Sensors and Actuators
How robots measure the world and produce motion: sensor specifications and error budgets, encoders and resolvers, IMUs and Allan deviation, ultrasonic, time-of-flight and lidar ranging, cameras, depth cameras and radar, force-torque and tactile sensing, GNSS, RTK, UWB and odometry, brushed, brushless and stepper motors, gearboxes and reflected inertia, hydraulic, pneumatic, soft, series elastic and quasi-direct-drive actuators, calibration and sensor fusion, with Health Canada, ISED and NRCan context and a capstone robot specification.
ROB-220 Year 2 3 credits 12 lessons · 6 h
Offered by HSM University · Robotics
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Interpret sensor specifications, including range, sensitivity, bias, resolution, linearity, bandwidth, latency and noise density, and combine error sources into an error budget
- Explain how potentiometers, incremental and absolute encoders, magnetic encoders and resolvers work, and compute angle, distance and speed from their outputs
- Describe what accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers measure, estimate tilt and drift, and interpret IMU error terms and Allan deviation plots
- Compare ultrasonic, infrared, optical time-of-flight and lidar range sensors, calculate range, beam footprint and point spacing, and recognize their failure modes and laser classes
- Select cameras, depth cameras and radar for robot tasks using field of view, ground sample distance, shutter type, stereo depth error and radar resolution
- Explain strain gauges, Wheatstone bridges, six-axis force-torque sensors, joint torque sensing and tactile sensors, and apply bias, gravity and frame corrections
- Explain GNSS, dilution of precision, RTK, ultra-wideband ranging and wheel odometry, and estimate their accuracy and drift
- Model brushed, brushless and stepper motors with torque and back-EMF constants, read motor curves and datasheets, and estimate winding heating
- Choose gear ratios and transmissions using torque, speed, efficiency, reflected inertia, inertia matching, backlash and stiffness
- Compare hydraulic, pneumatic, soft, series elastic and quasi-direct-drive actuators and size basic hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders
- Calibrate sensors, design low-pass and complementary filters, and explain how a Kalman update weights measurements by their uncertainty
- Specify the sensors and actuators for a robot from task requirements, sizing motors by RMS torque and checking sensor coverage, power and data budgets
Course content
12 lessons · 6 h total · final exam
- 1 Sensor fundamentals: specifications and datasheets 31 min · quiz
- 2 Position and motion sensing: encoders, potentiometers and resolvers 29 min · quiz
- 3 Inertial sensors: accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers 29 min · quiz
- 4 Range sensors: ultrasonic, infrared, time-of-flight and lidar 27 min · quiz
- 5 Cameras, depth cameras and radar 30 min · quiz
- 6 Force, torque and tactile sensing 31 min · quiz
- 7 Localization sensors: GNSS, RTK, UWB and odometry 31 min · quiz
- 8 Electric motors: brushed DC, brushless and stepper 29 min · quiz
- 9 Gearing and transmissions 31 min · quiz
- 10 Fluid, soft and compliant actuators 31 min · quiz
- 11 Calibration, filtering and sensor fusion basics 31 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: specifying sensors and actuators for a robot 30 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
How robots measure the world and produce motion: sensor specifications and error budgets, encoders and resolvers, IMUs and Allan deviation, ultrasonic, time-of-flight and lidar ranging, cameras, depth cameras and radar, force-torque and tactile sensing, GNSS, RTK, UWB and odometry, brushed, brushless and stepper motors, gearboxes and reflected inertia, hydraulic, pneumatic, soft, series elastic and quasi-direct-drive actuators, calibration and sensor fusion, with Health Canada, ISED and NRCan context and a capstone robot specification.
Part of the Science stream, typically taken in year 2.