MSc Robotics with Extended Research / Course details

Robotic systems are already embedded in our everyday life through industrial manufacturing and automation. However, they will become even more important in the future as they are adopted into sectors such as agriculture, net zero energy generation, health and social care. This unit will introduce students to the broad range of application areas where robotic systems are being adopted and discuss associated ethical considerations. Students will understand the key sub-systems that make up a robot and be able to assess the performance characteristics and capabilities of sensors and actuators commonly used. They will learn the mathematical foundations that underpin the modelling, control, and estimation of robotic systems.

• Provide students with an introduction to the field of robotic systems, their applications, and associated ethical considerations
• Summarize the key sub-systems of a robotic systems with particular focus on actuation and sensing
• Develop the mathematical foundations necessary for modelling, control, and estimation in robotic systems.

ILO1 Discuss the use of robotic systems in a range of applications and assess any ethical considerations that may arise from their use.

ILO2 Summarise the key subsystems of a robotic system, illustrate them with examples and discuss any considerations with respect to robot life-cycle sustainability.

ILO3 Assess the performance and capabilities of sensors and actuators commonly used in robotic systems using a range of testing and analysis techniques.

ILO4 Formulate appropriate mathematical models of robotic systems to allow for the development of closed-loop controllers and state-estimation.

ILO5 Design and implement closed-loop controllers for simple robotic systems and analyse the control-system performance against appropriate metrics.

ILO6 Present scientific data to professional engineering and/or lay audiences.

The unit will make use of blended learning teaching styles with asynchronous materials such as videos, notes and formative quizzes and synchronous interactive activities such as interactive tutorial questionsand simulation exercises.

Exam - Departmental feedback form after the exam board.

Coursework 1 (Ethics and Sustainability) - 3 weeks after submission, individual and group feedback is provided.

Coursework 2 (Experimental Report) - 3 weeks after submission, individual and group feedback is provided.

Herath, D. and St. Onge, D. (2022). Foundations of robotics : a multidisciplinary approach with Python and ROS. D. Herath & D. St. Onge, eds. Singapore: Springer.

Spong, M.W. et al. (2020). Robot modeling and control. Second edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Siegwart, R., Nourbakhsh, I.R. and Scaramuzza, D. (2011). Introduction to autonomous mobile robots. 2nd edition. / Roland Siegwart, Illah R. Nourbakhsh, and Davide Scaramuzza. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.