Robotics is the core issue of interaction and the physical world. Now the mainstream in the branch of robotics, deal with the discipline of interaction with the physical world is divided into three categories: sensors and processing algorithms; Multi-rigid-body system dynamics control; Autonomous mobile robot.
Intelligent robots will be a disaster for the future of the world? For robots, or artificial intelligence research helps us better understand ourselves? How artificial intelligence will affect our life? Such problems and articles are already commonplace. But robot control how? How to become a qualified robot engineers? This kind of problem does not appear to have one of the most comprehensive answer. In the robot become a hot topic at present, as a college student, how to establish a highly efficient comprehensive robot study plan? Small make up for the general "robot fever powder" recommend a xinjiang large uav intelligent navigation technology director Yang Shuo "robot engineers study plan", perhaps after reading this article can make the robot engineers study get twice the result with half the effort!
Foreword many friends direct messages asking me interested in robotics and artificial intelligence, what to learn. Recently a little empty, I write about my opinion.
Two years ago, I was on zhihu answer "how to define" robot "?" Problems in trying to give robots to make the definition of a more carefully, I think the biggest difference between the robot and artificial intelligence lies in whether or not to interact with the physical world. Earlier this year in another zhihu "robots, or artificial intelligence research helps us better understand ourselves?" The answer, I said to the sensor is the foundation of interact with the physical world. Later, when I again on zhihu "what control, robots and other related quotes?" Moravec paradox mentioned in answer (Moravec 's paradox), talked about robotics recognized problem is in the physical world in the implementation class activity.
Turn out is put before the answer in order to support the view that the core issue of robotics is ready to interact with the physical world. Now the mainstream in the branch of robotics, deal with the discipline of interaction with the physical world is divided into three categories: sensors and processing algorithms (laser radar, more visual, the fusion algorithm). Multi-rigid-body system dynamics control (industrial robot dynamics control and contact force control); Autonomous mobile robots (locomoTIon don't know how to translate, wheel, foot type, such as flight mobile robot research). Suggest that students interested in robotics emphatically on the several problems.
In addition, according to the world's first robot Dr Education institutions at Carnegie Mellon university robotics curriculum classification (http://www.ri.cmu.edu/educaTIon/COSAug2016.pdf), there are four core areas of robotics:
1, the perception. Vision sensors, image sensors, touch and force sensor, inertial navigation and so on.
2, cognition. Artificial intelligence (ai), knowledge expression, planning, scheduling, machine learning, etc.
3, behavior. Kinematics, dynamics, control, manipulaTIon and locomoTIon.
4, mathematical basis. The optimal estimation, differential geometry, computational geometry, operational research, etc.
Combination of Carnegie Mellon university core curriculum requirements, I think I'm robotics of the definition of the core problem is the basic of no more than partial. This article talks about the robot project is based on the above views and course requirements.
Some may be controversial views: 1, robotics is the activity of the rich. Although the industry is more and more developed, but good development board and the motor is very expensive. If you want to make up his mind to learn robotics and make the material object, you must find out to do physical capital. Either own or have to find a school robot club, or find what noble young men willing to aid learning. And now there is no a complete book can teach you how to build a robot four rotor air or big dog robot, you need to refer to a dozen different textbooks, these books are both Chinese and English are very expensive.
2, robotics is the art of slew a dragon. This is the word of Ninebot founder. Although in recent years, the balance of the car, sweeping robot, rotor aircraft for robotics to begin to enter the life of people, but a viable business applications or rarely, and there have been theories about robots and is difficult to solve interaction this matter with the physical world. So it is important to ensure that their in robotics perfected the road at the same time can go to eat other business skills, such as programming, mechanical design and hardware design. Also want to prepare, to accept his likely learn topic can't even make a few years after the useful facts to the society.
3, based on the above views, if it is already after work to want to learn the robot, may be too late, because probably not interested in triumph over the objective constraints. If the interest to learn, can only learn to do patrol cars and mechanical arm, the steering gear may not satisfy the second disease very inspirational.
Personally think robotics is a tough road, want to be an independent robot engineers need many years training theory and practice of synchronization. Theoretical study and practical schedule also lined up to each other, the process of doing a practice project and at the same time to learn the most relevant theory often can achieve twice the result with half the effort, but at the same time those who are not related theory will look very boring, so how to properly arrange their practice project is also very important.
In this article I plan to introduce a electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer professional students from freshman year to graduate student grade two robot study plan, is the basic of my approach to learning a summary in the past. According to this way of learning, ability can become a comprehensive, but a little partial software robot engineers. The six years of study plan, estimate, in class every day throughout the year and to complete the course requirements to study time six to eight hours, this time on the one hand, knowledge of the English teaching materials for reading course, on the one hand, is used to read other subjects of the teaching material, on the one hand, used in practical projects.
Robot engineers in large project positioning is similar to the general designer of the aircraft systems. And mechanical engineers, hardware engineers, software engineers, algorithms, control engineers, less time of robot engineers to participate in a particular technology, but to be able to understand all engineers, can be used as a coordinator between the different modules, led the whole team to attack. , of course, if a robot engineers can achieve in one area that engineers in the field of excellent level, must be better.
Due to time rush, plus individual level is limited, if there is a mistake in the article and errors, given the reader pointed out that, thank you. If students have what want to know the content and the teaching material, also welcome message exchanges.
A freshman
Just a freshman, you robot career began. First take a look at the school's campus network can over the wall, not to buy a year more than one hundred dollars of VPN, on Google, that you first do not love money of VPN, this can let you save thousands of dollars in the later career. Then go to register a gmail account, registered stackoverflow account again, then making account registration, registration again CSDN account, register login up around, for a moment and don't ask why.
English level is a robotic engineer level constraints on certain level, English is the best students in the university to learn a course, and not to think of it as a lesson, to as a skill, as a part of life. When you start to learn some advanced knowledge of robots, is likely to be very difficult to find the resources in Chinese, this time if the English information, can't chew progress speed and vision will be badly affected. So in the freshman year, want to look at the little red book more, look at the TV drama.
Whatever the professional background of students, the university first grade must be a good lesson is calculus and linear algebra. Need a special emphasis on the importance of linear algebra. In general, the outstanding engineers and scientists want to learn at least five times in his career of linear algebra, a freshman learn again, convex optimization again, linear systems learn again, machine learning, it again... If in the first time when they see the book, brush on the topic, then after learning much easier.
There are many online about how to learn the discussion of linear algebra, such as knowledge on how to understand linear algebra problem? - learning mathematics. Matrix67 articles about the great spirit: we need what kind of math education? Be inspired. My personal advice is two books in learning Linear Algebra, a book called "Linear Algebra Done Right", a book called "Linear Algebra Done Wrong" (https://www.math.brown.edu/~treil/papers/LADW/book.pdf), I prefer the Done Wrong this book, the first it is free, the second just need read chapter 6 before two hundred pages is enough, the third margins it is very big, there are a lot of blank do exercises printed. Another good teaching material is MIT courses: linear algebra. However, learning linear algebra must use foreign materials, don't use domestic materials. On English book very tired, but after considering to chew more English books, introduction to linear algebra is very of, must face down, brush also enough questions after class.
After learning linear algebra, a natural question is how to use the computer to calculate the multiplication of matrix multiplication, vector, vector inner product. So the introduction of programming learning.
No matter what students majored in, must be in the first year of college to start learning programming as soon as possible. As to which one to use language to start learning programming, I recommend a Python, a good textbook is MIT courses: introduction to computer science and programming, a good Python development learning environment is Anacoda (http://www.continuum.io/downloads). Familiar with Python, students can begin to play a Python Numpy numerical calculation of the package, this time the linear algebra also brush the same, basically can pass Numpy help you to solve problems of linear algebra.
For anyone, Python is a Swiss army knife, you can use him do a lot of things, such as auto reply email, automatically collect information. But really want to build a robot, with the right tools is not a Swiss army knife, but the C/C + + so simple and crude tool like a hammer and a screwdriver. In learning Python learn a certain amount of time (for example, have you heard that there is a something called cython), best started learning C, but also to force myself to practicing in C one dimensional array and pointer to implement the addition, multiplication and inverse of the matrix operations. Has advanced Python or Java (don't ask me where is the Java advanced) these later we also need to learn C language, because of commonly used is not a complete computer on the robot, but a limited amount of calculation of the embedded system, embedded system development basically or lower with C language.
Learning C my personal introduction with tsinghua university press "C + + language program design". Although this book title is a c + +, but nothing too big problem. C language teaching material in China has a huge problem is guides the student to use Linux. Better a textbook is http://songjinshan.com/akabook/zh/index.html in recent years, the teaching material of this site is very good, because his education students with Linux environment for the program compiled environment, but also the introduction of some computer architecture is introduced.
IT industry senior programmers debates and low-level languages which good, Linux and Windows which good, for the robot engineers, between now and in the foreseeable future, C is the best language, Linux is the best operating system, that is, no doubt. Even for Linux distributions which one to choose, we are rarely questioned: Ubuntu. The reason is that robot operating system ROS is developed based on Ubuntu, so run on Ubuntu is the most stable. Note that Ubuntu out a Chinese version called Kylin, individuals feel less pit, suggest that we don't install Chinese version. Ubuntu as an open source operating system, and always in rapid iteration, in August 2016, relatively stable version is 14.04 and 16.04, installation of 14.04 students is recommended.
When you learn C, start to learn writing contains header files of program, more must also learn the knowledge of the makefile. At this time to surf the net to search "Makefile" look at this article.
I was in the first year of college to learn HTML and Javascript, by the end of the freshman has been able to skillfully use Javascript written some dynamic pages. I personally think that HTML and Javascript is robot engineers must technology, toys and not just a software engineer. This is because the web technology has actually been permeated every aspect of programming, such as json beginning is the way the definition of an object in Javascript, but now has become a very standard data interaction, the format of the configuration parameters. Other AJAX can help beginners to understand certain network technology principle, and the network technology is also robot skills essential to engineers. Again, make a GUI (graphical user interface) is a routine way to debug, and is a popular trend in recent years with its embedded program with HTML and Javascript as the back-end of the graphical interface, and ROS in the robot operating system (ROS.org | Powering the world 's robots), can be very easily by rosbridge the robot program data is passed on to the websocket, this sentence can't understand it doesn't matter, anyway, you know it is very important to learn HTML and Javascript. And, more importantly, the back of a HTML Document DOM (Document Object Model) profoundly embodies the object-oriented thought. University of object-oriented program design is generally about c + +, in my opinion should be HTML and Javascript. Don't dwell on the point, if the students to learn HTML and Javascript, will naturally experience. Learning HTML and Javascript better information is http://www.w3schools.com/, the website to the left of "Learn HTML", "Learn CSS", "Learn Javascript" and "Learn JQuery" learned, the other part still has a lot of fancy technology, there is no need to Learn.
Above these knowledge, books and information should you all finish it during the freshman year, and then use a freshman summer vacation to consolidate the knowledge. Such as start using HTML and Javascript to do a personal home page, brush a brush the topic of programming, learning Python's exotic curiosity-a solution looking (for example, a personal home page). Can also take time to learn mathematics knowledge, for example, began to look at algebra and discrete mathematics. In the freshman year, I saw the two articles, recognize the importance of mathematics, a CV is MIT written by Daniel Lin Dahua [go] MIT cattle people commentary mathematics system, another is a former Google researcher Dr Wu wrote "the beauty of mathematics" (the beauty of mathematics (douban)). Lin Dahua was at MIT read Dr. Still, and the mathematical beauty is not a book. After you have read two articles I feel the whole people know on a new level of math and since then has been pay attention to improve their level of mathematics, a few years down and feel great gains. I will be in after the introduction of stressed several times to learn mathematics knowledge and the corresponding teaching material.
A sophomore
In the sophomore year, you will have the basic knowledge of programming knowledge and basic math. A sophomore this year should be input in the study of the embedded system, while continuing to develop their ability in many aspects. Do Robocon school robot club, such as, RoboMasters team should be in recruiting, go to join in, with the guidance of senior senior and spur peer friends, should be able to progress a little faster.
Sophomore should grasp skills: Solidworks drawing basic mechanical drawing, the basic knowledge of digital circuit, d/a conversion,, AVR microcontroller, STM32 microcontroller 51 single-chip microcomputer principle, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN protocol such as principle and data transceiver, STM32 development board, the use of the motor rotation and drive principle, the principle of PID, debugging four-wheel mobile robot chassis, basic sensors, such as the principle of gyroscope, encoder, infrared, ultrasonic and the way of reading, the network knowledge such as router configuration IP configuration, microelectronics welding, metalworking technology. I tasted in zhihu answer if programmers every day to learn some new technology, for a long time in the past, people will become what look like? - YY's answer to recognize the skills talked about robot engineers need to number is the number of IT industry whole stack engineer skills more than three times, these skills should be the basis of accumulated in sophomore year.
If the students majored in mechanical engineering related, so sophomore year to in-depth study solidworks do figure, buy mechanical processing manual exotic curiosity-a solution looking to learn all kinds of machinery. Your professional knowledge is not enough to make you careful force analysis, but you can try to do some more mechanical structures experience the fun of them.
If the students majored in related hardware, circuit, then the sophomore year to in-depth study Altium Designer do figure, plate, welding plate. Do you want from now on, just give yourself an accumulation of work records, can be simple TXT file, record all boards have you had a bug, solution, learned the principle diagram and PCB layout of the matters needing attention and so on. The work record accumulated for many years later, you will be worth a lot of money.
The best way to learn these skills, it is to attend their school robot corporate training and program design. In general, after school robot club recruit new there will be training and testing, let the couple group to do the robot, the process if willing to work hard to learn, to improve soon. If your university is the robot competition is strong, such as xi 'an jiaotong university, university of electronic science and technology, Harbin industrial university, huazhong university of science and technology, northeastern university, and so on (in no particular order, made no mention of the name in your school, I said sorry), so you are lucky, your school robot club has very good accumulation, there are many resources to help you learn. Basically every day as long as the bubble laboratory, keep yourself only 6 to 7 hours a day (but still want to go running, swimming, keep healthy), diligently consult senior senior and then will improve quickly.
Second stage is particularly want to emphasize on the cultivation of the ability, including mechanical materials processing, circuit welding and production of wire and connector, connecting the router, configure the network, do cables and so on. A screwdriver machining tools, saw, drill, hammer, lathe, milling machine, drilling machine, advanced players can learn the oxygen welding, the more dangerous, I haven't tried. Circuit welding tools have welding, soldering, plate washer water, rosin, tin absorption device; Making wire tool with scissors, stripping pliers, chuck clamp, cable clamp pliers; Network configuration is repeatedly router plug cable, but under the Linux system configuration network sometimes is very troublesome, must accumulate more knowledge in this regard, for robots are mostly formed in the future you will be running around with a wireless router, and even some robot modules on its own can set up a small local area network (LAN). Mastering these skills need you to spend a lot of time to do really can use robots to try.
For what the choice to build a "real can robots try, best choice must be robot robots during the game. If you will attend Robocon, with older sisters learn to build someone so high giant; If attend RoboMasters, you learn to build flexible robots and hair play fast than a car. Some other small game such as car freescale intelligence, is also very good training, because car freescale intelligence has developed very mature, to take part in the game of competition information is enough to learn for a while, robot learned later can get more skills.
If don't have much school robot corporate resources, students and some small game such as challenge cup, a great competitions and so on can choose, in three to five personal small teams to participate in these games. If the school classmate don't even organize everyone to participate in the games, it had to pay for. Domestic Robot open source community has a lot of resources can make use of to learn, such as buying his own Arduino STEM educational Robot kits Building a variety of development kit for simple Robot Platform. The Arduino development environment may be some people don't like, because it is done to the hardware level of encapsulation, if want to come into contact with the nature of the single chip microcomputer, can oneself buy STM32 learning development board. As the saying goes, no embedded system is a piece of STM32 cannot achieve, if you have, with two pieces. STM32 is ARM architecture? M is the most widely used in the family of a single chip microcomputer, also has a lot of online materials and development board to choose from. Eight points in the domestic famous electronic BBS STM32 / BBS posts listing (amoBBS amor electronic BBS), there are a lot of resources, there is a problem can also study and discussion here.
If you would like to participate in robot competition, side also happens to have some like-minded friends, but the school does not support. It doesn't matter, come to me, I try to through big xinjiang persuaded to support you in your school to join RoboMasters relationship.
Although you are robot competition as the main line in exploration robot technology, but always remember, robot competition to your theory training is very poor, still can let you get into some bad habits, such as all want to use some ways to solve rough fierce fast. Because the team usually don't have much experience in project management, to the front of the game for a period of time will step up effort to do a robot, a lot of time will use "shanzhai" way to deal with the robot's fault. For example a bearing structure with long will be bent, in order to catch the progress of the game, took a hammer to knock up straight, add a secondary structure beside continue to use, without carefully to do modeling, stress analysis, thinking about what causes deformation of bearing structure. Is born for tuning PID parameters tuning disorderly change, rather than based on dynamic model to estimate the parameters of the robot about scope.
Sophomore year summer vacation, may your robot with school teams took part in some robot contest. It is a reflection on a good time to summarize, why robot team made such and such results? How can the whole team more efficient? How to continue to recruit new next year? Summer vacation to spend time on technology accumulation, this time can go back before thinking to match with rough fierce fast way can solve the problem of how to carefully to solve.
If a sophomore summer vacation did not participate in the contest, can do a servo robot, such as six legs spider, such as robot palletizing. Steering gear is a good friend, robot engineer must have a good master.
Other aspects of your ability also cannot fall. The end of the sophomore, your Linux should use very skilled, in addition to the makefile, you also use the cmake. You should also begin to understand the significance of making existence, because you have read a lot of other people's code, you can put some of his own course design and small projects in the making. Also a sophomore basically by the professional basic course of some difficult, such as the probability of automatic control theory, machine learning, statistics, mechanics of materials and courses, students will see these courses and use the knowledge of linear algebra and calculus, as well as the knowledge modeling. At that time can turn a freshman physics, linear algebra and calculus to interpret and see again.
Schools should give two to three students have to open the object-oriented program design, professor in Java or c + +. In object-oriented programming class, must accumulate the development experience of about 3000 lines of code. Classic object-oriented programming practice is usually write games, tetris, for example, pac-man, etc., must oneself can completely written a complete project.
In addition you can start learning artifact Simulink of Matlab. In the sophomore year this year of study, you may be more or less in many courses with the help of Matlab. Suppose you have been on the recommendation of the I love the Python, you might feel no better than Python Matlab computational tools how much; Suppose yourself on the recommendation of the others like mathematica, you might think that compared with the same language as the mathematica this god, Matlab is too weak. Note, however, is the most powerful tool Matlab Simulink, through which you can almost all physical system simulation and control system. I suggest that students can be achieved by Simulink an inverted pendulum, and then understand the power of Matlab. Reading and implements the content of these two articles, students should be the inverted pendulum had a more profound understanding. Inverted pendulum is a very important model in robotics, because the rockets, missiles, bipedal robot, quadruped robot, basic it is deformation of the inverted pendulum. You realize the simulink model must be good, could also take out again see.
If you follow what I said before method to explore some HTML and Javascript technology, so the JQuery, the bootstrap, AngularJS you have more or less know what is going on. Web backend technology, such as PHP and MySQL, can also learn about, learn to how to configure the LAMP. If there are students looking for you to help write a small site, as far as possible to do me a favor, help others do the website is a good practice to improve their system programming ability. In the process of doing the website you may also learn how to use Photoshop and Illustrator, by the way let website looks more beautiful. No, these skills are the best, it doesn't matter.
