Title: An Overview of the Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University and an Introduction to Kinematically Redundant Robotics
Abstract: The first half of this talk will give a brief overview to the department of electrical and computer engineering at Colorado State University and highlight some of the research activities of its faculty. The second half will focus on several research topics that are related to kinematically redundnat robotics. Kinematically redundant robots are those that, like most biological systems, possess more than the minimum number of joints required to perform a specified motion. In an effort to mimic the dexterity of biological systems, researchers have built a number of kinematically redundant robotic systems, e.g., anthropomorphic arms, multi-fingered hands, dual-arm manipulators, and walking machines. While these systems vary in their appearance and intended applications, they all require motion control strategies that coordinate large numbers of joints to achieve the high degree of dexterity possible with redundant systems. This talk will discuss the issues that arise when designing such strategies.