robot15

Introduction

This is a master level course on robotics and autonomous systems. The idea is that this is one of the last courses that a student takes before starting the master thesis project and that they get to apply knowledge from many courses taken earlier in the education.

Building complex systems such as robots require knowledge from many different domains and areas of expertise. The aim of this course is to let students build a mobile robot system to solve a specific task. The system is built from scratch both mechanically and in software. The aim is that each student gets in-depth knowledge in one or more subdomains of mobile robotics and that all get to experience integration of different components. The course aims to give the students hands on experience both with system integration and robotic systems. 

Intended learning outcomes

After completing the course the student should be able to

• recall basic concepts in robotics
• implement robot components
• work in a team to solve a robotics task with limited resources and time
• identify and discuss ethical and societal aspects of robot technology
• present work in written and oral form

in order to

• be able to work with autonomous and other complex systems in research and/or development
• become better at planning, executing and developing work in project groups.

 

Assessment tasks

The examination for the course consists of the following assessment tasks.

Course components

• LAB1 ( ROS Lab )
• PRO1 ( Project work )
• TEN1 ( Essay and Written exam )

In this course all the regulations of the code of honor at the School of Computer science and Communication apply, see https://www.kth.se/en/csc/utbildning/hederskodex/regel1-1.55624

Criteria based grading

We make use of a criteria based grading system. You will not collect points as in most other courses. Instead, to reach a certain grade you should show that you have fulfilled the criteria for that grade. In the tables below for lectures the means of examination has been indicated. 

The matrix below shows which assessment tasks, assesses which ILO.

The matrix below shows to which level a certain ILO is assessed. The requirements for ILOs that are only assessed at an E level need to be met to pass the course but they do not influence the final grade in any other way.

Criteria for the ILOs

Below the criteria for certain grades connected to certain ILOs are described.

NOTE: All criteria for the lower grades have to be fulfilled for the higher ones as well if not explicitly stated.

NOTE: It is up to the student to make sure that s/he shows someone from the teaching staff that s/he has reached a certain level for ILOs connected to the project work.

NOTE: In the cases where the grade is specified as an interval, the grade can be considered the highest of the grades in operations for calculating the final grade.

ILO 1: recall basic concepts in robotics

This is tested in the written exam.

ILO 2: implement robot components

Note that all sub criteria for a certain grade level has to be fulfilled to meet the requirement for that grade. This is tested during the project work.

A student that falls short of some but not all requirements for A but meets all requirements for C can be given a B, and similar when being between E and C and D.

ILO 3: work in a team to solve a robotics task with limited resources and time

This is tested in the project work.

ILO 4: identify and discuss ethical and/or societal aspects of robot technology

This is tested in the essay.

ILO 5: present work in written and oral form

Additional requirements

In addition to fulfilling the requirements connected to the assessment tasks described above the student also needs to perform the following

• Individual

• Individual plan (IP) for the course: Describe what grade you aim for and what you plan to do to reach it
• Revision of IP: Revise the IP some way into the project
• A reflection (1 page typically) on your work in the course. Did you learn what you wanted? What did you spend time on (account for the time you spent)?

• A reflection (1 page typically) on the work within the group. What worked within the group? What did not? Could you have planned something differently?

• In project groups

• Write weekly progress reports during the project

• Project plan

• Write a project report

• Present the project work in the competition

The final grade 

To pass the course the student needs to meet the requirements at an E level for all goals and the additional requirements listed above. The final grade on the course is given by the grade on ILO2 but cannot be higher than the grade on ILO3.

Examples:

• Grade A on ILO2 and E-D on ILO3 gives D
• Grade D on ILO2 and C-A on ILO3 gives D
• Grade C on ILO2 and C-A on ILO3 gives C
• Grade A,B, or C respectively on ILO2 and C-A on ILO3 gives A, B or C respectively

Individual learning plan

Each student will be asked to write a plan for his/her learning at the beginning of the course. This plan should include a short description of the students background and prior knowledge and what s/he wants to learn. It should also contain a statement about what grade the student is aiming for and how s/he plans to achieve this grade. These documents should be discussed within the project group and each student will be given feedback regarding the plan. 

It is very hard to write an accurate plan with partial or even very incomplete knowledge which is the case at the start of the project. Therefore, a revised version of the plan will be made some way into the project. The idea is to allow to incorporate changes in the plan and grade ambitions.

It is through this plan and the interaction with the teaching team that the interpretation of the criteria for the ILOs is made for each individual case. A robot system is so advanced that it is impossible to write down exactly what is required for every possible situation that might occur.

Assessment of ILO2 and ILO3

The assessment of ILO2 and ILO3 will be through interaction with the project group and the members in it. Each group will be assigned a TA who will follow their work. This TA will meet with the group regularly and follow up the work and the progress for each student. The aim is that each student should know as well as possible at all times how well the criteria for these ILOs are met. This means that a student might know that the requirements for grade X has been met for ILO2 well before the course is over. Note however that ILO3 requires active participation to the end. The hope is that students that ave fulfilled their goals for ILO2 will focus on the overall project and do what is best for the team rather than trying to make the best possible individual component.

Course book

The course book is "Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots" by Roland Siegwart et al" published by the MIT Press.