CSCI 4969/6965 - Robotic Manipulation: Analysis and Algorithms

Syllabus: Spring 2004

Assumed background:
1. Calculus, Physics I
2. Facility with a high-level programming language
Useful, but not essential background:
1. Linear algebra
2. Differential equations

Text: M.T. Mason, ``Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation'' MIT Press, 2001. Errata are detailed here.



Additional Material

Some of the additional reading material in the table below is copyrighted by various entities. When this is the case, the appropriate citation is given here.

[1] S. M. LaValle. Rapidly-exploring random trees: A new tool for path planning. TR 98-11, Computer Science Dept., Iowa State University, Oct. 1998.

[2] K. Kondo. Motion planning with six degrees of freedom by multistrategic bidirectional hueristic free-space search. IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, vol 7, no 3, pp 267-277, June 1991.



Course Outline
Date Reading Topic Lecture Slides Other Stuff
1/13 Chapter 1 manipulation mtm lecture 1 more videos
1/16 NO CLASS OUT OF TOWN
1/20 Section 2.1 kinematic preliminaries mtm lecture 2
1/23 Section 2.2 planar kinematics mtm lecture 3 displacements summary
1/27 Sections 2.3, 2.4 spatial kinematics mtm lecture 4
1/30 Sections 2.5, 2.6 nonholonomic constraints mtm lecture 5
2/3 PAPANIKOLOPOULOS 3 DISTRIB. ROBOTICS PAPERS 45 MIN DISCUSSIONGO TO PRESENTATION
2/6 Section 3.1 spatial orientation - Rodrigues' formula mtm lecture 6
2/10 Section 3.1 spatial orientation - quaternions mtm lecture 7
2/13 Section 3.2 spatial displacements - screw coordinates mtm lecture 8
2/17 NO CLASS FOLLOW MONDAY SCHEDULE
2/20 Section 3.3 representing constraint mtm lecture 9
2/24 Sections 4.1, 4.2 path planning mtm lecture 10 LaValle[1] and Kondo[2]
2/27 Section 4.3 kinematic models of contact mtm lecture 11 Salisbury Hand Video
3/2 Section 5.1 foundations of statics mtm lecture 12
3/5 Sections 5.2-5.4 polyhedral convex cones mtm lecture 13
3/9 NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
3/12 NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
3/15 Dynamics of a point in contact mtm lecture 14
3/19 Section 5.7 moment labeling mtm lecture 15
3/15 Sections 5.5,5.6 the oriented plane mtm lecture 14
3/19 Section 5.7 moment labeling mtm lecture 15
3/15 Sections 5.5,5.6 the oriented plane mtm lecture 14
3/19 Section 5.7 moment labeling mtm lecture 15
3/22 Sections 6.1-6.5 friction mtm lecture 16
3/26 Section 6.6 planar sliding mtm lecture 17
3/29 Section 5.8 force dual mtm lecture 18
4/2 Sections 7.1,7.2 quasistatic manipulation mtm lecture 20
4/6 Section 7.3 pushing mtm lecture 21
4/9 Section 7.4 parts orienting mtm lecture 22
4/13 Section 7.5 assembly mtm lecture 23
4/16 Sections 8.1-8.4 rigid body dynamics mtm lecture 24
4/20 Sections 8.5-8.7 tumbling rigid bodies mtm lecture 25
4/23 Sections 8.8-8.10 dynamics and frictional contact mtm lecture 26
4/27 NO CLASS AT ROBOTICS CONFERENCE
if time Sections 9.1,9.2 impact mtm lecture 27
5/3-7 NO CLASS FINAL EXAM time 1C



Grading
Homework 33.3%
Final Exam 33.3%
Projects 33.4%

GENERAL NOTICES
If you can't meet me during office hours, email me or meet me after class to set up a special time.
The final exam will be closed-book. You may bring a calculator and one 8.5"x11" sheet of paper with notes (both sides).
Discussion of assignments among classmates is strongly encouraged. However, if you turn in an obviously copied assignments, your overall grade for the course will be reduced by at least a letter grade for each infraction.
Assignments must be handed in by midnight on the due date to receive full credit. Assignments will be accepted up to 48 hours late, but will be graded out of 75 rather than 100. Assignments will not be accepted beyond the 48 hour limit. Late assignments must be handed in to me or one of the secretaries in the CS Dept. You should have the secretary sign and date your work on receipt.
Academic Dishonesty: If you are not clear on what constitute academic dishonesty, consult the current Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.
Statement on Plagiarism: An often misunderstood form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which is commonly defined as the act of passing off as one's own, the ideas, words, etc. of another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it is as your own, even if you have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys trust among colleagues without which research cannot safely be communicated.