Robot Kinematics and Dynamics

Module overview

Robots are becoming more widely used in society, with applications ranging from agriculture through to manufacturing, with increasing interest in autonomous systems. This module will introduce students to the concept of a robot, varieties of robotic systems and the some of the fundamental techniques which are required to get robot systems to work. The module concentrates on introducing students to the necessary kinematics, dynamics and control which are needed to analyse and design robotic systems. In addition, the course will discuss trajectory generation and path planning at a basic level. The course will use dextrous manipulators and mobile robots to illustrate the concepts which will be introduced.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Design simple linear control systems for simple robots
Analyse the kinematics of a robot and its associated control system
Formulate and/or solve inverse kinematic problems via a variety of methods
Establish underlying dynamical equations of simple robots
Formulate and/or solve path planning and trajectory generation problems

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Be able to appreciate the difficulties of establishing solutions to inverse kinematic equations
Be able to identify the limitations of a robot (either mobile or static), together with its end effectors and sensors, when applied to a specific environment or task

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

All students will be provided with a hard copy of the lectured material. A number of tutoral sessions will be provide, particularly to cover the kinematic and control aspects of the module.

Study time
Type	Hours
Preparation for scheduled sessions	18
Revision	14
Wider reading or practice	56
Lecture	36
Follow-up work	26
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Schilling R J (1990). Fundamentals of Robotics - Analysis & Control. Prentice Hall.

Fu K, Gonzalez R and Lee C. Robotics (Control Sensing Vision & Intelligence). McGraw Hill.

(1993). Introduction to Robotics, Mechanics and Control. Addison Wesley.

McKerrow P J (1993). Introduction to Robotics. Addison Wesley.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Final Assessment	100%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Set Task	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Set Task	100%