Course Description:
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of sensing and controlling the physical world with computers. It covers aspects of embedded programming and automation systems, microcontrollers and electronic circuit boards, and robotics. It expands the students’ understandings to go beyond the common stereotype for computers. It is mainly a practical oriented course with loads of hands on exercises and practical projects, supported by necessary theoretic knowledge.
Course Learning Outcomes:
The goal of this course is to expand students’ understandings of the power of computing and computer programming beyond the common stereotype of computers.
More specifically, the goals of the course are:
- Introducing students to the field of physical computing and robotics.
- Introducing students to embedded systems and embedded programming.
- Demonstrating the power of microcontrollers to build, control, and automate computer based sensors and actuators, such as home automation systems.
- Providing rich hands on experience with robotics and automation kits.
- Demonstrating programming concepts and tools to interact with the physical world instead of user screens only.
- Cover some advanced applications of physical computing and robotics such as computer vision, surveillance and artificial intelligence.