Robotics

Robotics

( Will be updated. Last update: 1-12 2021 )

Contents

Period
Time
Place

Organizers
Abstract
Requirements
Materials
Schedule

Links

Period: February 1^ts - May 10^th 2021

Time: Monday 16.15 – 18.00

Place: Kaltura: https://smart.newrow.com/#/room/qba-943
( Password on Brightspace. )

Organizers:

Lecturer:

Dr Erwin M. Bakker ( erwin@liacs.nl )

Room 126a and LIACS Media Lab (LML)

Teaching assistant:

NB Register on Brightspace

Description:
During the last decade we have seen an "explosion" of all kinds of robots designed for tasks that previously were deemed too challenging for machines. Robots have evolved from robotic arms and karts that could execute repetitive or simple tasks such as painting, welding and vacuum cleaning to autonomous cars, drones and humanoid helpers and servants that execute their tasks in much less controlled and even natural settings. For this modern robots require sophisticated adaptive capabilities.
During the course we will have a thorough look at the important aspects of robot-architectures used in modern and state of the art robots. The use of various actuators and sensors will be studied. Algorithms for low level tasks such as movement, dead reckoning, obstacle-detection, and balancing will be presented. Intermediate level tasks such as mapping, obstacle recognition and avoidance, and more advanced modes of reckoning, navigation and object manipulation will be studied. Finally, high level tasks such as human-robot-interaction and adaptive behavior in natural environments will be studied and proto-typed using state of the art sensor analysis, computer vision and audio recognition techniques.

Course objectives
After successfully finishing the Robotics course the student:

Has a thorough insight and understanding of the underlying architectures and operating systems of modern state of the art robotic platforms.
Is capable of designing, developing and implementing algorithms for low-, and mid-level robotic tasks on different robotic simulators and platforms.
Has a good understanding of the challenges and progress in robotics research.
Has insights in the design and implementation of high level robotic tasks using state of the art tools for sensor analysis, computer vision and audio recognition techniques.
Is capable of implementing a prototype for autonomous Human Robot Interaction.

Requirements: C, C++

Grading (6 ECTS): Presentations and Robotics Project (60% of grade). Class discussions, attendance, workshops and assignments (40% of grade). It is necessary to be at every class and to complete every workshop. If you can not be there, you must contact Dr. E.M. Bakker before class!

Lecture slides and further materials will be made available on this site.

List of recommended books:

To be added

Schedule (tentative, visit regularly):

Date	Subject
1-2	Introduction and Overview
8-2	No Class (Dies)
15-2	Locomotion and Inverse Kinematics
22-2	Robotics Sensors and Image Processing
1-3	Yetiborg Introduction + SLAM Workshop
8-3	Project Proposals (presentation by students)
12-3	Q&A Session for the SLAM Workshop at 15.00 (Kaltura)
15-3	Robotics Vision
22-3	Robotics Reinforcement Learning
29-3	Robotics Reinforcement Learning Workshop
5-4	No Class (Eastern)
12-4	Project Progress (presentations by students)
26-4	YetiBorg Qualification Challenge (updated) video
3-5	YetiBorg Challenge (New due date: May 31st 2021)
10-5	Online Project Demos
31-5	Final Project Deliverables.

Assignments (workshops):

Homework I: Cool robots. See last slide of the 'Introduction and Overview'-Lecture. Due 8-2 2021 at 14.00.
Homework 2: See slide 48 of the 'Locomotion and Inverse Kinematics'-Lecture. Due 11-2 2021 at 14.00.
Slam Workshop and SLAM.zip file. New deadline! Due: 22-3 2021 at 15.00.
RL Workshop. Due 7-4 2021 at 23.59.

Note for Linux installation: Before running the install scrip: chmod u+x install.sh

Project Links (Selection):