Course FYS125A Robotics and Problem Solving:
TRF 9:00 - 10:15 NLH 212 / NLH 214
Professor:
Gary Parker
NLH 216 (ext. 5208)
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:30-4:00, Wednesday 2:30-4:00
parker@conncoll.edu
Text and Software:
Text:LEGO Mindstorms User Guide, which will be provided, and Programming LEGO NXT Robots using NXC by Daniele Benedettelli with revisions by John Hansen.
Software:The NXT Programming Environment provided in the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System kits. Bricx Command Center 3.3 (available at http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net) is an integrated development environment (IDE) for programming the NXT. The NXC (Not eXactly C) is the programming environment we will be using. It's available from http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc. For program editing you may use what is provided or any text editor that you like.
Web Page:http://cs.conncoll.edu/parker/fys125a
Course Description:
An introduction to robotics and problem solving through robot construction and the programming of controllers. Students will discuss readings, make presentations, and work in teams to design and program LEGO Mindstorms NXT robots to solve a series of problems that are of increasing complexity. No previous computer knowledge is assumed. This course is not intended for computer science majors.
Discussion:
This course is intended to be an opportunity for you to experience problem solving in a hands-on environment. This will be accomplished by your construction and programming of a series of robots using a LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics Construction Kit. Along the way you will learn some concepts about computer science and robotics, learn the basic elements of programming, do some visual programming, learn a version of the C programming language developed for LEGO NXT robots, fulfill the Area 2 General Education requirement, and hopefully be challenged while having fun. You will not learn enough to be an expert programmer or know any general purpose programming language, although you will be equipped with the basic programming skills required to learn a language and will have learned some of the specific syntax of C.
The work in this class will be mainly focussed on the construction and programming of LEGO robots, but will also include other elements of learning. There will be in-class assignments, homework exercises, article presentations, class discussion, and a notebook. It is very important that you attend class and keep up on the homework, writing, and reading.
Grading:
Homework Exercises / Paper |
10% |
Robot Constructions / Programs |
30% |
Class Participation / Presentation |
20% |
Final Project |
20% |
Journal |
20% |
Homework Exercises / Paper:These are to be done individually, using no outside resources. Homework must be turned in on time. Each student will write a short paper on a reading of their choice.
Robot Constructions / Programs:The initial assignments will be to follow the construction directions in the book, with only some slight modification. In later assignments, you will determine how best to do the construction and programming. You are to work in teams, but no outside resources. Projects completed after due date will be accepted with a grade loss per class period.
Class Participation / Presentations:Each student will give a 10-minute presentation on a reading of their choice and one or two short presentations on assigned topics. All students will discuss the reading following the presentation. The participation grade will be determined by the quality of your presentations and your participation in classroom discussions.
Final Project:There will be a final robot construction / programming project. The robot constructed will be designed to complete some task. During our final class session, we will have a competition to show off our designs. You are to work in teams, but no outside resources.
Journal:This journal is for you to organize and summarize your thoughts and procedures as you solve each problem and record what you have learned about problem solving, programming, and robotics. It should be organized chronologically with the events of the class. You are to include an entry for each day that you work on your construction projects. This is to be comments on your thought processes, ideas, and discoveries as you worked on each project. The journals are to be done individually. In other words, they should be written from your perspective. The entries for the projects should be written as both "I" and "we" -- separating your ideas and contribututions from those of your team. You should include how ideas from your partners influenced your thinking and problem solving process during the project. The entries for each project are due once you have completed the project. They are to be typed, although you may include drawings done by hand. At the end of the semester, you are to hand in your completed journal with the last entry being your thoughts on the competitions and the public demonstration.
Notes from Campus Offices and Centers:
The Connecticut College Honor Code: Academic integrity is of the utmost importance in maintaining the high standards of scholarship in our community. Academic dishonesty is considered to be a serious offense against the community and represents a significant breach of trust between the professor, the classmates, and the student. There are many forms of academic dishonesty including plagiarism, submitting the same work in two courses without prior approval, unauthorized discussion or distribution of exams or assignments, and offering or receiving unauthorized aid on exams or graded assignments. Students violating the Honor Code may be referred to the college's Honor Council for resolution.
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It is important for you to know that all faculty members are mandated reporters of any incidents of sexual misconduct. That means that I cannot keep information about sexual misconduct confidential if you share that information with me. Darcie Folsom, the Director of Sexual Violence Prevention and Advocacy, can advise you confidentially as can Counseling Services and any of the College chaplains. Darcie can also help you access other resources on campus and in the local community. You can reach Darcie at x2219 or darcie.folsom@conncoll.edu, and her office is in Cro 222.
The student sexual misconduct policy is in the Student Handbook, which can be found on Camelweb, in the “Documents/Policies” section, under the Student Life section. There you will find the policies, definitions, procedures and resources.
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