Instructor
Justin Bradley (290 Schorr) (Primary point of contact)
Office hours: By appointment
Email: justin.bradley_at_unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-5072
Co-Instructors
Carrick Detweiler (220 Schorr Center)
Email: carrick_at_cse.unl.edu
Brittany Duncan (291 Schorr Center)
Email: bduncan_at_unl.edu
Robots play an increasingly important role in our lives, from assembling our cars and cell phones to vacuuming our rugs and flying recon missions. To create systems that work in the real world, the field of robotics requires robust theory and algorithms that are tightly integrated with hardware that is designed with engineering expertise. This course explores fundamental algorithms of robotics and how they are implemented and coupled with real world systems. The topics covered in this course will generally cover topics in field robotics, cyber physical systems, control, planning, and navigation, unmanned aerial systems, and human robot interaction. We will explore these topics through the critical analysis of classic and contemporary articles in the field of robotics. By examining algorithms and systems used in the real world, we will determine what it takes to go from theory to implementation. In this class, students will present, discuss, and write analyses of robotics research. In addition, a semester-long project will allow students to further explore areas of interest in robotics. The goal of this course is for students to gain an understanding of the challenges and current state of the art in robotics and to improve critical analysis skills.
Class: Monday 13:15–15:00 by video chat
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission from instructor. Helpful skillsets include mathematical maturity, and comfort reading and writing published articles.
Text: None, we will be reading journal and conference papers
This course will be team-taught by Drs. Bradley, Detweiler, and Duncan. Dr. Bradley is the primary contact and will handle grading, scheduling, etc. Drs. Detweiler, and Duncan will each lead 2 weeks of papers, zoom meetings, discussions, etc.
Each week:
Participation is critical for this course and counts for 20% of your grade. You are expected to complete all readings and come prepared with questions and comments on the articles. The breakdown of this 20% is as follows:
You will do 3 article reviews over the course of the semester: 1 review of each article you were assigned to present (2 total); and 1 review of a classmate’s final project paper.
Each review of an article you are assigned to lead/present is due Thursday of the assigned week at midnight (along with your video). The final review of a classmate’s final paper will be due the last week of class (see master schedule).
For the final project paper reviews, I will assign the project you will review. This will be a blind review (the author will not know who reviewed it). This should follow the guidelines of the article review described next.
Writing detailed and constructive reviews of academic articles is a crucial part of being a researcher in both academia and industry. You should write your review as if you were evaluating the article for publication (e.g., the review is for a journal editor and the author, although I expect your reviews to be more detailed than a standard review). There is no standard format for the review, although it should be detailed and typically around 2 pages single-spaced (this is somewhat longer than you would submit for most article reviews). It should include:
Although the articles we are reading have been already been published, for the purpose of the review pretend that it has not (there is always room for improvement) and that you have been asked to review the paper. Remember to give positive feedback that will allow the authors to improve the article, but do not be afraid to critical.
You will be graded by how well you address each of the bulleted points above. I will deduct points for (very) bad grammar or if it becomes clear you didn’t put in sufficient effort.
In this course you will be the lead for two articles. I will make these assignments in the first week of the course. Leading an article consists of 3 tasks:
I strongly suggest you meet with me to discuss the article ahead of time and prepare what you might do for your video presentation. Don’t wait until the last minute to read the article and start thinking about it.
For this portion of the course you will be graded primarily on your video, and how well you facilitate the online discussion. I will provide a rubric for grading of the video. For the online discussion board you may not need to do anything if the discussion is strong. However, if people are struggling to find things to discuss related to the paper it is your responsibility to provide prompts. So be proactive!
The final project for this course is to write an article related to the field of robotics, preferrably related to the research you are already conducting as a graduate student. This is an opportunity to combine your own research with what you have learned in this course. This should be an individual project of appropriate size (i.e., you can do it in 6 weeks). Project proposals will be due early in the semester and you will be working on your project throughout the semester. I will check in regularly throughout the course to get a project status report (an email is sufficient).
The last week of the course will be used to do final project presentations. These will be done live, synchronously via Zoom (or equivalent). I will provide a rubric for grading your final project presentation. You will also receive the review of your paper from your classmate which I will use in the grading.
Write a 1 page description (excluding citations) of your proposed project. Include major citations, the gist of your research problem, and some brief explanations about how you will apply robotics techniques, or topics to your problem.
The paper should have the following specifications:
I have provided a rubric, on Canvas, for how I will grade the paper.
23 minutes total:
We will have presentations the last 3 days of class (depending on time). Rubric is posted on Canvas.
Your final grade will be composed of the following:
Grades will then be assigned using the following table:
| Grade | Percent |
|---|---|
| A+ | [98-10] |
| A | [93-98) |
| A- | [90-93) |
| B+ | [88-90) |
| B | [83-88) |
| B- | [80-83) |
| C+ | [78-80) |
| C | [73-78) |
| C- | [70-73) |
| D+ | [68-70) |
| D | [63-68) |
| D- | [60-63) |
| F | [0-60) |
No late work (homework or programming assignments) will be accepted. That is, you will get a zero if it is late. All homework and programming assignments must be turned in prior to class on the day indicated, unless otherwise noted. I will make exceptions to this policy under certain situations at my discretion. If you have extenuating circumstances please send me an email BEFORE the deadline.
Sometimes you do your very best and something doesn’t go right. In cases where minor mistakes were made please write me an “appeals” email describing the scenario, submitting your changed material, and I will, at my discretion, re-grade the assignment with a 10% penalty. All appeals must be filed within a week of grades being posted.
The course schedule, due dates, and other aspects of the course may evolve as we go. You will find the most up-to-date version of course documents (i.e., syllabus, schedule, links to papers, etc.) on Canvas. Please check it regularly.
Communication in an online course is key to success. In this course Canvas will primarily consist of two pages, a Master Schedule page, and an Announcements page.
Attendance is mandatory unless you make arrangements with me beforehand. Please be on time to class!! If you’re consistently late and/or disruptive in class I reserve the right to dock you points on an assignment.
Put your name, course, and homework title on everything you turn in, even if you turn it in to Canvas!
Exchange of ideas and techniques is highly encouraged but your work must be your own. If someone helps you, please give them credit where appropriate.
All homework assignments must be typed unless otherwise specified. If you are not proficient with either LaTeX, Microsoft Word, or some other word processor or typesetting language now is your chance to learn as this will be a necessary component of your professional career.1 If writing is difficult for you, or you are not proficient with English, the UNL Writing Center (http://www.unl.edu/writing/home) may be able to help you. If I can’t understand what you write I will dock you points. This is the subjective nature of writing and communicating.
Students have one week from time of grade posting to challenge a grade.
If you have questions or would like to chat please contact me by email. I’d be happy to talk to you most anytime, but would appreciate setting up an appt. if you need a specific question addressed.
Please use professional email communication. A saluation, description, request, closing, and concise subject line are appropriate for professional communication.
The CSE Department has an anonymous contact form that you may use to voice your concerns about any problems in the course or department if you do not wish to be identified. (http://cse.unl.edu/contact-form)
CSE Department policy dictates that students in CSE courses are expected to regularly check their email so they do not miss important announcements.
Consider the Student Resource Center in Avery 12 if myself or the TAs are not available, or you otherwise need help: (http://cse.unl.edu/src)
All homework assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. must be your own work. No direct collaboration with fellow students, past or current, is allowed unless otherwise stated. The Computer Science & Engineering department has an Academic Integrity Policy (http://cse.unl.edu/academic-integrity-policy). All students enrolled in any computer science course are bound by this policy. You are expected to read, understand, and follow this policy. Violations will be dealt with on a case by case basis and may result in a failing assignment or a failing grade for the course itself.
The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options privately. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). If you are eligible for services and register with their office, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so they can be implemented in a timely manner. SSD contact information: 232 Canfield Admin. Bldg.; 402-472-3787.
Academic honesty is essential to the existence and integrity of an academic institution. The responsibility for maintaining that integrity is shared by all members of the academic community. The University’s Student Code of Conduct addresses academic dishonesty. Students who commit acts of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and are granted due process and the right to appeal any decision.
UNL offers a variety of options to students to aid them in dealing with stress and adversity. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS); is a multidisciplinary team of psychologists and counselors that works collaboratively with Nebraska students to help them explore their feelings and thoughts and learn helpful ways to improve their mental, psychological and emotional well-being when issues arise. CAPS can be reached by calling 402-472-7450. Big Red Resilience & Well-Being provides one-on-one well-being coaching to any student who wants to enhance their well-being. Trained well-being coaches help students create and be grateful for positive experiences, practice resilience and self-compassion, and find support as they need it. BRRWB can be reached by calling 402-472-8770.
Personally, I use LaTeX, so if that’s your platform and you need technical help I can offer it. If you use Microsoft Word I will be of no use to you.↩︎