Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Department of Automatic Control Undergraduate Syllabus

INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS

Course Code : 409

- Credit : 3 (3.1.4) TCHP:
- No. hours Total: 60 LT: 45 BT: 15 TH: ĐA: BTL/TL:
- Grading : Homeworks: 20%
Midterm exam: 20% Writing exam - 60 min
Term project: 20%
Grading scale 10/10 Final exam: 40% Writing exam - 90 min
- Pre-requisite : - MS:
- Program : Advanced Program on Automatic Control
- Level : Senior
EE Core course
- Note :

1. Course Objectives:
This course presents the basic concepts in robotics such as sensors, actuators, and approaches of
robot control. During the course the students will learn the math and computational methods
necessary to model and solve kinematic problems involving robot manipulators and mobile robots.
Students will have the opportunity to apply some of the main concepts covered during the lectures
to construct their own robots and develope control code for various robotic tasks.

2. Course outline:
The course introduces foundations and principles of robotic manipulation. Topics include
computational models of objects and motion, the mechanics of robotic manipulators, the structure
of manipulator control systems, planning and programming of robot actions. The focus of this
course is on the kinematics and programming of robotic mechanisms. Important topics also include
the dynamics, control, sensor and effector design, and automatic planning methods for robots. The
primary applications including robotic arms and mobile robots are given. A term project would
allow students to program robots to participate in challenges or competitions.

3. Textbook and references:

[1] M.W. Spong, S. Hutchinson, M. Vidyasagar, Robot Modeling and Control, John Wiley &
Sons, 2005.
[2] Reza N. Jazar, “Theory of Applied Robotics”, Springer, 2010
[3] John J. Craig, Introduction to Robotics, 3rd edition, Pearson Education, 2005.
[4] Gerald Cook, Mobile Robots: Navigation, Control and Remote Sensing, John Wiley & Sons,
2011.
[5] Peter Corke, Robotics Toolbox for Matlab, download from http://www.petercorke.com.

4. Learning Outcomes
On sucessful completion of this course students should have the following knowledge and skills:
Knowledge: Structure of manipulator control systems, planning and programming of robot actions.
Cognitive Skills: Model and solve kinematic problems involving robot manipulators and mobile

PĐT, Mẫu 2008-ĐC page 1/4

Syllabus: Introduction to Robotics PĐT, Mẫu 2008-ĐC

robots
Subject Specific Skills:
1. Understand representations of rotations and coordinate transformations
2. Analyze the position and velocity kinematics of robot arms
3. Analyze force propagation through linkages
4. Develop dynamic models of robot arms
5. Develop robot control strategies
6. Perform path and motion planning
7. Develop simulations of robotic systems
8. Ability to co-work in planning and programming of robot actions
9. Ability to assign tasks and present topics in a team
Transferable Skills:
1. Ability to conduct research in robotics domain.

Mapping of course outcomes to program outcomes:

Program Outcomes
Course Outcomes a b c d e f g h i j k
1 X X X
2 X X X
3 X X X
4 X X X
5 X X X
6 X X X X
7 X X X X
8 X X X X
9 X X X X

5. Learning Strategies & Assessment Scheme:

Learning strategies:
- Read lecture notes and reference books before each class
- Participate lecture hours, apply theory to solve exercises and homeworks
- Use Matlab in simulation, planning, and programming of robot actions
Assessment scheme:
- Homeworks (20%)
- Mid-term exam (20%)
- Term project (20%)
- Final exam (40%)

6. Instructor:
• Dr. Nguyen Vinh Hao - Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

7. Course content:
Week Content Ref. Note
1 Chapter 1: Introduction [1],[2],[3] 5 hours
1.1 Mathematical Modeling of Robots
1.2 Robot as Mechanical Devices

page 2/4
Syllabus: Introduction to Robotics PĐT, Mẫu 2008-ĐC

Week Content Ref. Note

1.3 Common Kinematic Arrangements of Manipulators
1.4 Homework
2, 3 Chapter 2: Rigid Motions and Homogeneous [1],[2],[4] 10 hours
Transformations
2.1 Representing Positions and Rotations
2.2 Rotational Transformations
2.3 Rigid Motions
2.4 Homogeneous Transformations
2.5 Homework
4, 5 Chapter 3: Forward and Inverse Kinematics [1],[2],[4] 10 hours
3.1 Kinematic Chains
3.2 Forward Kinematics
3.3 Inverse Kinematics
3.4 Homework
6, 7 Chapter 4: Velocity Kinematics – Manipulator Jacobian [1],[2],[4] 10 hours
4.1 Angular Velocity
4.2 Linear Velocity
4.3 Derivation of the Jacobian
4.4 The Analytical Jacobian
4.5 Singularities
4.6 Inverse Velocity and Acceleration
4.7 Homework
8, 9 Midterm exam
10, 11 Chapter 5: Path and Trajectory Planning [1 - 4] 10 hours
5.1 Path Planning Using Potential Fields
5.2 Motion Planning Algorithm
5.3 Trajectories for Point to Point Motion
5.4 Trajectories for Paths Specified by Via Points
5.5 Homework
12, 13 Chapter 6: Dynamics [1],[2],[4] 10 hours
6.1 Euler-Lagrange Equations
6.2 General Expressions for Kinetic and Potential Energy
6.3 Equations of Motion
6.4 Properties of Robot Dynamic Equations
6.5 Skew Symmetry and Passivity Properties
6.6 Newton-Euler Formulation
6.7 Homework
14, 15 Chapter 7: Robot Control [1 - 4] 10 hours
7.1 Introdution
7.2 Actuator Dynamics
7.3 Set-Point Tracking
7.4 Feedforward Control and Computed Torque
7.5 Adaptive Control
7.6 Force Control
7.7 Homework
16 Term project Report [1 - 4] 5 hours
** Midterm exam content
Chapter 2-4
** Final exam content
Chapter 5-7

page 3/4
Syllabus: Introduction to Robotics PĐT, Mẫu 2008-ĐC

8. Contact information:
+ Dr. Nguyen Vinh Hao, Email: vinhhao@hcmut.edu.vn

HoChiMinh City, June 19th, 2013

Instructor

Dr. Nguyen Vinh Hao

page 4/4