Mobile Robotics for Multidisciplinary Study

Book excerpt: This lecture provides an introduction to the field of mobile robotics and the intersection between multiple robotics-related disciplines including electrical, mechanical, computer, software engineering and computer science. It is intended for an upper-level undergraduate or first-year graduate students interested in mobile robotics and artificial intelligence with some experience in object-oriented programming and controls. Focus areas will include robotics history, hardware, control and software. Specific topics include robot components, effectors and actuators, locomotion, kinematics, sensors, feedback control, control architectures, representation, navigation, localization and mapping. The end of each chapter includes review questions as well as exercises to provide applications for the concepts as well as opportunities for further study. Table of Contents: Introduction / Hardware / Control / Software