Robotics: Aerial Robotics

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/robotics-flight

Introduction

### Course Review: Robotics: Aerial Robotics on Coursera **Overview** In today’s world, where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, the field of robotics stands at the forefront of innovation. The "Robotics: Aerial Robotics" course, offered on Coursera, dives deep into the fascinating realm of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), specifically focusing on quadrotors. This course promises to equip learners with the essential skills needed to design, model, and control agile micro aerial vehicles capable of navigating intricate indoor and outdoor environments autonomously. **What to Expect** The course is structured into four comprehensive weeks, each focusing on crucial aspects of aerial robotics: 1. **Introduction to Aerial Robotics**: The journey kicks off with an introduction to UAVs, specifically quadrotors. You’ll uncover the basic mechanics behind flight and the significance of careful component selection. A hands-on component is introduced with instructions for downloading and installing Matlab, which will play a pivotal role in your learning experience. 2. **Geometry and Mechanics**: Week 2 dives into the kinematics and dynamics of quadrotors. Here, you will derive the dynamic equations of motion, a critical skill for anyone serious about aerial robotics. The course offers supplementary lectures to enhance your mathematical understanding, leading to your first programming assignment on 1-D quadrotor control. 3. **Planning and Control**: In Week 3, you will step up your game by developing linear controllers for both planar and three-dimensional models of the quadrotor. This section not only builds on your previous knowledge but also introduces motion planning for quadrotors, culminating in your second programming assignment focused on 2-D control. 4. **Advanced Topics**: The final week introduces advanced concepts, including agile maneuvers and team operations of quadrotors. This week will challenge your understanding and application of the skills you’ve acquired. Your last programming assignment will draw on all the material covered in the course, pushing you to synthesize your learning effectively. **Strengths of the Course** - **Structured Learning Experience**: The course is well-organized, guiding learners from fundamental concepts to more advanced topics systematically. - **Hands-On Assignments**: Programming assignments not only reinforce theoretical knowledge but also provide practical experience using Matlab, a critical tool in engineering and robotics. - **Expert Instruction**: The course is created by experts in the field, ensuring that you receive high-quality instruction and up-to-date knowledge about aerial robotics. **Recommended For** This course is highly recommended for engineering and computer science students, hobbyists in robotics, and industry professionals looking to upskill in the rapidly evolving field of drone technology. Whether you are an absolute beginner or have some foundational knowledge in robotics, this course caters to a wide audience. **Conclusion** If you’re eager to explore the intricacies of aerial robotics, the "Robotics: Aerial Robotics" course on Coursera is a fantastic opportunity. Not only will you gain theoretical knowledge about quadrotor dynamics and control, but you will also develop practical skills through rigorous programming assignments. Elevate your understanding and command over drone technology today by enrolling in this insightful course!

Syllabus

Introduction to Aerial Robotics

Welcome to Week 1! In this week, you will be introduced to the exciting field of Unmanned Aerial Robotics (UAVs) and quadrotors in particular. You will learn about their basic mechanics and control strategies and realize how careful component selection and design affect the vehicles' performance. This week also provides you with instructions on how to download and install Matlab. This software will be used throughout this course in exercises and assignments, so it is strongly recommended to familiarize yourself with Matlab soon. Tutorials to help you get started are also provided in this week.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Robotics: Aerial Robotics course! We hope you are having a good time and learning a lot already! In this week, we will first focus on the kinematics of quadrotors. Then, you will learn how to derive the dynamic equations of motion for quadrotors. To build a better understanding on these notions, some essential mathematical tools are discussed in supplementary material lectures. In this week, you will also complete your first programming assignment on 1-D quadrotor control. If you have not done so already, please download, install, and learn about Matlab before starting the assignment.

Welcome to Week 3! We have developed planar and three-dimensional dynamic models of the quadrotor. This week, you will learn more about how to develop linear controllers for these models. With this knowledge, you will be required to complete the second programming assignment of this course, which focuses on controlling the quadrotor in two dimensions. We encourage you to start working on the assignment soon. This week ends with a discussion on motion planning for quadrotors.

Welcome to Week 4! So far, we have gone over the basics of developing linear controllers for quadrotors and motion planning. In this last week of the course, we will discuss some more advanced material on how to enable quadrotors to perform more agile maneuvers and to operate autonomously in teams. Note that the last programming assignment on quadrotor control in three dimensions uses material from the previous weeks. It is strongly recommended to start the assignment as soon as possible.