MW2388 “Applied Biorobotics”

summer term 2024

The 10th edition of this course will be an exciting experiment on the teaching of using AI GPT within the classroom. While the course focus and structure remains largely the same we will aim at encouraging students to use tools such as LLMs to augment their work. This experiment is conducted in collaboration with TUM ProLehre.

But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30 (meeting)
  • Mondays, 10-11:30 (exercise)
  • Fridays, 13 – 14 (office hours, non-mandatory consultations)

The expert for this term’s course will be Prof. Majid Khadiv.

Registration and application

From experience some students register for this course without grasping the expected commitment and thus drop out early – taking up spots which can not be reassigned. Please register online for this course only if you are certain that you are able and willing to commit the required time and effort. Please read the general information below carefully.

Note: There will be no formal application procedure beyond registering in TUMonline this term.

General Information

Biorobotics is an active research field which aims to reproduce biological performance in robotic applications. The reasoning behind this approach is the vastness of solutions generated in an evolutionary process which might be relevant for addressing technical challenges. These challenges either relate to the interface of technology and biology (e.g. gait rehabilitation devices, robots for harvesting) or independent problems for which nature provides possible solutions (e.g. human hands as an archetype for industrial manipulators). The inspiration can relate to many different fields such as mechanical design, control or optimization.

This course is using the example of a bipedal walking robot to teach biorobotics concepts. Additionally the training of important soft skills (communication, literature research, presentation, feedback, use of different media) will be encouraged. Students learn how to tackle complex problems from a variety of possible angles, explore solutions and develop them, partially in a group environment. Students will document their learning progress in 10 assignment submissions throughout the lecture period.

Topics will be introduced weekly by brief videos. We will discuss the content in more detail in weekly meetings, talk about homework and prepare for exercises. During exercises you will learn the required skills in order to successfully complete the programming assignments and the final project.

Please be aware that the workload during the term is higher than usual and substantial homework is required. The course awards 6 ECTS which corresponds to about 140 hours of work outside the meetings.

[..] one credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work. It should be recognised that this represents the typical workload and that for individual students the actual time to achieve the learning outcomes will vary.

ECTS Users’ Guide

Workload is expressed in hours and constitutes the basis of assigning the number of credits to modules. The rule is: 1 credit ≙ 30 h of student workload.

TUM Webpage

 Exam modalities: Every participant of the course handing in the first assignment is presumed to take the exam. A grace period is given to cancel the exam participation and thus the entire course until the second submission deadline of the course. After this point, all participants are registered for the exam and will receive a final grade at the end of the course.


Archive (this information might be partially obsolete)

summer term 2023

The 9th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30 (meeting)
  • Mondays, 10-11:30 (exercise)
  • Fridays, 13 – 14 (office hours, non-mandatory consultations)

The expert for this term’s course is yet to be determined..

Registration and application

From experience some students register for this course without grasping the expected committment and thus drop out early – taking up spots which can not be reassigned. Please register online for this course and fill in the linked MATLAB Livescript. Send the completed file to Alexandra.Buchmann@tum.de with the subject line “Last Name, First Name – Application Applied Biorobotics MW2388” Please read the general information below carefully.

summer term 2022

The 8th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30 (meeting)
  • Mondays, t.b.d. (exercise)
  • Fridays, 13 – 14 (office hours, non-mandatory consultations)

We are working towards offering this course in person. Participation of all students is required for group work and discussions.

The expert for this term’s course has been Dr. Alexander Badri-Sproewitz (MPI Intelligent Systems)

summer term 2021

The 7th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30 (meeting)
  • Mondays, 10 – 11:30 (exercise)
  • Fridays, 13 – 14 (office hours, non-mandatory consultations)

Due to the pandemic this course will most likely be broadcast online. As participation of all students is required for group work and discussions we will have synchronous teaching sessions on the video conferencing platform zoom. Please check out the moodle course for more information.

Attending expert: Prof. Andre Seyfarth (Lauflabor Locomotion Laboratory, TU Darmstadt)

summer term 2020

The 6th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30, MW 0337
  • Mondays, 10 – 11:30, MW 1237 (exercise)

Due to the pandemic this course will most likely be broadcast online. As participation of all students is required for group work and discussions we will have synchronous teaching sessions on the video conferencing platform zoom. Please check out the moodle course for more information.

Attending expert: Dr. Alexander Badri-Sproewitz (MPI Intelligent Systems)

winter term 2019/20

The 5th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 11:30, MW 3102
  • Mondays, 10 – 11:30, MW 1237 (exercise)

Attending expert: Dr. Christian Ott (DLR)

summer term 2019

The 4th edition of this course comes with a number of changes. But first things first, attendance of meetings is mandatory the course meetings are scheduled for

  • Tuesdays, 10 – 12, MW 0337
  • Mondays, 12:30 – 2:15, MW 2253 (exercise)

Additionally the Center of Key Competencies will offer four accompanying courses for relevant soft skill training on

  • Tuesdays, 1 – 5

on the following dates: April, 30th; May 7th; May 21st and June 4th. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend these courses. Earned ECTS can be credited towards required soft skills training for MW and RCI students. For CS students the decision of the examination board is still pending.

Attending expert: Prof. Dr. James Smith (York University)

winter term 2018/19

Biorobotics is an active research field which aims to reproduce biological performance in robotic applications. The reasoning behind this approach is the vastness of solutions generated in an evolutionary process which might be relevant for addressing technical challenges. These challenges either relate to the interface of technology and biology (e.g. gait rehabilitation devices, robots for harvesting) or independent problems for which nature provides possible solutions (e.g. human hands as an archetype for industrial manipulators). The inspiration can relate to many different fields such as mechanical design, control or optimization.

This course is using the example of a bipedal walking robot to teach biorobotics concepts. Additionally the training of important soft skills (communication, literature research, presentation, feedback, use of different media) will be encouraged. Students learn how to tackle complex problems from a variety of possible angles, explore solutions and develop them in a group environment. Students will document their learning progress in an electronic portfolio.

Topics will be introduced weekly by brief videos. We will discuss the content in more detail in weekly meetings, talk about homework and prepare for exercises. During exercises you will learn the required skills in order to successfully complete the programming assignments and the final project.

Please be aware that the workload during the term is higher than usual and substantial homework is required. The course awards 6ECTS which corresponds to about 120 hours of work outside the meetings. Attendance of meetings is mandatory, thus you have to make sure to be available on Tuesdays between 10 and 12 and Thursdays between 2 and 4.

Attending expert: Dr. Daniel Haeufle (University Stuttgart)

summer term 2018

winter term 2017/18

Biorobotics is an active research field which aims to reproduce biological performance in robotic applications. The reasoning behind this approach is the vastness of solutions generated in an evolutionary process which might be relevant for addressing technical challenges. These challenges either relate to the interface of technology and biology (e.g. gait rehabilitation devices, robots for harvesting) or independent problems for which nature provides possible solutions (e.g. human hands as an archetype for industrial manipulators). The inspiration can relate to many different fields such as mechanical design, control or optimization.

This course is using the example of a bipedal walking robot to teach biorobotics concepts. Additionally the training of important soft skills (communication, literature research, presentation, feedback, use of different media) will be encouraged. Students learn how to tackle complex problems from a variety of possible angles, explore solutions and develop them in a group environment. Students will document their learning progress in an electronic portfolio.

Topics will be introduced weekly by brief videos. A brief quiz will make sure you got the main points of the video. We will discuss the content in more detail in weekly meetings, talk about homework and prepare for exercises. During exercises you will learn the required skills in order to successfully complete the final project.

Attending expert: Dr. Alexander Sproewitz

Testimonials

Never in my experience as a student have I encountered such passion and dedication from a Professor, and I think I speak for every attendee when I say this. You were always extremely meticulous in the preparation of the course and willing to help whenever needed. While some Professors might be satisfied with showcasing their knowledge, you also managed to convey your passion for the field in a lively format. […]
This was also my very first experience with the German school system and it reinforces my conviction that I made the right choice to apply for TUM! Everyday I get to school with a smile on the face.

M.M. 13.03.2018

I would like to thank you for the great effort that you put in the course. It was an interesting course for me, and new opportunity to learn about the field of Biorobotics. I really liked that you paid attention to the details of the assignments (for me I only put that much attention if it is something I am going to publish like a paper or something, but was nice that you still put the same effort and evaluation for better results). Some technical stuff were challenging for me (as it is not my field of expertise), but overall was nice to learn about them. I loved the Tuesday sessions (this comprehensive way of thinking).

A.D. 10.02.2020

“Great introduction course for those interested in biorobotics. Although it has  a high workload, it teaches you the design, control of optimization of bio-inspired systems as well as how to appropriately document your work”

J.S. 06.02.2020

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