Robotics Explorations Studio
Robotics Explorations Studio Syllabus
Spring 2012
The course web page is at http://ozark.hendrix.edu/~ferrer/courses/135/s12
Instructor:
Class Time: D3 (12:10-2:00 pm WF)
Final Exam Period: Tuesday, May 8, 2:00-5:00 pm
Office: MCRey 312
Office Hours:
MTR: 1:30-4:00 pm
Course Objectives
The main purpose of this course is to introduce students to the
scientific method in the context of building and programming robots.
Students will learn science by exploration in a studio format; there will be
no traditional lectures.
A student who successfully completes this course will:
- Learn basic programming concepts including variables, loops, conditionals, blocks, and subroutines.
- Learn the physics of translational motion, rotational motion, and forces as applied to the study of robotics.
- Learn basic engineering concepts such as gear ratios, stability, and building a robust vehicle.
- Learn how to program a robot to interact with the environment via light, sonar, rotation, and touch sensors.
- Learn how to identify and fix problems on a robot that is not behaving as desired.
- Be able to work productively as part of a team.
- Plan, complete, and exhibit a creative design project.
- Demonstrate the ability to write coherent laboratory reports.
- Discuss the difference between robots in literature/media and reality.
- Be able to analyze and understand different viewpoints about artificial intelligence.
Textbooks
Introduction to Robotics with Lego Mindstorms NXT and pbLua by Gabriel J. Ferrer, 2011.
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. ISBN: 0553294385, published by Bantam
Books; Reprint edition (July 1994)
Other Required Items
USB flash-memory drive or USB portable hard drive
Lego Kits
You will have access to many different Lego kits and parts. The main
kit is the Lego Mindstorms NXT Robotics Invention System. It contains a
programmable Lego brick. The kit also
contains many specialty parts such as sensors and motors.
Each team will have access to a full kit during class time.
If a part is damaged or lost or not returned, the
student responsible will be charged an amount equal to the replacement
cost. Students may also make an appointment to use their kits in the
lab outside of class time.
Teamwork
You will work primarily in groups of two. The teams will be assigned
by the instructor for each exercise. You may select your partner for
the final design project. Each student will be responsible for
separately recording data during the labs and separately writing lab
reports.
Because teamwork is vital to this class, attendance at each class is
mandatory. Each unexcused absence will lower the final course grade by
five points. Following the policy in the Hendrix Course Catalog, any student
who has three or more unexcused absences in a three-week period will be dropped
from the course.
Absence will only be excused in
the case of family emergency or illness that has been verified
by a visit to the school nurse, or for an approved Hendrix activity that is
documented in writing by the sponsor and handed to me one week ahead of time.
Grading
24% Short essay assignments
38% Lab report average
38% Final Project: final paper, exhibition
Note: there will be no final exam, but the final project will be presented
during the final exam period.
Each assignment and presentation will be assigned a letter grade. Each
letter grade has associated with it a percentage grade as follows:
| Letter grade | Percentage |
| A | 95 |
| B | 85 |
| C | 75 |
| D | 65 |
| F | 50 |
Missing grades will be scored zero. Any grade can have a "+" or "-" attached
to it. A "+" is worth +4, and a "-" is worth -4. A grade of "A+" will only
be assigned to work that in some way impresses me above and beyond the
requirements for the assignment.
For each category above, the total points earned will be divided
by the total points possible to yield a percentage. These percentages will
be weighted as given above. A final average of at least 90 earns an A;
80 earns a B; 70 earns a C; 60 earns a D; below 60 is failing.
Short Essay Assignments
There will be four short essays assigned based on reading
assignments. Due dates and details on grading criteria will be
discussed before each assignment. All essays should be typed.
Do not use any contractions when writing your essays. Be sure
that there are no spelling errors or egregious grammatical mistakes.
In each essay, you will be asked to take a position and defend it. To that
end, you should write in such a way as to be persuasive to a reasonably
skeptical reader. There should be some real depth to the argument; opposing
viewpoints should be considered and addressed in a mature and insightful manner.
Lab Reports
A written lab report will be due one day after the completion of each
chapter. The lab report will be prepared by each student
(not one per team). The top of the lab report should contain the
following information:
- Your name
- Your partner's name, clearly labeled as such
- the project name
The body of the lab report should follow the instructions given at the end
of the corresponding chapter. Every lab report will include the following:
- An introduction, in which the activities of the chapter are summarized
- Each question from the textbook, along with its answer
- A conclusion containing:
- A summary of what you learned
- Any unanswered questions you still have
- Any other elements of the lab that are worthy of mention
- An appendix containing listings of the computer programs you wrote. Each chapter will specify which programs are to be included.
The lab report should be word-processed and any graphs or
tables should be computer generated. You are free to choose an
appropriate font and report style, as long as it is professional and
easy to read. The lab report will be graded for spelling, grammar,
organization, and scientific content. Do not use contractions.
There is no page minimum or maximum.
To receive a high grade on the lab report, all required components must be included. Furthermore, there must be some depth to your analysis, both in answers to the questions and in the conclusion.
Revisions
After assignments are returned, you are welcome to revise and resubmit your
work. I will grade anew each submitted revision, and average the original
and revised grades together to produce a new grade for that assignment.
Revisions may be submitted anytime until the start of the final exam period.
Late Policy
No late work will be accepted. Any work not submitted on time
is a zero. However, you may submit a solution after the deadline to qualify
under the revision policy above. In effect, this means that late work can
earn up to half credit.
Final Design
The final part of this class will be a student-selected design
project. Students will select a partner for the duration of the
project. Each team will design, build, and program a robot. The robot
should be able to accomplish a complex task and should be
aesthetically pleasing. More details will be given in class on project
selection criteria. The final project will be graded based on the
project exhibition, journal documentation, and a final report.