Prerequisites

• COMS W3134 (or equivalent)
• Calculus II or III (or equivalent)

Course Overview

Robots are cyber-physical systems – leveraging computational intelligence to sense and interact with the real world. As such, robotics is a very diverse, cross-disciplinary field. This introductory course exposes learners to the vast opportunities and challenges posed by the interdisciplinary nature of robotics. While grounded and focused in computation this course also explores hands-on electromechanical and ethical topics that are an integral part of a real-world robotic system. Topics will include: a survey of the algorithmic robotics pipeline (perception, mapping, localization, planning, control, and learning), an introduction to cyber-physical system design, and responsible AI. The course will culminate in a team-based final project.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

• Understand the language of robotics
• Compare and contrast different robotics algorithms and understand their tradeoffs
• Make use of the unix command line and version control software
• Collaborate with a team to develop an open-ended final project
• Present the results of an open-ended team based project

Waiting List

This class is capped at 25 students. This semester, I am handling the waitlist as an instructor-controlled waiting list. Students will be admitted based on a combination of seniority, interests in the class, and contributions to a diverse set of viewpoints and experiences in the class. Half of the available slots will be reserved for Barnard students (assuming sufficient demand). To be considered for the class, please join the waiting list AND fill out the form at https://bit.ly/3997-F22-WL, which asks a few questions about your background and your interests in the class. Initial placements into the class will be made by the end of May based on signups and submissions received during early registration in April.

Office Hours

My open office hours will be typically held on Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30 PM for the Fall 2022 semester, but/and I am always available to meet outside of the standard time frame (ideally still on Tuesdays) by appointment. I will try to respond to requests emailed to bplancher+coms3997@barnard.edu within 24 hours during the weekdays and within 48 hours over the weekend. The most up-to-date schedule of office hours can be found here.