No: EE 463
Title: AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTICS
Credits: 4
Coordinator: To be determined
Goals: This is a systems-level digital control systems and robotics course that focuses on precise positioning and wireless communication. It is a "capstone design" course for EE students in the Controls & Robotics course group.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to:
Textbooks:
Reference Texts:
Prerequisites by Topic:
Topics:
Course Structure: The class meets for three 50-minute lectures a week plus a three-hour lab. The laboratory, where students are working in teams, consists of six weeks of structured assignments and four weeks of project design. The laboratory assignments comprise problems solving exercises, three robot skills tests, and a final competition. Written laboratory reports are due after each lab assignment. A team project proposal, final report and formal presentation are required.
Computer Resources: Reports are written on a computer. The laboratory assignments and project designs are done using provided software: a workstation computer with Interactive C programming language, Matlab and Microsoft Office software.
Laboratory Resources: All hardware and software is provided for the students at the first laboratory meeting: LEGO pieces, a HandyBoard microprocessor with the UW Expansion Board, various motors and sensors and connectors. The laboratory is open for students at any time the building is open. Each team is given a bin in the laboratory for storing their project material.
Grading: Class participation accounts for 5% of the grade. The midterm report accounts for 10% of the grade. The project proposal, final report and presentation accounts for 45%. The remaining 40% is based on laboratory assignment reports and the competition participation and outcome.
Outcome Coverage:
(a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering. This design, construction and testing of mobile robots demands constant use of knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. The underlying mathematics of robotics, specifically robot motion planning and wireless communications are presented in class and worked on in the laboratory. The science behind wireless communication is discussed in class and put in practice in the laboratory. Engineering skills, specifically robot design, construction and testing, quality and completeness, are used throughout the laboratory exercises and project. This outcome affects the whole class grade.
(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. The laboratories (six weeks) are devoted to designing and conducting experiments with the microcontroller, software program, motors and sensors and wireless communication boards. The data must be analyzed and interpreted for writing the laboratory report and to decide whether or not the design is good. This outcome affects about 1/3 of the grade.
(c) An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. Students are given a description of the competition. From this, they have 4-5 weeks in laboratory to design an autonomous mobile robot to meet the goal. A project proposal, final report, presentation and competition are required for this outcome, which is worth more than half the grade.
(d) An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. Students operate in teams of 2-3 to solve the laboratory assignments, write the laboratory reports, design, construct and test an autonomous mobile robot for competing against other robots, write a project proposal, project final report, and give a team presentation. The students' backgrounds include computer science, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Thus, the team members tend to specialize in one or more aspects of the laboratory design problems, making a multi-disciplinary team. Teamwork is not specifically graded, but it shows during the laboratories, competition, reports and presentations.
(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. A real-life design problem is presented to the students: construct an autonomous mobile robot to compete against another robot. The student teams must identify the details of the design environment, formulate a solution to the problem in terms of a proposed design (proposal document) and build and test the robot to see if it matches the design specifications. In addition to the project design, the students complete laboratory assignments, solving various engineering problems associated with the robot's mechanical construction and software code and wireless communication. Reports are handed in and graded on all laboratory assignments and projects. This counts for more than 3/4 of the grade.
(f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. The students are treated as professionals and must assume professional responsibility in the project. They need to write a project proposal, write a final report to say what they did with the project and give a formal presentation in front of the class to justify what they did. The teams are on their own for 4-5 weeks of the class, which requires strong responsibility to budget their time.
(g) An ability to communicate effectively. Teams must prepare written project proposals, final reports and give an oral presentation at the end of the class. Each team member must write a section of the reports and make part of the presentation. Grades are based on format and content and presentation quality. This outcome affects more than half the grade.
(h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. The students prepare a midterm report on a real-world example of an incident in which a control system design failure killed at least one human being and/or did at least $1M of damage and write a report on the incident.
(i) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning. The course material distributed does not contain all of the information necessary to solve the autonomous mobile robot problem. The students are encouraged to seek out additional information via the Internet and the library.
(j) A knowledge of contemporary issues. Local and international robot competitions are linked to the course web site. The Seattle Robotics Society web site gives a wealth of information on contemporary issues in robotics. Newspaper articles, local seminars and guest speakers (from industry and academia) are used to bring contemporary issues into the classroom. Knowledge of contemporary issues in robots will show up in the final project design.
(k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools
necessary for engineering practice. Students gain practical experience
and demonstrate competence by building autonomous mobile robots from Lego
components and various sensors and motors. The robots incorporate a digital
bi-directional 900 mHz RF transmitter/receiver and an on-board embedded computer
which the students program using an interactive version of the ANSII C programming
language.
(a2) Knowledge of mathematics through differential and integral calculus, basic sciences, and engineering sciences necessary to analyze and design complex electrical and electronic devices, software and systems containing hardware and software components, as appropriate to program objectives. The course focuses on the design, construction and testing of autonomous mobile robots, which are inherently complex systems of mechanical and electrical hardware and software. Successful completion of the design project demonstrates achievement of this outcome, which influences more than half of the grade.
ABET Criterion 4 Considerations
Engineering standards - Students are provided with realistic specifications of the competition, which must be satisfied by their robot design.
Realistic constraints - The design problem has been carefully formulated to provide realistic constraints on the autonomous mobile robot. The competition imposes physical and software constraints on their designs.
Economic - The students must come up with a detailed budget for additional hardware they need for the final project robot. They can spend up to $25.00.
Environmental - The midterm report on a significant control systems failure brings up many environmental impact issues.
Sustainability - The mobile robots are made out of LEGO pieces, a Handy Board microcontroller, and various sensors and motors. At the end of the class, the robot is disassembled. Everything will be used again and again for the mobile robotics classes. In addition, rechargeable batteries are used in the mobile robots.
Manufacturability - The students learn to construct motors with geartrains and sensors and to attach them to the mobile robot platform.
Ethical - The midterm report on a significant control systems failure brings up many ethical issues.
Health and safety - Laboratory safety is discussed during the first laboratory.
Social - The midterm report on a significant control systems failure may bring up social issues.
Political - The midterm report on a significant control systems failure may bring up political issues.
Prepared By: Linda G. Bushnell
Last revised: 5/14/03