Logo CS 7630/4803B: Autonomous Robotics
Spring 2003, 
CCB 102 
(Tuesday, Thursday   9:30am-11:00am) 
 
Instructor: Prof. Ronald C. Arkin
Office: MaRC 375
Office hours: T 11:00-12:00 Other times by appointment
Phone: Office: (404) 894-8209
e-mail arkin@cc.gatech.edu
(http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~arkin)

 

Course Description
Course Syllabus
Links
AmigoBots
 


NEW!

HOMEWORK 1 DUE ON 1/23/03                                                                  (added 1/14/03)
Chapter 3 slides posted                                                                                (added 1/23/03)
Subsumption slides added                                                                             (added 1/23/03)
 Cog Paper Added                                                                                          (added 1/23/03)
Connell Papers Added   (1)(2)                                                                      (added 1/23/03)
HOMEWORK 2 DUE ON 2/13                                                                        (added 2/11/03)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Course Description

1. Prerequisite: CS 4600 or equivalent or instructor's permission

    A survey of autonomous robotics as viewed from a variety of disciplines and as applied in artificial intelligence. Neuroscience and cognitive psychology are studied as a source of paradigms for machine autonomy.  Various cybernetic issues will be explored from a multi-disciplinary vantage point.  High-level computer vision and other sensor modalities and their application to intelligent robotics will also be studied within this context.

2. Class structure

    The subject matter of this course is often controversial and hopefully equally stimulating. It is a goal  to have lively discussions with various interpretations of the subject matter. We are dealing with approaches to problems that will hopefully provide solutions in extremely difficult task domains. Consequently your classroom participation is essential.
    There will be two meetings per week (Tuesday and Thursday), starting promptly at 9:35. Your attendance, of course, is mandatory as is your participation in classroom discussions.
    You are required to complete all assigned readings prior to class and you must be prepared to present or discuss the material contained therein.
It is anticipated that actual robots (Amigobots by ActivMedia or ER1 by Evolution) will be available for project work in this course. In addition simulators such as Teambots and MissionLab will also be of use.

3. Student evaluation (grading)

    As mentioned earlier, classroom attendance and participation are crucial to passing this course.  You will be evaluated after each class regarding your contributions to the discussion and your knowledge of the subject matter derived from the readings. In addition, there will be at least one presentation involving each student on material relevant to the course(20%). The remainder of your grade will be derived from a term project and homework (30%), and the midterm (20%) and final exam (20%).
    Students are expectd to adhere to the Honor Code in this class. All work is to be accomplished independently unless expressly stated in writing otherwise (e.g., as in a team project). Collaboration on other homework and/or take home exams is not permitted.

4. Readings

    The text for this course is Behavior-based Robotics, Arkin, MIT Press, 1998. Another required book is Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Robots: Case Studies of Successful Robot Systems, Kortenkamp, et al, MIT Press, 1998, which will provide the basis for student presentations.

Course Syllabus
 
Date Topic Reading Leader
1/7 Introduction  Chapter 1 (Arkin)
slides here
Arkin
1/9  Animal Behavior   Chapter 2 (Arkin)
slides here
 Arkin
1/14 Robot Behavior  Chapter 3  (Arkin)
slides here
Arkin
1/16 Guest Lecture -
From Biology to
Robots and Back
  Balch 
1/21 Behavior-based Architectures Chapter 4 (Arkin) 
slides here
Arkin
1/23 Subsumption  Brooks Moshkina Slides
1/28  Knowledge Representation Chapter 5 (Arkin)
slides here
Arkin
1/30 Rhino/SLAM Chapter 1 (Cases)  Rangnanthan Slides
2/4 Hybrid Architctures
Chapter 6 (Arkin)
slides here
Arkin
2/6 Artificial Potential Functions
Rimon Paper
Burridge
2/11  Three-Layer Architectures Chapter 8 (Cases)  Geier Slides
2/13 Saphira Chapter 9 (Cases)  Lee Slides
2/18  Perception I Chapter 7 (Arkin)
slides here
Arkin
2/20  Carmel  Chapter 2 (Cases)  Shah Slides
2/25  Polly Chapter 5 (Cases)  Hauenstein Slides
2/27 MIDTERM EXAM    
3/4  RECESS    
3/6  RECESS    
3/11 Sensor Fusion  Chapter 6 (Cases) Jones Slides
3/13  Adaptive Behavior Chapter 8 (Arkin) 
slides here
Arkin
3/18  Guest Lecture - 
MicroUAVs
TBA Michelson
3/20 Reinforcement
learning
 Mataric Paper  Kira Slides
3/25 Military Unmanned Vehicles Chapter 13 (Cases)  Ulam Slides
3/27  Human Robot Interaction HRI Study  Wagner Slides
4/1 D-Stampede and Mediabroker Systems Overview   Paper Ramachandran
4/3 Perception II  Chapter 7
  (Arkin)
Collins
4/8  Guest Lecture - Reinforcement Learning  TBA Dellaert
4/10 Hybrots: hybrids of living neurons and
mechanical robots
  Paper Potter
4/15  Social Behavior  Chapter 9 (Arkin) Arkin 
4/17 Moravec   Chapter 10
(Arkin)
 O'Hara Slides
4/22  Guest Lecture
Hybrid Dynamic Systems
 GL1 Egerstedt 
4/24  Project Presentations     O'Hara slides
 Rangnathan Slides
 Hauenstein Slides 
 Geier Slides 

 Kira Slides

* Denotes student presentation
 

    Subject to change

(Arkin) = Behavior-Based Robotics, MIT Press 1998.
(Cases) = Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Robots, Kortenkamp et al, MIT Press, 1998.
GL1 : http://users.ece.gatech.edu:80/~magnus/images/BehaviorHybrid.pdf

AmigoBots

The names of the three robots are Huey, Dewey, and Louie. When you want to use them you need to check them out with me. You will be given a bag containing:

 1 AmigoBot
 1 AmigoBot antenna
 1 Charger for AmigoBot batteries
 1 RadioModem
 1 Power Supply for RadioModem
 1 Serial Cable for RadioModem
 1 Serial Adapter 25pin - 9pin
 1 Cable for connecting to the AmigoBot system port

Take the robot and use it; but DO NOT forget to switch it off and recharge batteries when you are not using it. Note also that it is possible to use the robot with the charger plugged in. The manual for operating the robot can be downloaded here.

As regards to the software,

1. Saphira software can be downloaded here (Linux and Windows)I suggest you to install the software and run the simulator before using the real robot.

2. MissionLab is available here .

Enjoy them!
 
 
 

Links

The Mobile Robot Laboratory home page
MissionLab software home page
TeamBots software home page
ActivMedia home page
ActivMedia software, documentation and technical support
AmigoBot technical manual (*.pdf)
Saphira software for Linux and Windows
MissionLab is available for Linux .
 

Home pages of Autonomous Robotics researchers around the world
(this list is not complete:)

Agre Philip
Albus James S.
Arkin Ronald C.
Atkeson Chris
Bekey George A.
Borenstein Johann
Brooks Rodney
Christensen Henrik I.
Dudek Gregory
Durfee Edmund H.
Engelson Samuel
Gat Erann
Hayes-Roth Barbara
Horswill Ian
Kaelbling Leslie P.
Koenig Sven
Konolidge Kurt
Kortenkamp David
Kuc Roman
Kuipers Benjamin
Jorg Klaus-Werner
Latombe Jean-Claude
Maes Pattie
Mataric Maja
MacLennan Bruce J.
Miller David P.
Moravec Hans
Mowforth Peter
Murray Iain
Olshausen Bruno
Parker Lynne E.
Pfeifer Rolf
Pirjanian Paolo
Rosenblatt Julio
Shultz Alan
Sigaud Oliver
Simmons Reid
Thrun Sebastian
Zimmer Uwe R.