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In our 6 week Robotics Capstone, we will give you a chance to implement a solution for a real world problem based on the content you learnt from the courses in your robotics specialization. It will also give you a chance to use mathematical and programming methods that researchers use in robotics labs. You will choose from two tracks - In the simulation track, you will use Matlab to simulate a mobile inverted pendulum or MIP. The material required for this capstone track is based on courses in mobility, aerial robotics, and estimation. In the hardware track you will need to purchase and assemble a rover kit, a raspberry pi, a pi camera, and IMU to allow your rover to navigate autonomously through your own environment Hands-on programming experience will demonstrate that you have acquired the foundations of robot movement, planning, and perception, and that you are able to translate them to a variety of practical applications in real world problems. Completion of the capstone will better prepare you to enter the field of Robotics as well as an expansive and growing number of other career paths where robots are changing the landscape of nearly every industry. Please refer to the syllabus below for a week by week breakdown of each track. Week 1 Introduction MIP Track: Using MATLAB for Dynamic Simulations AR Track: Dijkstra's and Purchasing the Kit Quiz: A1.2 Integrating an ODE with MATLAB Programming Assignment: B1.3 Dijkstra's Algorithm in Python Week 2 MIP Track: PD Control for Second-Order Systems AR Track: Assembling the Rover Quiz: A2.2 PD Tracking Quiz: B2.10 Demonstrating your Completed Rover Week 3 MIP Track: Using an EKF to get scalar orientation from an IMU AR Track: Calibration Quiz: A3.2 EKF for Scalar Attitude Estimation Quiz: B3.8 Calibration Week 4 MIP Track: Modeling a Mobile Inverted Pendulum (MIP) AR Track: Designing a Controller for the Rover Quiz: A4.2 Dynamical simulation of a MIP Peer Graded Assignment: B4.2 Programming a Tag Following Algorithm Week 5 MIP Track: Local linearization of a MIP and linearized control AR Track: An Extended Kalman Filter for State Estimation Quiz: A5.2 Balancing Control of a MIP Peer Graded Assignment: B5.2 An Extended Kalman Filter for State Estimation Week 6 MIP Track: Feedback motion planning for the MIP AR Track: Integration Quiz: A6.2 Noise-Robust Control and Planning for the MIP Peer Graded Assignment: B6.2 Completing your Autonomous Rover
Syllabus
- Week 1 - Week 1
Welcome to Robotics Capstone! This week you will choose between two tracks available to you for your capstone. Please make sure you watch the videos carefully to make the choice. In the MIP track, you will learn how to use MATLAB (your numerical tool for this ... - Week 2 - Week 2
In the MIP track, you will learn a simple control idea that can provably stabilize linear systems: PD control. You will work on some MATLAB exercises that tune parameters for a PD controller in a simple double-integrator (a.k.a force-controlled) system, and al... - Week 3 - Week 3
In the MIP track, you will learn how to interface with noisy and incomplete sensor data. We will use an extended Kalman filter (EKF): a model-based filtering scheme that optimally integrates incoming data with our current state belief. The particular example y... - Week 4 - Week 4
In the MIP track, you will learn how to build a model of the mobile inverted pendulum using a Lagrangian formulation to get equations of motion. This will help you build a simulation of a physical MIP that you can test your control ideas on. In the AR track, y... - Week 5 - Week 5
In the MIP track, you will begin to apply the control ideas from Week 2 to your newly developed MIP simulation from Week 4. In particular, you will have exercises that show you how to balance the MIP using its wheel actuators. In the AR track, you will learn t... - Week 6 - Week 6
In the MIP track, you will first attempt to replicate the balancing control from last week, but now with noisy sensor data (as you might expect on a physical platform). Next, you will build on your balance controller and allow the MIP to be moved around to des...
Instructors
Kostas Daniilidis
Professor of Computer and Information Science
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Sid Deliwala
Director, Electrical and Systems Engineering Labs and Lecturer, Electrical and Systems Engineering
Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering
Content Designer
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Most of the modules are very practical in nature. Some of the modules focused on the research being done at the moment, which can make them look like more abstract, i.e. not so practical, but I think it is good to see what the future will bring. The capstone project helps a lot really fix the concepts in the mind of the student.Sometimes the grading system could be more friendly, e.g.: provide more clues as to what is not working fine in the assignments.The communication with the instructors is rather slow. I know that the idea is the interaction with peers should compensate for the virtual presence and the distance between students and instructors, but sometimes the peers have the same questions and concerns, so student might need the help from the instructors in a timely manner.
Most of the modules are very practical in nature. Some of the modules focused on the research being done at the moment, which can make them look like more abstract, i.e. not so practical, but I think it is good to see what the future will bring. The capstone project helps a lot really fix the concepts in the mind of the student.Sometimes the grading system could be more friendly, e.g.: provide more clues as to what is not working fine in the assignments.The communication with the instructors is rather slow. I know that the idea is the interaction with peers should compensate for the virtual presence and the distance between students and instructors, but sometimes the peers have the same questions and concerns, so student might need the help from the instructors in a timely manner.
This module combines elements from the previous 5 courses for the creation of a practical project. It is possible to choose between the modelling and control of a two-dimensional Segway in Matlab or the creation and control of a robot rover. I picked the first module and it proved to be very interesting. The lectures are few and very clear, with most of the time dedicated to the development of the project. For once, the assignments were also clear! Excellent course!
I followed the MIP track since the AR track required me to purchase a kit and it was quite expensive. I would like to make the bot with custom parts once i have acquired the needed ones. The MIP track was good involving all that we learnt from previous courses and building up our ability to code.
This specialization is a great overwiew of robotics.You will not be a master but youwill definitely be able to get familiar with many robotics terms and you can hold your own in a conversation with a roboticist.
Very challenging, yet more interesting. I like these capstones, learned way more than I expected. Great course, recommend strongly.
