Course Description: “Introduction to Robotics” provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles, technologies, and applications in the field of robotics. The course begins with an exploration of the definition and diverse applications of robotics, accompanied by a historical perspective on the evolution of robotic systems. Students delve into the anatomy of robots, examining components such as sensors, actuators, manipulators, and end-effectors, gaining an understanding of their structure, design, and functionality. Robot kinematics is thoroughly covered, encompassing topics such as motion, positioning, forward and inverse kinematics, as well as various types of joints and configurations. Emphasis is placed on sensor technologies, including proximity, vision, and touch sensors, and their integration for data processing. Similarly, students explore the realm of actuators, learning about motors, servos, pneumatics, and techniques for actuator control and manipulation. Programming robots constitutes a significant portion of the course, with an introduction to popular robot programming languages such as ROS, Python, and C++. Students learn the basics of control and various programming paradigms. Robotics perception is addressed, focusing on computer vision techniques for object recognition, tracking, and mapping. Robot motion planning is explored, covering path planning, trajectory generation, collision avoidance, and obstacle detection. Additionally, students delve into robot localization and mapping techniques, including Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), odometry, and sensor fusion. The course also covers robot control systems, encompassing feedback control, closed-loop systems, PID controllers, and motion control strategies. An introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) in robotics is provided, highlighting machine learning applications and ethical considerations. The societal impact of robotics, including its implications for jobs, privacy, and ethical considerations, is also discussed. Throughout the course, students engage in hands-on labs and projects, where they assemble, program, and experiment with robotic systems, culminating in the development of simple robotic systems. Emerging trends and technologies in robotics, such as soft robotics, swarm robotics, and human-robot interaction, are explored to provide students with insights into future developments in the field.

The course follows the following schedule:

Week 1 Definition of robotics and its applications, Historical overview of robotics development Week 2 Overview of robot components: sensors, actuators, manipulators, end-effectors, etc, Understanding the structure and design of robots Week 3 Introduction to robot motion and positioning, transformation matrices Week 4 Introduction to robot motion and positioning, Forward kinematics Week 5 Inverse kinematics, Types of robot joints and configurations Week 6 Types of sensors used in robotics (proximity, vision, touch, etc.), sensor technology and integration Week 7 Sensor integration and data processing in Arduino based system Week 8 Servos and pneumatics technology and their integration on robotic platforms Week 9 Actuator control and manipulation Week 10 Introduction to robot programming languages (e.g., ROS, Python, C++) Week 11 Basics of robot control and programming paradigms Week 12 Computer vision and its role in robotics, object recognition, tracking, and mapping Week 13 Path planning and trajectory generation - 1 Week 14 Path planning and trajectory generation - 2 Week 15 Collision avoidance and obstacle detection - 1 Week 16 Collision avoidance and obstacle detection - 2 Week 17 Revision of selected topics

Recommended Readings

Textbook: Niku, Saeed B. Introduction to robotics: analysis, control, applications. John Wiley & Sons, 2020. Reference books: Sciavicco, Lorenzo, and Bruno Siciliano. Modelling and control of robot manipulators. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.