Computer Science 499 / 001
Autonomous Robotics
Meets
Monday, 4:30 to 7:10 PM, in Room A106 of Robinson Hall.
Professor
Sean Luke.
Prerequisites
CS310, ECE303, Math 203, Math 114
Strongly Recommended
Math 213, CS 367 (or strong knowledge of C)
Do not let the prerequisites scare you. We just want to make sure students have a good background to do robotics.
About the Class
This course will cover various topics in autonomous robotics, including architectures, basic kinematics, basic controls, reactivity, planning, simulation and modeling, sensing and locomotion, and multiagent environments. The course will cover both high-level abstract topics and nuts-and-bolts of robot construction, including some simple sensor and microelectronics and programming.
The course will include labs involved in construction and programming of one or more mobile autonomous robots. Depending on class size, such construction and programming may be done by teams. Programming will be done in Java and C.
Course Web Page
http://cs.gmu.edu/~sean/cs499/
Texts
There are no good general texts on autonomous robotics at the undergraduate level. They're all terrible. This year I will attempt to teach the class largely from lecture notes, but I may give up and require a text: if I do, it will be inexpensive.
Grading
This course will consist largely of several large projects and two exams. The breakdown will be approximately:
1. Homework and (several) Projects: 50% with higher weight given to harder projects.
2.Exams (2 of them): 25% Each
There will be no make-up tests for missed examinations. Late homework will be accepted but at a loss of 20% per day (homework later than 4 days, or after the last day of class, is worth nothing).