Syllabus for ECE 7334: Advanced Digital Control

Spring 2015

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Location: Room D N61 (basement of Engr. Bld. 1)

Class:
MoWe 1:00 Pm 2:30pm
Office hours:
MoWe 2:30-3:30pm
3:30pm N338, Tues 1:00-2:00pm
1:00
N386, or appointment
Instructor: Dr. Aaron T Becker, atbecker@uh.edu
Prerequisites:
1. Calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, introductory controls course
2. Good programming skills in MATLAB. The University of Houston has a free site
license. There are also computers in the Engineering Computer Center
3. Graduate standing
Textbook: (PR) Probabilistic Robotics, 2005 $64 on Amazon
S. Thrun, W. Burgard, and D. Fox.
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, September 2005.
ISBN 0-262-20162-3.
http://www.probabilistic-robotics.org/ (check the errata page)
Readings and assignments will come from this book. Over the next 14 weeks we will
intensively learn from chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14.
(1) Introduction: Probability, Modeling
(2) Recursive State Estimation
(5) Robot Motion (velocity and odometry)
(6) Robot Perception
(14) Markov Decision Processes
(3) Gaussian Filters (Kalman, EKF, Unscented, Information Filter)
(4) Non parametric Filters
Final Project Presentations

P(x)
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
x
-6

-4

-2

P(x)
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
x
-6

-4

-2

Grading: Grades will be determined on the basis of exams, quizzes, attendance, and submitted homework grades with the
following approximate weights. The actual weights will be fixed at the end of the semester.

Homework assignments and projects: 80%

o You are allowed
d to discuss the homework problems
p
and projects with your classmate but you cannot copy your
classmates homework and project.
o Suspected cases of dishonesty will be promptly submitted to departmentss hearing officer, as per the University of
Houstons Academic Honesty policy.
Final examination: 20%.

Exam Schedule:: The FINAL EXAM will be given on Wednesday,

Style: This course will be presented from a robotics point of view, but since any control system can be called a robot, all
concepts can be extended to your problem domains by changing models and terminology. There will be an emphasis on
programming and simulation.
Goals: By May 2015, you will be able to
Articulate dominant sources of uncertainty in your problem domain.
Apply Bayes rule to update a probability distribution
Simulate digitally controlled mechanical system under uncertainty
Implement a Kalman Filterr on any linear system
Implement Extended Kalman Filter on non-linear problems, describe tradeoffs
Implement a Markov Decision Process and choose optimal control values
Model canonical robot systems
Implement and tune a particle filter system
Describe engineering tradeoffs between Bayes Filter, Kalman Filter, Extended Kalman Filter, Unscented Kalman Filter,
Particle Filter
Date
1 W, 1/21

Topic
Basics

Reading
PR 1

Assignment
Getting Started with

Syllabus for ECE 7334: Advanced Digital Control

2 M, 1/26
3 W, 1/28
4 M, 2/2
5 W, 2/4
6 M, 2/9
7 W, 2/11
8 M, 2/16
9 W, 2/18
10 M, 2/23
11 W, 2/25
12 M, 3/2
13 W, 3/4
14 M, 3/9
15 W, 3/11
-- M, 3/16
-- W, 3/18
16 M, 3/23
17 W, 3/25
18 M, 3/30
19 W, 4/1
20 M, 4/6
21 W, 4/8
22 M, 4/13
23 W, 4/15
24 M, 4/20
25 W, 4/22
26 M, 4/27
27 W, 4/29
28 M, 5/4
W, 5/14

Spring 2015

Concepts in Probability,
Probability
In-class
class probability exam
Recursive State Estimation
Bayes Filters
INTRO to Matlab at HPC
Robot Motion kinematics
Robot Motion velocity model
Robot Motion odometry model
Kalman Filter:: linear Gauss syst.
Intro Kalman Filter:derivation
Filter
Robot Perception beam model
Robot Percep. likelihood fields
Robot Percep. Measure models
Markov Decision Processes
Markov DP: Value iteration
Break
Break
Markov DP: applications
Gaussian Filters (Kalman,
(
Filter)
Gaussian Filters (EKF)
Gaussian Filters Unscented
Gaussian Filters (Info.
(Info Filter)
Non-parametric
parametric Filters:
Filters Histogram

Non parametric Filters:

Filters particle
Non parametric Filters:
Filters particle
Non parametric Filters
Review
Final Project Presentations
Final Project Presentations
Final Project Presentations
FINAL EXAM, from 8 to 11 AM.

PR 2.1-2.4
PR 2.3
PR 2.4-2.6
PR 2.4-2.6
PR 5.1-5.3
PR 5.4
PR 5.5-5.6
3.1-3.2
3.3
6.1-6.3
6.4-6.6
6.7-6.8
14.1-14.2
14.3

14.4-14.5
3.1-3.2
3.3
3.4-3.5
3.1-3.6
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.1-4.3
2.1-4.6

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MATLAB (7:00) and MATLAB

Examples
(2-6
6 minutes each)
MIT Matlab intro
H1 assigned
PGH 200, interactive lecture
H1 due, H2 assigned

H2 due, H3 assigned
H3 due, H4 assigned

H4 due, H5 assigned

H5 due, H6 assigned

H6 due, H7 assigned

H7 due

Term Project: As your final assignment, you will write a research proposal containing simulation results implementing
probabilistic filtering on a system from your research domain.
The assignment does not require you to carry out the full research project, but to provide preliminary work to convince a
reader that the project is worthwhile, and that it can be carried out as you describe.
The proposal will have four major sections.
Problem: What is the problem you would like to solve? What are the uncertainties in this problem? What is the
general approach you plan to take? What audience is interested in the solution to this
this problem?
Background:: What work has already been done on this problem? What alternative approaches have already been
tried? Why has the problem not already been solved?
Methods: What is your special approach that will help you solve this problem where others have failed previously?
Provide simulation results. What tools exist that will help you solve it? What intermediate results will there be, on the
way to the final solution? How will you evaluate your intermediate
int
and final results?
Research Plan: Provide a plan for carrying out your research project, including estimates of how long each stage will
take, how you will respond to the results of intermediate evaluations, and when the project will be completed
completed. List the
conferences and journals where you would submit papers on your results.
There will be four deadlines for submitting drafts of your proposal, one after the completion of each section
section, as part of the later
homeworks. Almost always, in each draft you will revise the previous sections in light of further work and thought. You will
get feedback on the earlier drafts, but only the final draft will be graded.
Academic Honesty Policy: Students in this course are expected to follow the Academic Honesty Policy of the University of
Houston. It is your responsibility to know and follow this policy. You must sign the Academic Honesty Statement on the last

Syllabus for ECE 7334: Advanced Digital Control

Spring 2015

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page of this handout, detach it, and submit it.. If you fail to do this, you may be dropped from the course. For more information,
see the Academic Honesty in the Undergraduate Catalog which is available on-line at
http://catalog.uh.edu/content.php?catoid=8&navoid=1352
.edu/content.php?catoid=8&navoid=1352
Religious Holy Days: Students whose religious beliefs prohibit class attendance on designated dates or attendance at
scheduled exams may request an excused absence. To do this, you are strongly encouraged to request the excused absence,
in writing, by Wednesday, February 4, 2015. Please submit this written request to your instructor to allow the instructor to
make appropriate arrangements.
More information can be found at
http://www.uh.edu/dos/studenthandbook/academicpolicy/a_holydays.html
Students with Disabilities: Students with recognized disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations, appropriate to
the course, upon documentation
mentation of the disability with a Student Accommodation Form from the Center for Students with
Disabilities.. To receive these accommodations, you must request the specific accommodations, by submitting them to the
instructor in writing, by Wednesday, Wednesday,
esday, February 4, 2015. Students who fail to submit a written request will not be
considered for accommodations. More information, can be found at
http://www.uh.edu/dos/studenthandbook/academicpolicy/a_disability.html
studenthandbook/academicpolicy/a_disability.html
Attendance: Attendance at all classes is expected and required. The instructor may, if he chooses, take attendance in any class,
at any time during the class. The instructor may do this as many times per class
class period as he chooses, without warning. The
attendance grade can be included in the grade for the course. Attendance at every class is expected. Roll will be occasionally
taken and an in-class
class exam may be given during any class period. There will be no make-up
up of missed in
in-class exams.
Grade Posting: You may find out your grade in the course on-line
on line using PeopleSoft. Normally, the grades are available about
one week after the final exam. The instructor is not allowed to give out grades over the phone or by email. During the
semester, grades will be posted on Blackboard in a secure manner, i.e., so that only you will have access to your grades. Fin
Final
grades will also be posted on Blackboard at the end of the semester; however, the official grade reporting is done on
PeopleSoft, not on the Blackboard.
Grade Point Rule: The following approximate grade point scale will be used in determining your grade. This scale may be
modified somewhat, but is included here so that you will have a general idea of
of how well you are doing in the course. The final
grade scale will be determined at the end of the semester.
90100: A's

8089.9: B's

7079.9: C's

6069.9: D's

<60: F

Withdrawal Policy: The withdrawal dates listed in the Academic Calendar section of the
th Class Schedule will be followed
strictly. You may drop the course without receiving a grade until Wednesday, February 4, 2015 which is the University's last
day to drop without receiving a grade. After this date and until Monday April 6, which is the University's
University's last day to drop, you
may drop with a W if you have not exceeded your total W limit (the limit applies to undergraduate students only). Grades of
Incomplete (I) will be given only when a small portion of the course has not been completed for a go
good reason. If the material
has been completed, an I grade cannot be given. Detailed information about these issues is available in the University of
Houston Undergraduate Catalog.
Blackboard: We will be using the Blackboard Learn web site (http://www.uh.edu/blackboard)
(
) for posting of grades and
email only. All documents and handouts will be available on the website at http://www.egr.uh.edu/cours
http://www.egr.uh.edu/courses/ece/Ece2300/.
We will assume that your UH e-mail alias (joejones@uh.edu
joejones@uh.edu) is pointed to a working e-mail
mail server, and that you are available
at that address.