Mobile laboratory vehicles with appropriate sensors and complementary computer equipment are to be incorporated into a laboratory that supports a newly developed sequence of courses in the field of robotics. The courses form a three quarter sequence covering kinematics and dynamics, control and navigation, and integration and artificial intelligence. Two attributes of mobile robotics will be encountered by students using computer simulations. However, actual robotic vehicles are necessary to give real-world experience. The vehicles will make use of associated computer facilities to show how navigation and goal-achieving problems are solved and to illustrate the technological limitations to achieving solutions. The intention is to continually develop this course sequence to introduce undergraduates to the field of intelligent machines by transferring complete graduate projects to the undergraduate curriculum.
