Robotics Exploration Studio
Robotics Exploration Studio Syllabus
Spring 2008
The course web page is at http://ozark.hendrix.edu/~ferrer/courses/135/
Instructor:
Class Time: D4: Monday/Wednesday: 2:10-4:00 pm
Final Exam Period: Wednesday, May 7, 8:30-11:30 am
Office: MCRey 312
Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11; TR 1:30-4:00; by appointment; and whenever my door is open
Course Objectives
The main purpose of this course is to expose non-science majors to the
scientific method. Students will learn science by exploration in a studio
format instead of more traditional lecture methods.
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, friction, 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 bump 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.
Textbook
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. ISBN: 0553294385, published by Bantam
Books; Reprint edition (July 1994)
Other Required Items
- USB flash-memory drive
- Three-ring binder
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. This kit is
available at most toy stores.
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. The professor reserves the right to drop any student who
has 3 or more unexcused absences. Absence will only be excused in
the case of family emergency or illness that has been verified
by 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
20% Short essay assignments
10% Journal
35% Lab report average
35% 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 +5, 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.
Journal
Please bring a 3-ring binder, at least 1 inch thick, to each class period. You will be given instruction sheets for lab exercises, and worksheets for data collection. These items should be kept in the binder. In addition, you should place some blank lined paper for taking notes that will help you prepare the lab reports and document your design project. Binders will be inspected periodically in class.
Lab Reports
A written lab report will be due one week after the completion of each
major class project. 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, the project
name. The body of the lab report should contain an introduction to the
main ideas of the project, a description and picture of the completed
project, any computer codes written for the project, any data and
analysis from the project, and a section on results and
conclusions. The lab report should be word-processed and any graphs or
tables should be computer generated. The student may 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.
A typical lab report will be 5-10 pages long, but there is no page
minimum or maximum.
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.
Late Policy
All assignments are due at the start of class.
Late assignments lose one letter grade for every 24 hour period that they are submitted after the deadline. Weekends are not included in this computation. So if an assignment is due at 5 pm Friday and it is submitted before 5 pm Monday, it will be one day late. There will be no exceptions to this policy, although emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis.