Robotics and Control Course | IIT Roorkee NPTEL | Theory & Practice

Course Details

Master the Fundamentals and Frontiers of Robotics with IIT Roorkee's Premier NPTEL Course

The field of robotics represents one of the most dynamic and interdisciplinary frontiers of modern engineering, merging principles from mathematics, control theory, mechanics, and computer science. For students and professionals eager to build a solid theoretical foundation while engaging with cutting-edge practical applications, the NPTEL course Robotics and Control: Theory and Practice is an unparalleled opportunity. This 8-week program, offered by esteemed faculty from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, provides a comprehensive journey from basic manipulator kinematics to advanced topics in medical and rehabilitation robotics.

Meet Your Expert Instructors

The course is led by two distinguished professors with decades of combined research and teaching experience in robotics and control systems.

Prof. N. Sukavanam brings a profound mathematical perspective to the subject. A Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics at IIT Roorkee, his research in Nonlinear Analysis, Control Theory, and Robotics is backed by guiding 19 Ph.D. students and publishing extensively in refereed journals. His experience in developing online pedagogy, including previous NPTEL courses on Dynamical Systems and Control, ensures the material is presented with clarity and academic rigor.

Prof. M. Felix Orlando of the Department of Electrical Engineering introduces a strong applied and innovative dimension. Specializing in medical and rehabilitation robotics, visual servoing, and biomechanics, his post-doctoral work at Case Western Reserve University, USA, and his Early Career Research Award highlight his focus on translating theory into impactful technological solutions, particularly in healthcare.

Who Should Enroll in This Robotics Course?

This course is meticulously designed for a wide audience:

• Students at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Communication, Computer Science, and Mathematics.
• Researchers and Academics looking to solidify their understanding of robotic modeling and control.
• Engineers and Professionals in fields like Product Design, Advanced Dynamics, and Systems Engineering seeking to innovate in robotics.

Prerequisites: A basic understanding of mathematics, matrices, and ordinary differential equations is recommended to fully engage with the course material.

Detailed 8-Week Course Curriculum

The course layout is structured to build knowledge progressively, from core principles to specialized applications.

Weeks 1-2: Foundational Kinematics

The journey begins with the bedrock of robotics. You'll learn about simple manipulators, derive their kinematics equations, and understand the concept of workspace. The crucial Homogeneous Transformation for representing rotation and translation is covered, leading to the industry-standard Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) Algorithm for assigning coordinate frames and parameters to any robotic arm. The module culminates in deriving the arm matrix and solving Inverse Kinematics for standard manipulators like PUMA and SCARA.

Weeks 3-4: Motion Analysis & Planning

Week 3 introduces the exciting domain of Robotic Exoskeletons, focusing on optimal design for rehabilitation. Week 4 delves into how robots move, covering differential transformations, Jacobians (which relate joint velocities to end-effector velocity), and the critical task of Trajectory Planning using polynomial methods, with applications in bipedal robot gait.

Weeks 5-6: Dynamics & Advanced Kinematics

Here, the focus shifts to the forces that cause motion. Using the Lagrangian method, you will derive the dynamic equations of a robot. This naturally leads to Control Systems design, including trajectory tracking control and PD controllers. The course also explores advanced topics like Neural Network control design, redundancy resolution in robotic/human fingers, and the kinematics of flexible-link robots.

Weeks 7-8: Cutting-Edge Applications in Medical Robotics

Leveraging Prof. Felix Orlando's expertise, the final weeks explore frontier research areas. Topics include Robot-Assisted Needling Systems for percutaneous interventions and smart robotic needles for cancer treatment. The course concludes with advanced control strategies, such as robust force control and neural control implementations for finger exoskeletons, bridging the gap between biological systems and robotic actuation.

Key Learning Outcomes and Career Relevance

By completing this course, participants will:

• Acquire the ability to model, analyze, and control robotic manipulators.
• Gain insight into solving both forward and inverse kinematics problems.
• Understand and formulate dynamic equations for robotic systems.
• Design basic trajectory tracking and force controllers.
• Explore innovative research and design principles in medical and rehabilitation robotics.
• Develop the skills to direct engineering solutions in new and unfamiliar robotic applications.

Essential Reference Materials

The course draws upon a blend of classic textbooks and contemporary research, providing a well-rounded bibliography:

Robotics and Control: Theory and Practice is more than just an online course; it's a gateway to mastering the principles that power automation, advanced manufacturing, and next-generation assistive technologies. Under the guidance of IIT Roorkee's expert faculty, you will gain the knowledge to contribute to this rapidly evolving field, whether your interest lies in industrial automation, academic research, or groundbreaking medical devices. Enroll to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and their transformative practical applications.

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