Basics of mobile robotics

Summary

The course teaches the basics of autonomous mobile robots. Both hardware (energy, locomotion, sensors) and software (signal processing, control, localization, trajectory planning, high-level control) will be tackled. The students will apply the knowledge to program and control a real mobile robot.

Content

Keywords

mobile robots, sensing, perception, localisation, navigation, locomotion.

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

Introduction to automatic control (catching up possible with extra effort)

Introduction to signal processing

Recommended courses

Microinformatique (SMT)

Important concepts to start the course

Embedded system programming

Basics of automatic control

Basics of signal processing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Choose the right methods to design and control a mobile robot for a particular task.
• Integrate approriate methods for sensing, cognition and actuation
• Justify design choices for a robotic system
• Implement perception, localisation/navigation and control methods on a mobile robot
• Choose the right methods to design and control a mobile robot for a particular task.

Transversal skills

• Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time and other resources.
• Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
• Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
• Assess progress against the plan, and adapt the plan as appropriate.
• Chair a meeting to achieve a particular agenda, maximising participation.
• Evaluate one's own performance in the team, receive and respond appropriately to feedback.
• Negotiate effectively within the group.
• Resolve conflicts in ways that are productive for the task and the people concerned.

Teaching methods

Ex cathedra, case studies, exercises, work on mobile robots, group project

Expected student activities

• weekly lectures
• studying provided additional materials
• attend case study discussions
• lab exercises with practical components
• project at the end of the semester

Assessment methods

Project during the semester (60% of the grade). The project takes place during the semester and the report and presentation are done before the end of the semester, following the specific planning given by the teacher at the beginning of the semester.

Written exam (40% of the grade)

Supervision

Resources

Bibliography

Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots R. Siegwart, and I. Nourbakhsh, MIT Press, 2004

Autonomous Robots: From Biological Inspiration to Implementation and Control G.A. Bekey, MIT Press, 2005

Probabilistic Robotics S. Thrun, W. Burgard and D. Fox, MIT Press, 2005

Handbook of Robotics (chapter 35) B. Sicilian, and O. Khatib (Eds.), Springer, 2008

Elements of Robotics M. ben-Ari and F. Mondada, Spinger, 2017.

additional literature provided on Moodle

Ressources en bibliothèque

• Handbook of Robotics / Sicilian
• Elements of Robotics / Ben-Ari
• Probabilistic Robotics / Thrun
• Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots / Siegwart
• Autonomous Robots / Bekey

Notes/Handbook

Lecture slides are continously provided on Moodle during the course.

Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots R. Siegwart, and I. Nourbakhsh, MIT Press, 2004

Probabilistic Robotics S. Thrun, W. Burgard and D. Fox, MIT Press, 2005

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/MICRO-452