Textbook:

Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation, by Matthew T. Mason. MIT Press, 2001.

Errata page.

Prerequisites are:

• Graduate standing; or
• 15-384 Robotic Manipulation

Goal:

To explore model-based robotic manipulation. The overarching motivation is how a robotic manipulator can choose actions to accomplish a given goal. The main idea is that the robot might have a model of how the world works, which allows the robot to search through sequences of actions until a suitable plan is found. The class focuses on models founded on classical mechanics. We will develop techniques for rigid body mechanics, kinematic constraint, Coulomb friction, gravity, and impact, and apply these techniques to manipulation problems including picking and placing, parts orienting, assembly, and mobile manipulation.