SYSEN 5411: Introduction to Robotics

In SYSEN 5411 - Introduction to Robotics, students will embark on a hands-on, project-based learning experience using the XRP Robotics Platform. This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of applied robotics systems, from fundamental concepts to the design and implementation of autonomous robots. Students will learn to integrate hardware and software to make a robot sense, plan, and act in its environment.

Topics Covered

• Introduction to Robotic Systems & the “Sense-Plan-Act” Paradigm
• Robot Coordinate Systems, Frames, and Configuration Space
• Forward & Inverse Kinematics
• DC and Servo Motor Actuation
• Open-Loop and Closed-Loop Feedback Control (PID Controllers)
• Proprioceptive Sensing (Encoders, IMUs) and Odometry
• Exteroceptive Sensing (Range Finders, Reflectance Arrays)
• Occupancy Grid Mapping and Path Planning
• Probabilistic Robotics and Bayesian Estimation
• Finite State Machines for Behavior Management