Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:45; Fridays, 9:05-9:55
Location: 833 Eigenmann
Instructor: Randall D. Beer
Office: 840 Eigenmann
Phone: 856-0873
Email: rdbeer [AT] indiana [DOT] edu
Assistant Instructor: Didem Kadihasanoglu
Technical Support: Zach Haga
Course Description
The role of the body in cognitive processes is becoming an increasingly important theme in cognitive science. In order to model embodied cognitive systems, some cognitive scientists have begun turning to robots. This course provides an introduction to autonomous robotics and its use in embodied cognitive science. Students will first learn the basic principles of mechanical construction, electronics, sensors, motors and robot programming. Then they will build and program their own original robots for maze traversal and manipulation. Students will work in small groups throughout the course. This course is very hands-on, with students spending the majority of their time actually working with robots under instructor supervision. The necessary conceptual and technical background for each project will be delivered in a series of short "mini-lectures".
Grading
| 15% | Class Participation |
| 5% | Design Notebook |
| 30% | Assignment Demonstrations |
| 50% | Written Reports |
Course Policies
Class Participation: All students are expected to attend every class and to actively participate in all activities of their group. Lateness to class and unexcused absences will decrease the class participation grade. If you cannot attend a class due to illness, please notify both the instructor and the rest of your group as early as possible. If you need to miss a class for an interview or conference, please discuss this with the instructor well in advance of the absence.
Design Notebook: Each student is expected to keep a design notebook as a written record of their work in this class. This notebook should contain a susbtantive dated entry for each day they are in the lab, and should include notes from mini-lectures, design ideas (including mechanical and algorithmic sketches), testing results and redesigns. Keeping a notebook is a good habit to get into and it should contain everything you need to prepare your written reports. Note that, although students work in groups, each student's design notebook should be maintained individually.
Assignments: There will be five assignments during the semester. Each assignment will involve a demonstration of the successful completion of the assignment to the instructor and a written report. Generally speaking, each report should summarize all work done on that assignment, including written descriptions of the final solution (both hardware design and software architecture) and its performance, mechanical sketches and commented code listings. More specific instructions will be provided with each assignment. Note that, although students work in groups, each student's report should be prepared individually.
Syllabus
| Date | Topic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1/10 | Course Introduction | Lecture Slides |
| 1/12 | Robot Demonstrations | |
| 1/17 | SquareBot | SquareBot Assignment |
| 1/19 | SquareBot | |
| 1/24 | Microcontroller Programming | Microcontroller Assignment, SquareBot Report Due |
| 1/26 | Microcontroller Programming | |
| 1/31 | Sensor Characteristics | Sensor Assignment, Microcontroller Programming Report Due |
| 2/2 | Sensor Characteristics | |
| 2/7 | Sensor Characteristics | |
| 2/9 | Sensor Characteristics | |
| 2/14 | Maze Traversal | Maze Assignment, Sensor Report Due |
| 2/16 | Maze Traversal | |
| 2/21 | Maze Traversal | |
| 2/23 | Maze Traversal | |
| 2/28 | Maze Traversal | |
| 3/1 | Maze Traversal | |
| 3/6 | Maze Traversal | |
| 3/8 | Maze Traversal Competition | Maze Traversal Report Due on 3/9 |
| 3/13 | No Class (Spring Break) | |
| 3/15 | No Class (Spring Break) | |
| 3/20 | An Introduction to Manipulation | Manipulation Assignment |
| 3/22 | Manipulation | |
| 3/27 | Manipulation | |
| 3/29 | Manipulation | |
| 4/3 | Manipulation | |
| 4/5 | Manipulation | |
| 4/10 | Manipulation | |
| 4/12 | Manipulation | |
| 4/17 | Manipulation | |
| 4/19 | Manipulation | |
| 4/24 | Manipulation | |
| 4/26 | Manipulation | |
| 4/27 | Manipulation Report Due |
Vex Robotics Design System Documentation
Resources