ENGR 50  Robotics 

Instructor:  Tom Rebold   Phone:  645-1327                Office: BH-104A Office Hours: T/Th3:00-4:30PM, W2-3, F 2-3	Credit:  1 units Classroom: GA103      Time: Fri 4-6:15 E-Text:               Robotics v1.5 Textbook    Program Suite    ENGR50/progs1p5.zip Tell me about yourself!
Class web site:  http://www.mpcfaculty.net/tom_rebold/CSIS10A.htm Tom Rebold's faculty HOME PAGE

NOTE:            MPC Bookstore does not stock robots.

Texts:              Robotics and BASIC Stamp Manual available online and in class

Materials:       A USB Drive (or other media) for shuttling programs
                        (optional)  Parallax Boe-Bot Full Kit, cost $149 at www.parallax.com 
                        1-888-512-1024  (We have 12 kits for the class)
                        CheapComponents     BoeBot     Signout Form

Stamp Editor Software: Setup-Stamp-Editor-v2.3.3.exe

USB Driver (optional):  USBDriverInstallerV2.0.0.exe

PHOTOS FROM Fall 2002 Maze Contest    Fall 04 ENGR 50 Light Seeking Competition
VIDEO FROM    Spring 2007                       Fall 2007                Media Release

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This class introduces you to the rapidly growing field of robotics.  Not just for science fiction anymore, robots are used in the auto, medical, and manufacturing industries, and have recently made successful forays into the consumer/entertainment market.  This class is open to anyone with a desire to explore what robots are all about. 

OBJECTIVES:

Building and programming a robot is a combination of mechanics, electronics, and problem solving. This class will teach you how to to write programs, build electrical circuits,  control motors, and solve problems using increasing levels of abstraction. In other words, we will start at the very bottom (calibrating our servomotors), and build up through many steps the increasingly sophisticated programs and circuits that will allow our robots to take on lifelike properties.

Some Competition (and other) Ideas:
1) Penn State Mini-Grand Challenge
2) All terrain contest
3) MIT Contests
4) Jousting tournament: shut off your opponent's light
5) Ball capture: gather as many glowing ping pong balls as you can
     before your opponent gets them
6) http://www.robots-dreams.com/

CLASS WORK AND GRADES

6 Assignments x 10 pts                       60 points 
2 Quizes x 15 pts                                30 points
1 Final Project Report                        10 points
                                                         ------------
total                                                     100 points

 Grades will be based on the following point system (out of 50 points):

            A - 90 points   
            B - 80 points 
            C - 70 points  
            D -  60  points

The assignments will mostly be completed in the lab, with some homework as you prepare for your final project. To encourage you to go deeper into your exploration of robotics, an optional challenge problem will be offered each week, and the first team to complete the challenge will be awarded extra credit points.

The final project will be to complete a task as defined by the instructor from class suggestions. Everyone will get to design their own solution. Mostly this class is about having fun studying a fascinating field.