CS327A: Advanced Robotic Manipulation

This course focuses on advanced control methodologies and novel design techniques for complex human-like robotic systems. It provides an extensive coverage of the task- oriented operational space formulation, and discusses its application to the challenges of interactive whole-body control of humanoid robots. The presentation of the material starts with the basic models and control structure of a simple robot arm and culminates with the most recent developments on the control of humanoid robots. The framework addresses various challenging problems, which include: (i) the motion coordination of the large number of degrees of humanoid robots; (ii) the effective control of their contacts and interactions with the environment; (iii) the maintenance of their internal and external constraints; (iv) and the strategies for dealing with their underactuation and balance. The above issues are all treated in a unified fashion within a general control structure that addresses the whole body dynamics for specifications involving multiple distributed tasks and postures in consistency with the requirements of multiple distributed contacts and constraints. Other fundamental issues in human centered robotics will be also examined in this course. These include: (i) the synthesis of human movements to produce human- like robot behaviors; (ii) the critical issue of robot safety and the design requirements for human-friendly robots that conceived to operate in human environments (iii) the elastic planning methodology for real-time modifications of existing motion plans; (iv) and various other efficient algorithms that address the computational challenges associated with human-like robotic structures. In addition to the lectures, this course includes reviews of papers on wide range of topics relevant to advanced robotics. These reviews, which are done by groups of students, will be presented at a mini- symposium held at the end of the quarter.

Class

Mon, Wed 3:00-4:20pm.
Gates B12

Course Reader

Available for pickup or delivery at the Stanford Bookstore here

Office Hours

See below at Staff section.

Discussion

We will use ED Discussion, accessible through the Course Page on Canvas.

Grading

Homework: 60%
Symposium Topic Presentation: 20%
Take Home Final: 20%

Homework

6 assignments.
All must be submitted in order to receive a grade. Late submissions require approval.
Due @ midnight on Gradescope. The Course Entry code is XV6YG4

Staff

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Oussama Khatib

Instructor

Office hours : Wed, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Gates 203
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Wesley Guo

Course Assistant

Office hours : Tue 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and Thursday 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (starting Apr 11)
Gates 200

Timeline

Date Lecture Homework
Mon, Apr 03 Introduction & Course Review
Wed, Apr 05 Simulation and Control in SAI
Friday, Apr 07 Special SAI2 Installation Help Sessions
(10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Gates 203)
Mon, Apr 10 Kinematics and Task Representations
(Mini-Symposium Introdution)
Wed, Apr 12 Jacobian Inverses
(Mini-Symposium Introdution)
Fri, Apr 14 HW 1 Out
Mon, Apr 17 Operational Space Framework
Wed, Apr 19 Operational Space Dynamics
(Begin Mini-Symposium Group Formation)
Fri, Apr 21 HW 1 Due, HW 2 Out
Mon, Apr 24 Unified Motion and Force Control
Wed, Apr 26 Redundancy
(Finalize Mini-Symposium Groups and Proposals)
Fri, Apr 28 HW 2 Due, HW 3 Out
Mon, May 01 Inertial Properties
Wed, May 03 Cooperative Robots Dynamics and The Virtual Linkage Model
(Invididual Group Meetings with Oussama and Wesley)
Fri, May 05 HW 3 Due, HW 4 Out
Mon, May 08 Mobile Manipulation
(Invididual Group Meetings with Oussama and Wesley)
Mon, May 10 Guest Lecture
Fri, May 12 HW 4 Due, HW 5 Out
Mon, May 15 Whole Body Control (Humanoids)
Wed, May 17 Artificial Potential Fields and Elastic Planning
Fri, May 19 HW 5 Due, HW 6 Out
Mon, May 22 Haptics
Wed, May 24 Human-Friendly Robot Design
Fri, May 26 HW 6 Due
Mon, May 29 Holiday (Memorial Day)
Wed, May 31 Guest Lecture
(Mini-Symposium Session Progress Report)
Mon, Jun 05 Advanced Topics
Wed, Jun 07 Mini-Symposium (Time TBD)
Fri, Jun 09 - Mon, Jun 12 Take-Home Final