Copyright © Antonio D'Angelo, Univ. of Udine

Robotica

Syllabus


  1. Aims

    The aim of the course is that to provide a student with practical tools to understand and implement programs which are able to control autonomous vehicles. The general notion of situated agent is presented by introducing behaviour-based systems, the direct coupling of perception to action and the dynamic interaction with the environment. A number of examples from industrial robotics and autonomous vehicle control are discussed with some experimental lectures using available moving platforms. The locomotion problem for the so called legged-robots is also presented discussing various kinds of mechanical structures, humanoids included.

  2. Method

    The course is intended to understand the underlying principles which distinguish robot control programs from computer programs. Their specific features are presented by introducing the general notion of situated agent. In the same perspective behaviour-based systems are also considered: the direct coupling of perception to action and the dynamic interaction with the environment are discussed as a general method to implement autonomous robot control including legged and humanoid robotics. Multirobot systems are also presented. A number of examples from autonomous robotics are discussed including details of vehicle control with some experimental lectures using available moving platforms. Students are encouraged to gain insights starting from the topics presented during lectures and to make guided experimentations.

  3. Contents

    The topics are primarily based on situated agents, behaviour-based architectures, reactive systems but the connection with A.I. and planning are also discussed. Biological motivations, adaptive and collective behaviours are introduced but also industrial manipulators performing an automatic assembly are presented and discussed.

    In the following you can find a preliminary program of the course. A more precise scheduling of the lectures will appear before the beginning of the first one.

  4. Suggested Readings

  5. Suggested Experimentations