UCSB Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2009


ME 170A / ECE 181A: Introduction to Robotics


Course Description

Francesco Bullo

April 20, 2009

Abstract:

This is the Course Description for ME 170A ``Introduction to Robotics,'' Spring 2009. This same information is available online on the course website: http://motion.mee.ucsb.edu/ME170A. A pdf version of this documentation and of the ABET syllabus for this course is available on the course website at: http://motion.mee.ucsb.edu/ME170A/handouts.

Course Description

Overview of robotic modelling and motion planning. Configuration spaces for rigid robots and multi-body systems. Algorithms for sensor-based motion planning. Algorithms for motion planning in complex workspaces: potential fields, roadmaps, and probabilistic planning. Robot coordinate systems. Kinematics of position.

Lecture Time and Place

Biological Sciences Instructional Facility (BSIF) 1217, TueTh 3:30pm-4:45pm

Prerequisites

ME 16

Course credit

Units: 4
3 units of lecture, 1 unit of computer lab per week

Instructor

Professor Francesco Bullo
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Phone: (805) 893-5169
bullo at engineering.ucsb.edu
http://motion.mee.ucsb.edu

Office: Room 2338, Engineering Bldg II
Office hours: Tue, 1pm-3pm

If you have any questions about the course, please send me email. I will try to repond as quickly as possible. Additionally, I will share questions that are particularly good (and their answers) with the rest of the class by broadcasting my answer to the entire class.

If you plan to come to office hours for questions about homework, please be prepared to show attempts at solving the problem before showing up.

Teaching Assistants

Joey Durham
Office hours: Mon 12:30pm-1:30pm and Wed 10:00am-11:00am
Office hours location: ME TA trailer, located on the grass between Eng II and Chemistry
joey at engineering.ucsb.edu

Textbooks and materials

Course material will be made available at http://motion.mee.ucsb.edu/ME170A.

I will email you whenever new documentation becomes available.

Syllabus

The syllabus will be available on the course website.

Grading

Your grade will be assigned roughly according to the following percentages.

• Homeworks and Projects 40%
• Midterm(s) 30%
• Final 30%

Partial credit might be given whenever the overall performance is low. If answers are not accompanied by satisfactory explanations (e.g., all intermediate steps, clearly readable handwriting), no credit will be given.

Exams and quizzes will be closed book/notes. You may prepare an exam aid (crib sheet) in your own handwriting, consisting of one, one-sided sheet (letter size, 8.5x11in) for the midterm and two sheets for the final exam. No calculators/palmPCs/pagers/cellphones) are allowed during the exams (they would be useless anyway).

In exceptional cases, I reserve the right to give extra points for excellent performance on the final. Please, do not count on it as a way to avoid doing homework assignments.

Homeworks will be typically assigned on Thursday and will be due the following Thursday (7 days later). No late homework will be accepted without prior approval. Approval is automatic the first two times you ask: to announce late homework you must send me and the TA email by midnight the day before. Late homework will automatically lose 20% of the grade and no late homework will be accepted after 5pm on the following Monday.

Computer Access

I expect all of you to be familiar with the College of Engineering computer laboratories. Some of the homeworks and all computer laboratory assignments will require working knowledge of Matlab.

Collaboration Policy

Some useful online links:

• Academic dishonesty and collaboration policy information for this course.

• Information about Academic Dishonesty.