Introduction
Elissa Ledoux
Overview
This book is an introduction to robotics and control theory for undergraduate students. The textbook consists of 16 chapters. The first five chapters comprise an introduction to robotics theory and application:
- Industrial Robots
- Rigid Body Transforms
- Forward Kinematics for Serial Manipulators
- Inverse Kinematics and Jacobian for Serial Manipulators
- End of Arm Tool Design
The next four chapters detail case studies of specific designs for the categories of robots in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers National Robotics Competition:
6. Design and Development of an Autonomous Sumo Robot
7. Design Considerations for a Combat Robot
8. Design and Development of a Micromouse Robot
9. Robotic Applications
The final seven chapters build upon the foundation of the earlier content, transitioning from kinematics equations characterizing the plant to control theory and controller optimization in the time and frequency domains:
10. Introduction to State Space
11. State Space Modeling
12. Discrete State Space
13. Linear Quadratic Controller
14. Model Predictive Controller
15. Full State Feedback Controller
16. Robotic Rover Modeling and Control
Authors
The authors of this book are all faculty in the Engineering and Technology department at Middle Tennessee State University. Elissa Ledoux, author of the Introduction to Robotics chapters, is a lecturer for Mechatronics Engineering. Vishwas Bedekar, who contributed the robot design case studies, is an associate professor for Engineering Technology. Hongbo Zhang, project coordinator and author of the Controls and Optimization section, is an assistant professor in Mechatronics Engineering.
Acknowledgements
This book is made possible through generous support by the Tennessee Board of Regents, author coaching by Susan Adams at Achieving the Dream, and Ginelle Baskin and the library resources at Middle Tennessee State University. The cover art and photo are by Elissa Ledoux.
