CS Robot Lab

CS485/511

Spring 2006

Wed 6:00pm - 8:50pm

 

Instructor

Dr. Jay Modi
Department of Computer Science
Drexel University
Office: University Crossings 106
Tel: 1 215 895 1518
Email: pmodi AT cs drexel edu
Office Hours: Wed 3:00-4:00 or by appt

Teaching Assistants:
Daniel Stamate
Email: ds352 AT drexel edu
Office Hours: TBA

Brandon Sheffer
Email: bms28 AT cs drexel edu
Office Hours: TBA

Course Overview

This course will expose students to the issues involved in creating an intelligent autonomous embodied agent, or robot. Issues to be explored include sensing the environment (perception), evaluating the state of the world and deciding upon a course of action (cognition), and executing actions (actuation). We will use the Sony AIBO robots as a concrete platform to investigate these issues in-depth.

Format of the course

Rather than lectures, the course will be structured around a sequence of tasks to be implemented in simulation or on the AIBO robot. Evaluation will be based on the level of accomplishment of these tasks. The course will primarily consist of significant and intense lab work both during and outside of scheduled class time. Classes will be structured around lab work, so students should bring their laptops to class.

Prerequisites

Significant competency in programming (Java, C/C++) and comfort with basic artificial intelligence concepts will be assumed.

Revelant Documentation and Code

Coursework and Grading Criteria

  • Quizzes: 15%
  • Assignment 0: 5%
  • Assignment 1: 20%
  • Assignment 2: 20%
  • Assignment 3: 40%

Course Notes

Assignments

  • Assignment 0 [PDF]
  • Assignment 1 [PDF]
  • Assignment 2 [PDF]
    • Magick++ compile flags you may find useful:
      g++ main.cpp -o main 'Magick++ -config --ldflags --libs'
  • Assignment 3 [PDF]

    Course Readings

    • Fast Parametric Transitions for Smooth Quadrupedal Motion. [PDF]
      James Bruce, Scott Lenser, and Manuela Veloso. In A. Birk, S. Coradeschi, and S. Tadokoro, editors, RoboCup-2001: The Fifth RoboCup Competitions and Conferences. Springer Verlag, Berlin, 2002.
    • Fast and inexpensive color image segmentation for interactive robots [PDF]
      James Bruce, Tucker Balch, and Manuela Veloso. In Proceedings of IROS-2000, Japan, October 2000.
    • A Modular Hierarchical Behavior-Based Architecture [PDF]
      Scott Lenser, James Bruce, Manuela Veloso. In A. Birk, S. Coradeschi, and S. Tadokoro, editors, RoboCup-2001: The Fifth RoboCup Competitions and Conferences. Springer Verlag, Berlin, 2002.

    Images from AIBO races.

    For Assignment 1, each 2-person team implemented a quadraped walking routine for the AIBO. A round of races determined which team had the best walk!