Robotics Hall · 12-week course
Robots: Sense, Think, Act
Nikola Tesla: “Here is our map for the term. Each week a professor teaches one part of the robot. Every idea you learn fills in a concept below.”
Lesson plan
Week 1 · What is a robot· Up next
Machines That Obey
Nikola Tesla · Lab: Steer the radio boat
What a robot is…Week 2 · What is a robot
The Clockwork Knight
Leonardo da Vinci · Lab: Set the cam
What a robot isEngineering designMechanisms…Week 3 · Mechanisms
Gears, Cranks and Water
Ismail al-Jazari · Lab: Gear the lift
Mechanisms…Week 4 · Motors and power
Muscles from Current
Nikola Tesla · Lab: Power the arm
Energy and circuitsActuators…Week 5 · Programming
The Programmable Band
Ismail al-Jazari · Lab: Peg the drum
Programming…Week 6 · Sensing
The Tortoise Sees
W. Grey Walter · Lab: Wire Elsie
Sensors…Week 7 · Sensing
Simple Rules, Lively Behavior
W. Grey Walter · Lab: Stack the behaviors
SensorsBehaviors…Week 8 · Programming
Decisions and States
Ada Lovelace · Lab: Program the vacuum
ProgrammingStates and debugging…Week 9 · Control
Steering by Feedback
Norbert Wiener · Lab: Stop at the wall
Feedback control…Week 10 · Control
Taming the Wobble
Norbert Wiener · Lab: Tune the gain
Feedback control…Week 11 · Autonomy
Too Far to Steer
Nikola Tesla · Lab: Steer a rover on Mars
SensorsNavigation and autonomy…Week 12 · Robots and people
Robots and People
Lillian Gilbreth · Lab: Capstone
Engineering designRobots and people…
What you'll learn
Every robot senses, thinks, and acts. Tap a concept to see what you'll be able to do.
The whole robotwhat it is, how it's designed, how it fits our lives
1. Sensehow a robot notices the world
2. Thinkhow it decides what to do
3. Acthow it moves
Taking your seat…