EEL 5669C - Autonomous Robotic Systems

Credits: 3

Course Description: This course is a project-based intensive semester program, with an integrated introduction to robotics, autonomy, real-time operating systems, and systems engineering. Students specify and design a small-scale yet complex robot capable of real-time interaction with the natural world. Topics covered include embedded systems control, computer vision, localization and planning, mapping algorithms, and sensor integration into real-time operating systems. Students design, assemble, and program a scale-model autonomous, self-driving vehicle. They learn to integrate and program radar sensors, visual sensors, inertial sensors, and GPS mapping, in a series of project challenges: Obstacle detection and wall following, visual servoing, mapping and localization, and motion planning. The final exam is a capstone demonstration of all accomplishments and is a Grand Prix time trial, race, and presentation by the students.
Prerequisites: Strong background in programming and digital logic design.