Course Description
This course exemplifies the technical and ethical guidelines in designing robots for social good. The course introduces the principles, materials, design, and modeling of robotic agents for physical interactions with the environment, helping students understand the basic concepts and core technologies of robotics. The course further takes a theme-based and case-driven approach to help the students identify the key factors in designing robots for social goods and practice them in a design challenge.
Learning Outcome
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Conduct analysis of robotic systems in terms of technical and ethical aspects.
- Adopt advanced technologies in designing robotic systems.
- Demonstrate ability to align technical and ethical guidelines in designing robots for social good.
Course Instructors & Teaching Support
- Lead Instructor: Dr. Wan Fang
- Teaching Assistant: Zhang Tuo
- Office: Level 3, Zhiyuan
Grading
- Form of examination: Letter Grading
- Grading policy：
- Attendance 10%
- Assignments 20%
- Final Presentation 70%
Please refer to the Project for DES5002 section for further details.
Academic Integrity
- This course follows the SUSTech Code of Academic Integrity. This course’s students are expected to abide by the SUSTech Code of Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s work. Violations of the rules (e.g., cheating, copying, non-approved collaborations) will not be tolerated.
Course Materials
- Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-being with Autonomous and Intelligent systems
- Designing Robots, Designing Humans
- Soft robotics toolkit (https://softroboticstoolkit.com/)
- Coyle, Stephen, et al. “Bio-inspired soft robotics: Material selection, actuation, and design.” Extreme Mechanics Letters 22 (2018): 51-59.
Lecture & Lab Notes
| Week | Monday, 8:00-9:50 | Wedsday, 14:00-15:50 | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture 01: Introduction to Robots | ||
| 02 | Lecture 02: The Rise of Robotics and AI | Lecture 03: What is Social Good? | |
| 03 | Canceled due to weather | Team Formation | |
| 04 | Workshop: Design case study | Assignment Submission | |
| 05 | Workshop: Design case study | ||
| 06 | Lecture 04: Soft Robotics I | Lecture 05: Soft Robotics II | |
| 07 | Lecture 06: Humanoid | ||
| 08 | Tutorial | Workshop: Interim Review | |
| 09 | Lecture 08: Intro to Data and ML | ||
| 10 | Lecture 9: AI + Basics | Lecture 10: AI + Sound | |
| 11 | Lecture 11: AI + Image | ||
| 12 | Lecture 12: AI + Text | Lecture 13: AI + Text | |
| 13 | Lecture 14: AI + Body | ||
| 14 | Lecture 15: AI Risk | Tutorial | |
| 15 | Tutorial | ||
| 16 | Tutorial | Final Review | |
SUSTech Calendar
Project for DES5002
Marking Structure
- (10%) Attendance
- To be recorded during each class by Teaching Assistants.
- (20%) Individual Assignment
- Find a topic that interests you. Either from a robot perspective (Robotic dogs | Humanoid | …) or from a social good perspective (Education | Companionship | Public health | …)
- Search and review three case studies (3 papers or products).
- Submit and present your slides.
- (70%) Team Project: Team Poster on the Design of Robots for Social Good
- Propose a robot for social good, utilizing the knowledge of robotics and AI learned, with a focus on the user, scenario, hardware/system design, and interaction.
- Formulate a project team of 3 students.
- Prepare 2 posters: one on the hardware design and modeling, the other on intelligence/AI and human-robot interaction.
- Prototypes in hardware/software are encouraged but not required.