Content

This course is organized as guided self study: there is only one introductory lecture in class, and for the rest of the course the students work on a project of their own choice, in groups of two or three people.
The project is chosen after consulting the lecturer. The students can opt for a rather theoretical course (discussing papers), or for a software project (studying a concrete robotics algorithm and implementing it in simulation or in an existing robot).
The course has no organized examination session: it uses continuous evaluation, based on the students' inputs during the four or five one-hour interactive session with the lecturer. The students are expected to be able to digest and present the material in a very critical way, and to show their creativity in identifying appropriate applications, open problems, or inherent limitations in the studied material.
The concept of the course allows to adapt its contents to the interests and background of the students. So, students and lecturer sit together at the beginning of the course to select a project topic that fits the students and that has sufficient robotics contents. However, the following Master programs get a specific treatment in that the contents is seamlessly adapted to their program:
- Master in Artificial Intelligence: the emphasis is on "intelligent" control approaches for robot devices such as humanoids, walking robots, mobile robots, etc.
- Master Werktuigkunde, cluster "Productie en Ontwikkeling": the emphasis is on the use of robots as production machines.
- Master Werktuigkunde, cluster "Mechatronica en precisiemechanica": the emphasis is on the synergy between controllers for intelligent robots and
for mechatronic devices.
- Master Biomedische ingenieurstechnieken: the emphasis is on applying advanced kinematics and dynamics techniques from robotics to the case of
the human body, for analysis as well as synthesis (e.g., rehabilitation, operation planning, gait analysis, etc.).
More information can be found on the course's webpage:
 

Aims

• Students learn to analyse robotics applications from a system-level point of view, since robotics is very much a science of integration.
  
  
  
• Students are stimulated to develop a critical, research-oriented attitude.
  
  
  
• Students learn where to find reliable literature and other sources, and how to assess them.
  
  
  
• Students study the deeper details of one or more aspects of the robotic system(s) they first learn analyse at a systems level.

Description of learning activities

Het project loopt als begeleide zelfstudie, waarin de studenten een keer of vier-vijf gedurende een uur discussieren over materiaal dat vooraf door de studenten is voorbereid, en waarvan de inhoud na overleg met de docent is vastgelegd.

Course material

Students must find discussion material in the library, and contact the lecturer to select appropriate material of sufficient quality.