All programmes > Robotics

Robotics (B-KUL-H02A4A)

4 ECTSEnglish20 Second termCannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Bruyninckx Herman (coordinator) |  Bruyninckx Herman |  Detry Renaud |  N. |  Aertbeliën Erwin (substitute) |  Decré Wilm (substitute)  | LessMore
POC Artificial Intelligence

Aims

This course is an introduction to Intelligent Robotic Systems, i.e., machines that move (themselves and/or objects in their environment) and sense what is going on in their (immediate) neighbourhood, in order to achieve a given goal under uncertain environment conditions. 

The course covers fundamentals of robot modelling, control, and programming. Furthermore, specific attention goes to sensor-guided robots and to applying AI techniques, in a broad sense, to robots, which poses challenges that are not apparent in other contexts that do not consider embodied agents.  

This course will cover both "classical" AI techniques that are easily parametrized by an expert, and techniques that learned from data and demonstrations.

After taking this course, the student should be able to: 

  • analyse, develop, and use kinematic and dynamic models of robot systems 
  • design motion and sensor-guided control strategies, and select the most suitable strategy for an application at hand 
  • learn to analyse robotics applications  and identify what aspects lend themselves to a AI solutions

Previous knowledge

This course is accessible as an optional course to last-year master students, or to master-after-master students. Hence, a master level background is expected. 

The course requires background in programming, engineering mechanics, linear algebra and basic differential and integral calculus.  Mostly Python will be used in the exercise sessions. 

Is included in these courses of study

Activities

4 ects. Robotics (B-KUL-H02A4a)

4 ECTSEnglishFormat: Lecture20 Second term
Bruyninckx Herman |  Detry Renaud |  N. |  Aertbeliën Erwin (substitute) |  Decré Wilm (substitute)
POC Artificial Intelligence

Content

Robotics – theory lectures (3 ects) 

Lectures cover: 

  • introduction to software development for robots 
  • robot kinematics and dynamics 
  • robot motion control and sensor-guided control, free-space and in-contact tasks 
  • trajectory optimization (based on numerical optimization techniques) 
  • dealing with uncertainty / estimation in robotics 
  • classical motion planning and learning methods for motion planning 
  • learning from demonstration 

 

Robotics – exercise and (virtual) laboratory sessions (1 ects) 

  • (Computer) exercises and interactive lab visits on the lecture material

Course material

The study material consists of lecture notes, including paper references and book excerpts. 

Evaluation

Evaluation: Robotics (B-KUL-H22A4a)

Type : Exam during the examination period
Description of evaluation : Oral
Type of questions : Open questions
Learning material : Course material

Explanation


Students, in groups of two or, exceptionally, individually: 

  • Do a homework assignment consisting of a set of computer programming exercises, and hand in a short report and their code. 
  • Do a short research project. A set of possible projects will be made available by the lecturers. 

During the examination period there is an oral defence covering both the homework assignment and the research project. The homework assignment counts for 25% of the grade, the research project for 75%.