The Introduction to Robotics Specialization introduces you to the concepts of robot flight and movement, how robots perceive their environment, and how they adjust their movements to avoid obstacles, navigate difficult terrains and accomplish complex tasks such as construction and disaster recovery. You will be exposed to real world examples of how robots have been applied in disaster situations, how they have made advances in human health care and what their future capabilities will be. The courses build towards a capstone in which you will learn how to program a robot to perform a variety of movements such as flying and grasping objects.
Robotics Specialization
Learn the Building Blocks for a Career in Robotics. Gain experience programming robots to perform in situations and for use in crisis management
20,635 already enrolled!
Offered By
20,635 already enrolled!
About this Specialization
30,621 recent views
What you will learn
Motion Planning
Matlab
Estimation
Skills you will gain
Motion PlanningParticle FilterMatlab
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.
There are 6 Courses in this Specialization
Course1
Robotics: Aerial Robotics
4.5
1,997 ratings
How can we create agile micro aerial vehicles that are able to operate autonomously in cluttered indoor and outdoor environments? You will gain an introduction to the mechanics of flight and the design of quadrotor flying robots and will be able to develop dynamic models, derive controllers, and synthesize planners for operating in three dimensional environments. You will be exposed to the challenges of using noisy sensors for localization and maneuvering in complex, three-dimensional environments. Finally, you will gain insights through seeing real world examples of the possible applications and challenges for the rapidly-growing drone industry. Mathematical prerequisites: Students taking this course are expected to have some familiarity with linear algebra, single variable calculus, and differential equations. Programming prerequisites: Some experience programming with MATLAB or Octave is recommended (we will use MATLAB in this course.) MATLAB will require the use of a 64-bit computer.
Course2
Robotics: Computational Motion Planning
4.2
757 ratings
Robotic systems typically include three components: a mechanism which is capable of exerting forces and torques on the environment, a perception system for sensing the world and a decision and control system which modulates the robot's behavior to achieve the desired ends. In this course we will consider the problem of how a robot decides what to do to achieve its goals. This problem is often referred to as Motion Planning and it has been formulated in various ways to model different situations. You will learn some of the most common approaches to addressing this problem including graph-based methods, randomized planners and artificial potential fields. Throughout the course, we will discuss the aspects of the problem that make planning challenging.
Course3
Robotics: Mobility
3.9
443 ratings
How can robots use their motors and sensors to move around in an unstructured environment? You will understand how to design robot bodies and behaviors that recruit limbs and more general appendages to apply physical forces that confer reliable mobility in a complex and dynamic world. We develop an approach to composing simple dynamical abstractions that partially automate the generation of complicated sensorimotor programs. Specific topics that will be covered include: mobility in animals and robots, kinematics and dynamics of legged machines, and design of dynamical behavior via energy landscapes.
Course4
Robotics: Perception
4.4
468 ratings
How can robots perceive the world and their own movements so that they accomplish navigation and manipulation tasks? In this module, we will study how images and videos acquired by cameras mounted on robots are transformed into representations like features and optical flow. Such 2D representations allow us then to extract 3D information about where the camera is and in which direction the robot moves. You will come to understand how grasping objects is facilitated by the computation of 3D posing of objects and navigation can be accomplished by visual odometry and landmark-based localization.
Instructors
Jianbo Shi
Professor of Computer and Information ScienceSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
Vijay Kumar
Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied MechanicsSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
Daniel Lee
Professor of Electrical and Systems EngineeringSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
CJ Taylor
Professor of Computer and Information ScienceSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
Daniel E. Koditschek
Professor of Electrical and Systems EngineeringSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
Sid Deliwala
Director, Electrical and Systems Engineering Labs and Lecturer, Electrical and Systems EngineeringDepartment of Electrical and Systems Engineering
Kostas Daniilidis
Professor of Computer and Information ScienceSchool of Engineering and Applied Science
About University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
How long does it take to complete the Introduction to Robotics Specialization?
Time to completion can vary based on your schedule, but learners are able to complete the Specialization in as few as six months.
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
Each course in the Specialization is offered on a regular schedule, with sessions starting about once per month. If you don't complete a course on the first try, you can easily transfer to the next session, and your completed work and grades will carry over.
What background knowledge is necessary?
No particular background is necessary, however, some knowledge of engineering and mathematics is helpful.
What is the refund policy?
You can receive a full refund up to two weeks after payment. View the full refund policy.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
We recommend taking the courses in the order presented, as each subsequent course will build on material from previous courses.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Introduction to Robotics Specialization?
Coursera courses and certificates don't carry university credit.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Introduction to Robotics Specialization?
You will be able to program a robot’s movement and flight. The specialization is designed to help you move into a career in Robotics, engineering or other industries where robots are used to make technological advancement in the field.
What software will I need to complete the assignments?
The specialization requires the use of MATLAB which is provided for free from MathWorks. Included in the specialization are instructional videos and download information for the use of MATLAB. MATLAB will require the use of a 64-bit computer.
Are there any resources I can consult to review prerequisites?
We will provide resources that might help prepare you to take this specialization.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2019 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
