This schedule gives the topics planned for each lecture and lab meeting. It also shows assignment due dates and readings. Readings marked ER and AMR are sections in the course texts. (The text at the very beginning of chapter i is referred to as i.0.) All readings should be completed before coming to the corresponding lecture.

Links will be activated below as they are posted throughout the term. Links to posted lectures and assignments are also avilable on their own pages.

This schedule is subject to change. Hit “reload” to be sure you’re seeing the most recent revision (the timestamp of the revision you’re looking at is shown at the bottom of the page). We will make a best effort to ensure that the schedule is accurate both historically and for one week in the future. In most cases, things scheduled for more than a week in the future are only estimates.

Week 1: Jan 6 - 10

Mon no lab meeting

Tue no office hours HW0 out website; AMR 1,2; ER 8.0-5, 9.0-2,4, optional: 10-13
L0 — common types of robots; overview of course robot and software tools
L1 — C programming on microcontrollers and embedded systems

Wed no lab meeting

Fri no office hours L2 — rotation sensors; electric motors HW0 due 11pm ER 3.0-3.5, ch 4

Week 2: Jan 13 - 17

Mon Orangutan SVP man; avr-libc man sec 2; Pololu AVR Lib Ref (skim)
LAB0 — programming the AVR in C

Tue LAB0 due 11pm no lecture, no office hours

Wed LAB1 out LAB1 — implementing differential drive

Fri L3 — differential drive kinematics AMR 3.1-3.2.2; ER 8.6 (skip Ackermann)
no office hours

Week 3: Jan 20 - 24

Mon MLK Day - no lab meeting, 102WVH closed

Tue L3 — continued Diff Steering

Wed LAB1 — continued

Fri L4 — motor control ER ch 5; optional: AMR 3.6

Week 4: Jan 27 - 31

Mon LAB1 — continued

Tue L4 — continued

Wed LAB1 — final demonstrations LAB1 due 11pm

Fri no lecture, no office hours

Week 5: Feb 3 - 7

Mon LAB2 out LAB2 — obstacle avoidance and navigation

Tue L5 — obstacle avoidance and local nav ER 16.8,9; AMR 6.4; Goldberg 2002 sec 4

Wed snow day - no lab meeting, 102WVH closed

Fri L6 — sensors for mobile robots ER 3.6-8; AMR 4.0-1

Week 6: Feb 10 - 14

Mon LAB2 — continued

Tue L6 — continued L7 — global navigation ER 16.3-7, 16.10; AMR 6.0-3

Wed LAB2 — continued

Fri no lecture, no office hours

Week 7: Feb 17 - 21

Mon Presidents Day - no lab meeting, 102WVH closed

Tue L7 — continued

Wed LAB2 — continued

Fri L8 — basic localization and mapping ER 16.0-2, ER 18

Week 8: Feb 24 - 28

Mon LAB2 due 11pm LAB2 — final demonstrations

Tue L9 — arm kinematics ER 14

Wed LAB3 out LAB3 — arm kinematics and grasping

Fri L9 — continued Selig 1992 5.0-5.2

Week 9: Mar 3 - 7

Sat Spring Break - 102WVH closed

Sun Spring Break - 102WVH closed

Mon Spring Break - no lab meeting, 102WVH closed

Tue Spring Break - no class, no office hours, 102WVH closed

Wed Spring Break - no lab meeting, 102WVH closed

Thu Spring Break - 102WVH closed

Fri Spring Break - no class, no office hours, 102WVH closed

Sat Spring Break - 102WVH closed

Sun Spring Break - 102WVH closed

Week 10: Mar 10 - 14

Mon LAB3 — continued

Tue L9 — continued Selig 1992 6.0-6.3; Buss 2009

Wed LAB3 — final demonstrations, LAB4 — visual servoing LAB3 due 11pm LAB4 out

Fri L10 — cameras and images ER 3.9, 19.0,1,2,5,8; AMR 4.1.11, 4.2.8; OpenCV refs

Week 11: Mar 17 - 21

Mon LAB4 — continued

Tue ER 19.3,6, 20.5; AMR 4.3.1,2, 4.5.5; cvFindContours() (search for that in demo code)
L10 — continued
L11 — image processing, blob detection, edge/line/circle detection

Wed LAB4 — continued, LAB5 — final project LAB5 out

Fri AMR 4.2.0-4.2.3 cvHoughCircles(), cvBlobsLib
L11 — continued
L12 — camera calibration and monocular 3D vision

Week 12: Mar 24 - 28

Mon LAB5 — continued LAB4 — continued

Tue L13 — visual servoing AMR 4.2.7, 4.4-4.5; optional: Hutchinson 96, 06 (I)/07 (II)

Wed LAB4 — final demonstrations, LAB5 — continued LAB4 due 11pm

Fri L13 — continued LAB5 — project proposals only — due 11pm

Week 13: Mar 31 - Apr 4

Mon LAB5 — continued

Tue L14 — extended Kalman filter Localization, L15 — EKF SLAM AMR 5.0-5.8

Wed LAB5 — continued

Fri no lecture, no office hours

Week 14: Apr 7 - 11

Mon no lab

Tue L15 — continued

Wed LAB5 — continued

Fri student project presentations
office hours held from 11:35-12:35 instead of 12:30-1:30

Week 15: Apr 14 - 18

Mon LAB5 — final demonstrations

Tue no lecture - final project work time LAB5 due 11pm