MSc Advanced Control and Systems Engineering / Course details

This unit introduces students to the field of robotic manipulation, which is widely used in several application areas, from manufacturing to surgery, agriculture to social care. Manipulators allow robots to interact with their environment and are critical to their full potential to assist humans with tasks. Students will learn how to create kinematic and dynamic models for manipulators before developing a range of controllers to enable them to complete tasks.

• Homogenous matrices rigid body transformation 
• Foward kinematics model/Inverse kinematics
• Differential (inverse) kinematics
• Kinematic control through Jacobian (pseudo-)inversion I
• Robot control basics and kinematic control II
• Dynamics modelling: Lagrange Formulation
• Dynamics of general robotic manipulator
• Dynamic control methods
• Modelling and Control in Robot Applications 

This course unit aims to provide students with understanding of rigid body motion and robotic manipulators in a theoretical and practical level. Enable the students to model robotic manipulators, and enable the students to design linear and nonlinear controllers for robotic manipulators.

On successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

ILO 1: Describe the key components of a robotic manipulator and evaluate the effectiveness of end-effectors for a given task.

ILO 2: Formulate kinematic and dynamic models for robotic manipulators.

ILO 3: Design and implement appropriate closed-loop controllers for robotic manipulator tasks.

ILO 4: Analyse the control system performance against appropriate metrics.

ILO 5: Present scientific data to professional engineering and/or lay audiences.

The unit will make use of blended learning teaching styles. Students will engage with asynchronous materials such as videos, notes and formative quizzes prior to the synchronous sessions to learn the fundamental material on topics.

During the synchronous sessions, the first half will focus on reinforcing the mateiral through activities such as interactive tutorial questions and Q&As. The second half will be marked simulation exercises which will count towards continuous assessment.

(1) Demonstrate understanding of robotic manipulators, their modelling and control.

(2) Demonstrate understanding of main topics encountered in Autonomous Systems field.

• 50% continuous assessments (10 in total, 5% each)
• 50% written exam

Exam (50%) - departmental feedback form after the exam board.

Continuous assessment through weekly simulation activities (5% weekly, 50% total) - in session or 1 week after submission.

Robot Modeling and Control, 2nd Edition by Mark W. Spong, Seth Hutchinson,M. Vidyasagar. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2020.