CS 8803 Building Humanoid Robots TR 3:05 – 4:25 CCB 102 Spring 2009 Instructor: Mike Stilman [email protected] Office hours: CCB 254 Thursday 2:00 - 3:00 or by appointment. Summary: Humanoid robots are more than just anthroporphic machines. We envision these robots having significant computational resources that enable them to control their minds and bodies. In this class we will study what it means to build robots that reach towards human level mental and physical capabilities. The primary goal of this course is to construct a humanoid robot as shown in the picture above. Members of this class will operate as a team to design and implement the mechanical, electrical and computational systems. To gain a deeper understanding of the project, we will explore existing robot designs and algorithms that use their capabilities. Requirements: Students will form groups of two or three according to their skills and interests. Each group will focus on an element of design, simulation, construction or algorithm development. Specific topics and responsibilities will change in accordance with progress in robot development. Each student will contribute to the development of the robot platform. The student will keep an online journal of his or her results, findings, challenges and solutions. By the end of the semester we expect a detailed account of the work performed with pictures, videos, equations and anything else that shows progress on the project. This will benefit not only the students themselves, but all members of the class and the research community. Each week will be split into two sections. Tuesdays will be strategy meetings and Thursdays will require students to present and lead discussion on relevant research. Some days will be allocated for instructor tutorials on specific topics in design/control. Grading: Grading will be based on the contribution to the development of the platform, a presentation on external research, and a group presentation on progress made towards the goal of robot construction. Contributions will be evaluated based on effort and thoroughness of the online journal. The breakdown is as follows: • 50% Online Journal • 25% Individual Presentation & Discussion • 25% Group Presentation on ResultsPrerequisites: This course has no official prerequisites. Some knowledge of programming will be assumed, preferably in C, C++ or Matlab as well as some background in Linear Algebra. We welcome students from all engineering majors such as EE, ME, ECE and CS. This course is highly interdisciplinary and will give students the opportunity to explore applications of their previous studies and acquire familiarity with other fields. Project Goals: Planning: – Simulate robot dynamics – Plan for basic functionality – Estimate system requirements Design, Build and Integrate: – Mobile base – Robot torso – Perception Systems (Cameras, Laser Range Finders) – Mechanical, electrical and computational systems Develop and Implement: – Controls for balance – Controls for arms and hands – Visual and Haptic feedback systems Learning Objectives: Taking an active role in a major research project Hands on experience in applying software to robot development – CAD Design (SolidWorks, AutoCAD…) – Dynamic Simulation (PhysX, ODE, GL Visualization) – Mathematics (Matlab, Mathematica…) Identifying and Purchasing Components based on specificationsBuilding System Elements – Machining smaller parts on CNC mill / lathe – Designing and assembling electronics – Preparing larger parts for external manufacture Programming Controllers in C/C++ on a Real Time operating system Systems Integration: Putting all these skills together! Preliminary List of Topics for Presentations & Readings: • Existing Humanoid Robot Designs • Design and Control of Balancing Robots • Walking Robots: Control Strategies • Motion Planning for Humanoid Robots • Grasping Strategies: Planning and Control • Applying Learning Algorithms to Robot Control • Force Control for Dexterous Robots • Vision & Sensing for Humanoid Robots • Whole Body Motion Control • Applications of Humanoid