OSPKYOTO 66:
Robotics: Technology and Culture
This course provides an introduction to robotics technology and its relationship to culture. Students will learn how to build, program, and control robotic devices using kits that facilitate development of hands-on skills. In addition, we will examine the influence of robotics on culture and vice versa. In the process, students will gain an appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of robots, develop practical interdisciplinary engineering skills, and understand how the design of robots is driven by culture. In-class laboratories will give students hands-on experience in assembling mechanical systems, making circuits, programming Arduino micro controllers, and testing robot behaviors. Tours to robotics laboratories in the Kyoto, Japan area will give students the chance to observe cutting-edge robotics research and interview Japanese researchers about how their environment influences the robots they design. Students will learn to assemble and program simple robotic devices, read and discuss original works and commentaries about robotics and Japanese culture, and work in teams to complete projects that examine an existing robot, its technical capabilities, and its relationship to Japanese culture.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3