MEC 529: Introduction to Robotics [Fall 2025]

Course Description [Graduate-Level Course]

This course provides an overview of fundamental concepts in robotics. The aim is to provide the fundamental knowledge and tools needed for modeling, design, planning, and control of robotic systems. The main focus of the course will be on rigid-body rotation and transformation, forward and inverse kinematics, velocity kinematics, trajectory and motion planning, and kinematic control within the context of serial robotic manipulators. This course is intended for graduate students with an interest in robotics. Advanced undergraduates with a demonstrated interest in robotics are also welcome.

Course Syllabus

Syllabus

References

  • Kevin M. Lynch and Frank C. Park, Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control, Cambridge University Press, 2017 [Publisher, Amazon, PDF].
  • Bruno Siciliano, Lorenzo Sciavicco, Luigi Villani, Giuseppe Oriolo, Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control, Springer, 2009 [Publisher, Amazon].
  • Mark W. Spong, Seth Hutchinson, M. Vidyasagar, Robot Modeling and Control, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2020 [Publisher, Amazon].
  • Richard M. Murray, Zexiang Li, and S. Shankara Sastry, A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation, CRC Press, 1994 [Publisher, Amazon].
  • John Craig, Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics and Control, 4th Edition, Pearson, 2018 [Publisher, Amazon].

Course Materials