CSCI 4963/6965 - Robotic Manipulation: Analysis and Algorithms

Syllabus: Fall 2006

Assumed background:

1. Calculus I and II and Physics I

2. Facility with a high-level programming language

Useful, but not essential background:

1. Linear algebra

2. Differential equations

3. Multi-variable calculus

Text: M.T. Mason, Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation, MIT Press, 2001. Errata are detailed here.

Reference: S. M. LaValle, Planning Algorithms, Cambridge U Press, 2006. It’s on line: http://planning.cs.uiuc.edu/

Color Key for Table below

Pink – Order or content may change.

Terquiose – No class

Approximate Course Outline
Date	Reading	Topic	Lecture Slides	Other Stuff
8/28	Chapter 1	manipulation	mtm lecture 1	jct_lecture_1
8/31	Section 2.1, Appendix A	kinematic preliminaries	mtm lecture 2	jct notes - displacements summary
9/1	Ravi paper	1:00 pm Ravi Balasubramanian-JEC 3117		Talk attendance is optional
9/4	NO CLASS	LABOR DAY
9/7	Section 2.2	planar kinematics	mtm lecture 3	jct_notes – find_form_cl_grasp
9/11	Sections 2.3-2.5	spatial kinematics	mtm lecture 4	jct notes – form closure
9/14	Sections 2.5,2.6	nonholonomic constraints	mtm lecture 5
9/18	Section 3.1	spatial orientation - Rodrigues' formula	mtm lecture 6
9/21	Section 3.1	spatial orientation - quaternions	mtm lecture 7
9/25	Section 3.2 Galvaz paper	spatial displacements - screw coordinates	mtm lecture 8
9/28	Section 3.3	representing constraint	mtm lecture 9	jct notes – representing constraint
10/2	Sections 4.1, 4.2 LaValle paper	path planning	mtm lecture 10	jct notes – path planning supplement
10/5	Manocha paper	path planning for deformable objects
10/10	NO CLASS
10/12		ATTEND MANOCHA COLLOQUIUM	3:50-5:00	JEC 3117
10/16	Section 2.6, 4.3	kinematic models of contact	mtm lecture 11	Salisbury Hand Video
10/19		intro to daVinciCode (dVC)
10/23	Section 5.1	foundations of statics	mtm lecture 12	jct notes – statics
10/26	Sections 5.2-5.4	polyhedral convex cones	mtm lecture 13
10/30	Sections 5.5,5.6	the oriented plane	mtm lecture 14
11/2	Section 5.7,5.8	moment labeling and dual force	mtm lectures 15 and 18	jct notes – ML and DF
11/6	Cooking with C…	dynamics of a particle		jct notes - dyn of particle
11/9		dynamics of particle (continued)
11/13		dynamics of rigid body		jct notes - dyn of rigid body
11/16		PROJECT QUESTIONS
11/20	Sections 6.1-6.5	friction	mtm lecture 16	jct notes - friction
11/23	NO CLASS	THANKSGIVING		jct notes – painleve.mht jct notes – painleve.tif
11/27	Section 6.6	planar sliding	mtm lecture 17
11/30	Section 6.6	planar sliding (cont)
12/4	Section 7.4	parts orienting	mtm lecture 22
12/7	Section 7.5	assembly	mtm lecture 23
12/14	FINAL EXAM	Lally Conf Room	2:00 – 5:00 pm

Grading
Homework	40%
Projects	40%
Final Exam	20%

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 must 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. Students caught cheating will receive penalties as follows: first offense – 0 on the assignment; second offense – F for the course.

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.