CSCI 585(224)/682(329):  Robotics and Machine Intelligence

Registration/Schedule Information

Term/Year	Class    Number	Section	Act	Days	Time	Room	Instructor(s)
Fall 2007	7978 7982	CSCI 585-01 CSCI 682-01	ACT	R	05:00-07:50	OCNL 431	Juliano
Fall 2006	6176	CSCI 585-01	LEC ACT	R	04:00-04:50 05:00-06:50	OCNL 431	Renner
Fall 2005	2085 6472	CSCI 585-01 CSCI 682-01 CSCI 585-02 CSCI 682-02	LEC   ACT	R   R	17:00-18:50   19:00-19:50	OCNL 431	Juliano
Spring 2005	14412 14976	CSCI 224-01 CSCI 329-01	DIS	TR	09:30-10:45	OCNL 431	Juliano
Fall 2004	15284 15825	CSCI 224-01 CSCI 329-01	DIS	TR	11:00-12:15	OCNL 431	Renner
Spring 2004	15273	CSCI 224-01	DIS	TR	11:00-12:15	OCNL 431	Juliano Renner Varahamurti

Prerequisites

CSCI majors		CSCI 221 (Assembly Language Programming) CSCI 311 (Algorithms and Data Structures)
Non-CSCI majors		EECE 221 (Processor Architecture and Assembly Language Programming) EECE 135 (Algorithms and Programs for Engineers)

Description

3 units.  This course introduces students to the field of robotics by emphasizing the task of endowing machines with intelligence. Topics include various case studies of robot architectures and algorithms that facilitate embodying a robot with behaviors that are traditionally associated with human cognition (e.g., perception, reasoning, intelligent navigation, vision, learning, etc.). Students will conduct robotics experiments and demonstrate/exhibit their robot creations.

Required Accounts

	Students officially registered for the course will have their own Chico State Connection (CSC Portal) account.
	Students are responsible for regularly checking their WebCT account (automatically generated through the CSC Portal) to access an up-to-date on-line calendar of events, current scores, on-line quizzes, etc.

Required Text(s)

Boe-Bot Full Kit - EDU Discount Stock Number 28832 Parallax, Inc., Rocklin, CA. NOTE:  The instructor(s) will be discussing a special volume discount for this item during the first couple of weeks of class.

Recommended Supplementary Reading

Basic Stamp Programming Manual 2.1 ISBN 1-928982-32-8 (2005) Parallax, Inc., Rocklin, California.

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course are to:

1. help students develop the necessary skills needed to apply learned fundamentals of robotics to the design, implementation, and analysis of simple robots;
2. introduce students to an algorithmic understanding of robot manipulation and control; and
3. provide students with the basic framework for further/advanced study and research in the field of robotics.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student shall be able to:

1. apply learned fundamentals of robotics to the design, implementation, and analysis of simple robots;
2. apply learned algorithmic understanding of robot manipulation and control; and
3. pursue further/advanced study and research in the field of robotics.

Grade Evaluation

This is a project-centered course. A total of at least three (3) projects will be assigned during the semester. Some projects will be individual projects while others will be group/team projects. Additionally, some projects may involve exhibitions with other individuals/teams in the class. Each project must be accompanied by a detailed written report and possibly a web-enabled version of the report. Students are expected to be ready to present their project(s) orally when asked to.

Final Grades

Final grades shall be expressed as a percentage of the maximum possible score of all evaluated materials. Letter grades will be given according to the University definition of letter grading symbols (please refer to the University Catalog for detailed information).

Topical Coverage

Students will get hands-on experience working with the following programmable robot platforms:

• Parallax Boe-Bot Full Kit
• LEGO Mindstorms - either the Robotics Invention System (RIS) Kit, or the new NXT kit

For each robot platform, students will learn:

1. robot platform design philosophy and robot anatomy
2. robot microcontroller features
3. microcontroller programming environment
4. I/O interfaces
5. control and robot programmable behaviors
6. programming intelligent solutions/algorithms

For additional information and resources for the above robotics kits, check out the Intelligent Systems Lab (ISL) website at http://www.gotbots.org/.