MEC 529: Introduction to Robotics

Course Description

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.

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, Luigi Villani, Giuseppe Oriolo, Alessandro De Luca, Foundations of Robotics, Springer, 2025 [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 Topics

  • Chapter 1 - A Review of Linear Algebra
  • Chapter 2 - An Introductory Example
  • Chapter 3 - Configuration Space and Workspace
  • Chapter 4 - Rigid-Body Motion – Part 1 (Rotation)
  • Chapter 4 - Rigid-Body Motion – Part 2 (Transformation)
  • Chapter 5 - Forward Kinematics
  • Chapter 6 - Velocity Kinematics – Part 1 (Jacobian and Singularity)
  • Chapter 6 - Velocity Kinematics – Part 2 (Inverse and Statics)
  • Chapter 7 - Inverse Kinematics
  • Chapter 8 - Trajectory Planning
  • Chapter 9 - Kinematic Control