Course Description
This is an advanced practicum wherein students learn about embedded controller programming, sensors, servo motors, serial communications, autonomous, and remotely controlled systems. These concepts and methodologies are demonstrated in class and further expanded in a series of student robotic projects of increasing complexity from carbots to humanoids.
Athena Title
Embedded Robotics
Prerequisite
(ENGR 4230/6230 or ELEE 4230/6230) and (ENGR 1140 or ENGR 1140H or CSCI 1301-1301L)
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course goal is to provide students with an advanced practicum in Embedded Robotics wherein the students will learn about the programming of embedded controllers, the interfacing of sensors (sound, light, acceleration, pan and tilt color video camera), the actuation of servo motors, inter-computer serial communications (RS-232 and ZigBee), and the control of autonomous as well as remotely piloted systems. The student will be programming using a high-level integrated programming environment, and also will be practicing lower-level programming using the C/C++ language. These concepts and methodologies will be demonstrated in class with sample codes and the students can expand on these ideas further with a series of robotic projects (of increasing complexity) throughout the semester such as car robots, simple bipedal and quadrupedal robots, and also humanoid robots. Possible projects can be about Master-Slave Robots, Search and Rescue Robot Teams, Intruder (motion) Detection, Image Recognition and Object Tracking, Humanoid Robot Mimicking a Vision-Impaired Person, Humanoid Robot Negotiating Stairs with Varying Tread Depths. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to evaluate whether a perceived robotics need can be conceptually resolved using a combination of computer hardware and software approaches and should have an integrated hardware/software understanding of embedded robotic systems whether they would be autonomous or remotely piloted.
Topical Outline
1. Robotics Primer using Reactive Control and Behavior Control 2. Project 1 using car-bot platform a. Task programming and servo control (endless turn mode). Sensor interfacing (sound and NIR – active/passive). b. Wireless (ZigBee device) remote control of car-bot with automatic obstacle avoidance 3. Project 2 using bipedal bot platform a. Servo control (position control mode) and Motion Programming b. Individual wireless (ZigBee device) remote control of bipedal bot 4. Project 3 using car-bot and GERWALK-bot platforms, and C/C++ programming a. RS-232 serial communications programming b. ZigBee communications programming (1 to 1 and broadcast mode) c. Master and Slave concepts on quadruped bots or Search and Rescue carbot teams d. PC acting a wireless master station for remote control of bipedal or quadrupedal bot teams 5. Project 4 using Humanoid robot platform with Pan/Tilt Wireless Camera and C/C++ programming a. Motion Detection (i.e., intruder alert) b. Image Recognition and Object Tracking 6. OR Project 5 using Humanoid robot platform with hand/foot NIR or pressure sensors, 3-D accelerometer a. Humanoid robot negotiating set of stairs with uneven tread depths b. Humanoid robot mimicking a visually-impaired person’s walk mode to detect obstacles in his/her path using an NIR “white cane”
Syllabus