Winter 2012 Instructor: Dr. Leila Notash
Demo for 2012: Tuesday March 6, Robotics Lab (McLaughlin Hall, room 220)
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10:30 am : last names starting with A to J
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12:30 pm: last names starting with K to Z
Course Description
This course will cover the following topics in the field of robotics: historical development; robot components (sensors, actuators, and end effectors, and their selection criteria); basic categories of robots (serial and parallel manipulators, mobile robots); mobility/constraint analysis; workspace analysis; rigid body kinematics (homogeneous transformation, angle and axis of rotation, Euler angles, roll-pitch-yaw angles, cylindrical and spherical coordinates); manipulator kinematics and motion trajectories (displacement and velocity analyses, differential relations, Jacobian matrix); non-redundant and redundant sensing/actuation of manipulators; manipulator statics (force and stiffness); singularities; and manipulator dynamics. (0/0/0/21/21)
PREREQUISITES: MECH 350 or MATH 332 or ELEC 443 or permission of the instructor
EXCLUSION: ELEC 448
Reference Books
- Rosheim, M.E., "Robot Evolution: The Development of Anthrobotics", John Wiley & Sons, 1994, ISBN 0-471-02622-0 (TJ211 .R67 - on Reserve)
- Waldron, K.J., and Kinzel, G.L., "Kinematics, Dynamics and Design of Machinery", John Wiley & Sons, 2004, ISBN 0471244171 (TJ175 .W35 - on Reserve)
- Paul, R.P., "Robot Manipulators - Mathematics, Programming and Control", MIT Press, 1981, ISBN 026216082X (TS191 .8 .P38 1981t - on Reserve)
- Fu, K.S., Gonzalez, R.C., and Lee, C.S.G., "Robotics : Control, Sensing, Vision, and Intelligence", McGraw-Hill, 1987, ISBN 0-070226253 (TJ211 .F82 - on Reserve)
- Craig, J.J., "Introduction to Robotics: Mechanism and Control", Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 2005, ISBN 0201543613 (TJ211 .C67 - on Reserve)
- Yoshikawa, T., "Foundations of Robotics", MIT Press, 1990, ISBN 0-262-24028-9 (TJ211 .Y6713 - on Reserve)
- Asada, H., and Slotine, J.-J. E., "Robot Analysis and Control", John Wiley & Sons, 1985, ISBN 0471830291 (TJ211 .A79 - on Reserve)
- Nakamura, Y, "Advanced Robotics: Redundancy and Optimization", Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1991, ISBN 0201151987
- Tsai, L.-W., "Robot Analysis: the Mechanics of Serial and Parallel Manipulators", John Wiley & Sons, , 1999, ISBN 0471325937 (TJ211 .T75 - on Reserve)
Disclaimer. The course material includes (but is not restricted to) the relevant chapters of the reference books. Several other books, articles and documents have been used in the preparation of lecture notes/handouts.
Solutions to Practice Problems and Sample Test
Assignments
- Assignment 1 - Solution (due Tuesday Jan. 24, 2012 - extended to 12:00 noon on Wednesday Jan. 25)
- Assignment 2 - Solution (due 5:00 pm on Wednesday Feb. 1, 2012)
- Assignment 3 - Solution (due 5:00 pm on Wednesday Feb. 15, 2012)
- Assignment 4 - Due 5:00 pm on Wednesday March 28, 2012
Please note that the original copies of assignments and project reports should be submitted to the MECH 456 assignment box by the due date/time; email submission is not accepted unless otherwise specified. The assignments/reports will be picked up shortly after the assigned date/time, and the drop box will not be checked until the next assignment/report is collected. If you are late, it is better to bring the assignment/report to Dr. Notash or submit it to the main office (McLaughlin Hall, room 317) and have it date/time stamped. Late assignments cannot be accepted once the solution is posted. Late reports should be submitted to the main office and will not be accepted once the reports are marked.
Solutions to Term Tests
Marking Scheme
| Assignments | 5% |
| Project | 15% |
| Term Tests | 40% |
| Final Exam | 40% |
| Bonus Assignment/Project (see Assignment 4) | up to 5% |
Term Test I: Tuesday February 7, 2012 (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, McLaughlin Hall, room 315) - could be a 100-minute test starting at 6:00 pm.
Term Test II: Tuesday March 13, 2012 (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, McLaughlin Hall, room 315)
Final Exam: TBA
Please note that MECH 456 lecture notes and handouts (course reader) could be consulted during the tests and final exam. Because not every student of MECH 456 could have a copy of reference books during the tests, the reference books will not be allowed.
Background Linear Algebra: If you need to review and refresh your linear algebra, follow Linear Algebra link.
2012 Project
This year's MECH 456 project will be discussed on Tuesday January 31(during the tutorial hour).
The complete project report (including all the modules) is due 12:00 noon on Friday April 6, 9:00 am Tuesday April 10, 2012.
Winter 2012 Project Related Documents
Office Hours for Project Modules/Reports: Module 3, Tuesday March 20, 2012 lecture; Final Report, TBA.
Similar to the previous years, there could be demos of the robots and the tracking system of the Robotics Laboratory. Because of the class size, this would require a couple of demo sessions; one session will be during the tutorial hour. For those interested, there may be a hands-on session on programming the F200i parallel robot of the Laboratory.
Demo for 2012: Tuesday March 6, Robotics Lab (McLaughlin Hall, room 220)
10:30 am : last names starting with A to J
12:30 pm: last names starting with K to Z
Previous Years' Hands-on Lab / Project
Video Clip of The Xylophone Player - one of Winter 2001 projects
Students' Comments
Some of the comments of the students who took MECH 456 in the Winter of 1998 and 1999, are listed in the Students' Comments.
Last Modified April 4, 2012