedded computing. Lecture topics fall into two of
these categories – the manipulator and image
processing. Topics covered under robot manipulators include the
mathematics of a 6 degree of freedom machine operating in a 3D
world and the control of robot position, velocity, path and force.
These require knowledge about their forward and inverse
kinematics, the mathematics of homogeneous transformations and
coordinate frames, the Jacobian and velocity control, task
programming, computational issues related to robot control,
determining path trajectories, reaction forces, manipulator
dynamics and control. Topics under computer vision include: image
sensors, digitization, preprocessing, thresholding, edge
detection, segmentation, feature extraction, classification,
frequency domain techniques, and 3D analysis.
The subject areas related to robot vehicle guidance and embedded
computing are primarily dealt with through the main project.
Main Project: Design and implement a guidance controller
for a truck. Skeleton code is provided. The goal is to write the
remaining code needed to control the virtual truck to drive along
a specified path.
Computer Vision Project: There will also be a smaller
project dealing with computer vision.
Prerequisite: ME3281 System Dynamics and Control
Recommended: Background in C programming. However, it is
possible to pick up what you need in the first few weeks.
Audience: Seniors and grad students.