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Course Information
- Course Code and Number: IM-UH 2117
- Course Title: Performing Robots
- Credit Hours: 4
- This is a 14 week course consisting of fourteen 75 minute meetings and fourteen 150 minute meetings
- Class location: C3-029 (IM Lab in the Art Center)
- Prerequisites: None
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This course counts toward the following NYUAD degree requirements:
- Majors > Interactive Media
- Majors > Interactive Media > Physical Computing
- Minors > Interactive Media
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Faculty Details
- Professor: Michael Shiloh [email protected]
- Office hours: Schedule an appointment here
- Office phone number: 02-628-5185
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Session: Fall 2024
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Meeting times:
- 2:10-3:25 Tuesday
- 2:10-4:50 Thursday
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Instructional time requirements are met by the scheduled meeting times
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Course website: https://github.com/michaelshiloh/PerformingRobots
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This file: syllabus
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This is subject to change
- Course Description
- Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
- Teaching and Learning Methodologies
- Graded Activities
- Course Materials
- Academic Policies and Resources
- Other Course Information
- Appendix 1: Interactive Media Major Program Learning Outcomes.
Intelligent robots living amongst ordinary people used to be a storyline relegated to the world of science-fiction. However, from military organizations and manufacturing companies to mobile devices and maid services, the 21st century has witnessed a rapid adoption of automated machinery in both the private and public sector.
Assuming robotic technology continues to proliferate, what will it mean for us to live amongst robots? What will these robots look like and how will they behave? How can we meaningfully effect their development and impact? If the history of predicting the future has taught us anything, it's that predictions are often inaccurate. We shouldn't expect that our future with robots will look or act very much like most science-fiction depictions. However, as new technologies are developed, it tends to be artists who are the first to apply these technologies in surprising, unanticipated, and often enlightening fashions.
Thus, in this course, students will explore the significance of robots through the context of art by learning about and building experimental robots for theatrical performance. We will define robots broadly and consider a wide range of machines, both autonomous and remote-controlled, for the purpose of creative expression and performance. Fundamental questions we will attempt to address include:
- Why make robotic performances?
- Beyond the element of novelty, can robotic performances be compelling?
- How can we create robots that convey meaning and emotion?
- What can robotic performers do that human performers can't? And is that important for a performance?
Course material will incorporate both theoretical and practical components. Students will be exposed to critical analysis regarding the historical and contemporary use of machines in the context of art and theatrical performance. In parallel, students will also learn about electronics, programming, robotics and mechanical construction techniques. Over the course of the semester, students will iterate through multiple robotic projects culminating with their own performative robot. The course will finish with a public performance by the robots.
You do not need to prove your brilliance, but do prove your intellectual engagement and curiosity.
| CLO number | Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: | Linked to Program Learning Outcome * (Level of Contribution - High/Medium/Low) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Work in a team to conceptualize and fabricate a simple remote controlled robot for performance | PLO 8: High, PLO 3: High, PLO 5: High, PLO 6, Medium |
| 2 | Design robotic features to express a unique personality using standard electronic components | PLO 3: High, PLO PLO 6: Medium |
| 3 | Maximize the expressive ability of a robot given its limitations | PLO 6: Medium |
| 4 | Develop technical skills in programming, electronics, mechatronics, and debugging | PLO 5: High, PLO 4: Medium |
| 5 | Learn how to constantly monitor and revise a plan based on unexpected developments to deliver a Minimum Viable Project (MVP) on a deadline | PLO 4: Medium, PLO 7: Medium |
| 6 | Analyze and critique cultural, social, historical, ethical, and aesthetic discourse on robots | PLO 1: High, PLO 4: High |
| 7 | Research, articulate, and defend a position on a cultural, social, historical, ethical, or aesthetic topic in robotics | PLO 1: High, PLO 4: High |
* The Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are described in Appendix 1: Interactive Media Major Program Learning Outcomes.
This is a production based course. Students will be learning primarily through hands-on experience and iterative experimentation. Classes will move quickly through each topic, first providing a theoretical foundation along with technical instruction, moving as quickly as possible to where students implement each topic themselves.
Individual classes may consist of, but not be limited to, the following: lecture, discussion, examples, group work, demonstrations, hands-on exercises and presentations.
Outside of the class, students will engage in both individual and group work. Group work will require coordinating with other members of the group to schedule group meetings.
Students are required to operate their robots during a performance as part of the Interactive Media End of Semester Showcase.
- Engaging in class discussions and offering advice, input, feedback, etc during class is a major part of your grade. Participating in class is helpful for me to get to know you as an individual and keep track of your progress. What is equally important is that it provides you and your classmates the opportunity to learn from each other through the sharing of failures, successes, and insights on the work you are doing.
- Students must be present at the IM end of semester show.
Rubric:
- Level of participation on a scale of 0 to 3, then prorated according to the Grade Distribution
| Performance Indicator | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency of participation in class and in meetings | Frequently initiates contributions and offers to respond to questions posed in class; regularly contributes to discussion or asks questions | Occasionally initiates contributions and offers to respond to questions posed in class; occasionally raises questions in meetings | Rarely initiates contributions and offers to respond to questions posed in class; rarely raises questions in meetings | Does not initiate contributions and will only respond to direct questions posed to student; does not raise questions in meetings |
| Quality of comments / questions | Comments always insightful and constructive; asks insightful questions that demonstrate student has actively listened to the presentation and engaged with the material | Comments mostly insightful; asks questions that demonstrate good engagement with the material presented during the presentation | Comments are sometimes constructive; comments too long or not always relevant to discussion; comments have already been stated | Comments are uninformative; heavy reliance on general sentiment (“I don’t like the idea”, “sounds great”) |
| Listening skills | Actively listens during meetings / presentations, including when other students speak; builds on comments of others; never uses laptop inappropriately | Mostly attentive when others present or pose questions; occasionally needs reminder from instructor to focus or comment; was reminded once not to use laptop during presentations | Often inattentive and needs reminder to focus in class; interrupts others or otherwise disrupts others who are speaking; had to be reminded 2-3 in the semester not to use laptop during presentations | Does not listen to others; speaks while others speak; detracts from discussion; had to be reminded more than 4 times in the semester not to use laptop during presentations |
- Weekly assignments consist primarily, but not exclusively, of steps in the development and construction of your robots
- Unless you have built many robots in the past, you are unlikely to have a good sense of how long tasks should take. Weekly assignments help keep the robot construction on track, alert me to difficulties, and break up the project into manageable chunks.
- Each week you are expected to report on your progress in your Github repository journal. Each journal entry should include a description of the assignment and how you addressed it. Include pictures, videos, and code snippets, as appropriate. Include the sources of any information you found useful such as code, schematics, explanations, etc. Copying code or techniques without attribution is plagiarism. Few ideas come out of the blue, and your readers can learn a lot from the sources from which you learned and by which you were were inspired. The writing is expected to be well reasoned, grammatically correct, and written as if it were a paper being turned in.
Rubric:
Each weekly assignment is worth up to 2 points, then prorated according to the Grade Distribution
| Excellent (2 points) | Poor (1 point) | Incomplete (0 points) |
|---|---|---|
| All parts of the assignment have been completed reliably and robustly; journal documentation is complete and well written | Most parts of the assignment have been completed and are mostly reliable and robust; documentation is mostly present and well written | Most parts of the assignment have been not been completed or are unreliable or not robust; journal entry is incomplete or absent |
- Working in teams of two, complete your robot base so that it can move forwards and backwards and can turn left and right, and do all of this at different speeds. Select a personality for your robot base and express it using only its ability to move.
- Document this thoroughly in your Github repository in a file called
midtermProject.md. As you are working in teams, it is sufficient for the documentation to be in the repository of one of you, but the other person must still create a file calledmidtermProject.mdand in it provide a link to the documentation in the other team member's repository.
Rubric:
The midterm assignment receives a maximum of 5 points, then prorated according to the Grade Distribution
| Criteria | Excellent (5 points) | Very Good (4 points) | Good (3 points) | Marginal (2 points | Poor (1 point) | Incomplete (0 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment Quality | All exercise criteria are fulfilled and work shows excellent level of effort and attention to detail. | Assignment is slightly incomplete or is not implemented to an extremely high standard; documentation is almost entirely complete or is complete but the writing quality does not rise to the level of excellent. | Assignment is moderately complete or is implemented to a moderate standard; documentation is almost entirely complete or is complete but is only of a moderate quality | Assignment is marginally complete or is implemented to a marginal standard; documentation is marginally complete or is complete but is only of a marginal quality | Assignment is barely complete or is implemented to a very low standard; documentation is barely complete or is only of a poor quality | Hardly any required components are present or assignment was not submitted |
Each student will research two cultural, social, historical, ethical, technical, or aesthetic topics in the field of robotics, and develop and defend a thesis in each one with proper supporting evidence.
Students will give their presentations in panels consisting of four students. Each panel will work together to read and discuss each others' presentations, and each panelist will lead the class in a short discussion on the presentation of one of the other panelists. Panelists are responsible for coordinating amongst themselves meeting times to prepare.
Each student is free to select their topics but must communicate their choices to me for approval by week 3. A spreadsheet will be provided for each student to select the two dates for giving their presentations and participating in the panel discussions on a "first-come, first-served" basis.
Panels will take place during the short meeting of weeks 4-10.
Rubric:
The panel presentations receive a maximum of 10 points, then prorated according to the Grade Distribution
| Criteria | Excellent (5 points) | Very Good (4 points) | Good (3 points) | Marginal (2 points | Poor (1 point) | Incomplete (0 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation Quality | Presentation is of high quality and shows evidence of excellent research; thesis is clearly articulated and is extremely well defended with supporting evidence | Presentation is of very good quality and shows evidence of very good research; thesis is very well articulated and defended with very good supporting evidence | Presentation is of good quality or shows evidence of good research; thesis is well articulated and defended with good supporting evidence | Presentation is of marginal quality or shows evidence of marginal research; thesis is marginally articulated and defended with marginal supporting evidence | Presentation is of poor quality or shows evidence of poor research; thesis is poorly articulated and defended with poor supporting evidence | Presentation is of very poor quality or doesn't show evidence of research; thesis is very poorly articulated and defended with very poor supporting evidence |
| Discussion Quality | Discussion is of high quality and shows evidence of excellent understanding of and engagement with the presentation; Questions are thoughtful and insightful; panelist's replies are integrated into further questions | Discussion is of very good quality and shows evidence of very good understanding of and engagement with the presentation; Questions are thoughtful and insightful; panelist's replies are very well integrated into further questions | Discussion is of good quality and shows evidence of good understanding of and engagement with the presentation; Questions are mostly thoughtful and insightful; panelist's replies are well integrated into further questions | Discussion is of marginal quality and shows evidence of marginal understanding of and engagement with the presentation; Questions are marginally thoughtful and insightful; panelist's replies are not well integrated into further questions | Discussion is of poor quality and shows evidence of poor understanding of and engagement with the presentation; Questions are barely thoughtful and offer little to no insight; panelist's replies are barely integrated into further questions | No discussion |
The final project is the robot that will perform in the Interactive Media End of Semester Showcase. The final project grade will be determined in the last meeting of the class.
Rubric:
The final project receive a maximum of 20 points, then prorated according to the Grade Distribution
| Criteria | Excellent (5 points) | Very Good (4 points) | Good (3 points) | Marginal (2 points | Poor (1 point) | Incomplete (0 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept and creativity | Robot shows excellent concept and creativity; the personality of the robot is evident in the design; creative use of standard components to give the robot a unique design | Very good concept and creativity; very good evidence of intentional design | Good concept and creativity; good evidence of intentional design, but some evidence of standard robotic tropes | Marginal concept and creativity; much evidence of standard robotic tropes, very few surprises; very little excitement | Almost no evidence of creativity | Incomplete |
| Functionality | Excellent functionality; all features are implemented | Very good functionality; almost all all features are implemented | Good functionality; most features work as designed | Marginal; only those features necessary for the script are implemented | Poor functionality: many features unimplemented; some necessary features unimplemented | Incomplete |
| Technical implementation | Excellent implementation; very high standard of construction, extremely highly reliable behavior, excellent layout allowing access for repair and modification | Very good functionality; high construction standard; very good reliability and layout | Good functionality; reliability, robustness, and ease of modification are quite good | Marginal; reliability and robustness are intermittent; construction in barely adequate; layout makes access possible but difficult | Poor implementation; robot is unreliable; construction is flimsy, layout makes access impossible or very difficult unimplemented | Incomplete |
| Appearance | Evidence of great attention to appearance; finish is refined; excellent use of construction materials such as fabrics, metal, etc.; painting or other decorations well implemented and contribute effectively to the personality of the robot | Very good appearance; finish is very good, with evidence of very good attention to appearance; very good use of paint or other decorations | Good appearance; good attention to detail; good use of paint, fabrics, and other decorations | Robot is primarily functional with barely adequate but uninspiring appearance | Very little evidence of consideration to appearance | Incomplete |
| Activity | Percentage of final grade | Submission Date (week) | CLOs assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 10 | Weekly | 6 |
| Weekly assignment | 20 | Weekly | See Schedule |
| Midterm | 20 | Week 7 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Panel | 20 | na | 6, 7 |
| Final project | 30 | Week 14 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Total | 100 |
| Letter Grade | Minimum Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 94 |
| A- | 90 |
| B+ | 86 |
| B | 83 |
| B- | 80 |
| C+ | 76 |
| C | 73 |
| C- | 70 |
| D+ | 66 |
| D | 63 |
| F | 0 |
All required course materials will be provided. Students may optionally elect to purchase additional accessories for their robot, but this is not required.
A list of optional supplemental textbooks may be found here.
Work submitted up to five days late will receive a reduced grade. Work more than 5 days late will be accepted at the discretion of the professor. If you need an extension please contact the professor in advance.
This is an intense course. You should be prepared to spend many hours working on your robot. I expect your attendance, attention, and engagement throughout the semester. If you do not feel that you can remain fully engaged in this course, consider dropping it. Your attendance is demonstrated by showing up for every class on time. Your attention is demonstrated by not using phones or laptops or other distractions. Your engagement is demonstrated by taking notes, by asking questions, and by participating in discussions.
- Attendance is mandatory. Every class builds off the preceding one so it is vital to be present and on time for every lesson.
- I recognize that some absences are unavoidable. If you know you are going to be late or absent, please email me in advance. If you have an emergency, let me know as soon as you can. To receive an excused absence, you must ask in advance, and receive written permission from me.
- If you plan on not attending more than two meetings during the semester, consider taking the course at some other time.
Rubric:
- Arriving late by more than 10 minutes, either at the start of class or following a break, will count as an unexcused absence.
- Each unexcused absence reduces your final grade by 5%.
- Absences due to holiday travel or vacation travel will not be excused.
- During lectures, when classmates are presenting or we’re in the midst of a class discussion, use of these items is not permitted
- Use of a laptop more than 4 times a semester during lecture, presentations, or discussions will result in 0 points for participation
- Notes should be taken using pen and paper unless you have discussed this with me and received written approval
- If you have an emergency that requires you to answer your phone during class, please tell me ahead of time
If you have any questions, would like extra help, or need further instruction, please reach out to me. You can communicate with me via email, sign up for office hours, or any time you see me. Please let me know if you have any concerns about the material or your progress in the course. I am very willing to help, it is your responsibility to take the first step of reaching out to me.
At NYU Abu Dhabi, a commitment to excellence, fairness, honesty, and respect within and outside the classroom is essential to maintaining the integrity of our community. By accepting membership in this community, students, faculty, and staff take responsibility for demonstrating these values in their own conduct and for recognizing and supporting these values in others. In turn, these values create a campus climate that encourages the free exchange of ideas, promotes scholarly excellence through active and creative thought, and allows community members to achieve and be recognized for achieving their highest potential.
Students should be aware that engaging in behaviors that violate the standards of academic integrity will be subject to review and may face the imposition of penalties in accordance with the procedures set out in the NYUAD policy.
The full policies and procedures relating to Academic Integrity may be found on the NYUAD Student Portal
New York University is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for students with disabilities. The center works with NYU students to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations that support equal access to a world-class education. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. Disability-related information is never disclosed without student permission.
Find further information at: https://students.nyuad.nyu.edu/student-affairs/student-persistence/students-withdisabilities/
Contact: [email protected] (this emails the center at NYU directly)
[email protected] (this emails the NYUAD team)
As a university student, you may experience a range of issues that can interfere with your ability to perform academically or impact your daily functioning, such as: heightened stress; anxiety; difficulty concentrating; sleep disturbance; strained relationships; grief and loss; personal struggles. If you have any well-being or mental health concerns, please visit the Counseling Center on the ground floor of the campus center from 9am-5pm Sunday - Thursday, or schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor by calling: +971 02-628-8100, or emailing: [email protected]. If you require mental health support outside of these hours, call NYU's Wellness Exchange hotline at +971 02-628- 5555, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also utilize the Wellness Exchange mobile chat feature, details of which you can find on the student portal.
Located in the NYUAD Library, the Center for Writing is an excellent resource for you to use throughout your university career. Consultants will meet with you to discuss your writing for any writing project. They don't do the work for you—they don't edit or proofread your work or give you ideas—but they can help you figure out what you need to do in order to improve your writing. To register as a client and to schedule an appointment, go to https://nyuad.mywconline.com. It is wise to schedule appointments well in advance because appointment slots fill up.
NYU’s Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Holidays and Observances states that students may, without penalty, excuse themselves from academic obligations and otherwise receive a reasonable accommodation when required for religious and spiritual holidays and observances. You must notify me in advance of religious holidays or observances that might coincide with exams, assignments, or class times to schedule reasonable alternatives. Students may also contact [email protected] for assistance.
This is likely to change as we see what sort of robots you choose to make and what sort of problems develop
| Week | Topic(s) | Homework | CLOs Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Arduino review | Arduino review, Github and Discord accounts | 4 |
| Week 2 | Motors with external power supplies | Motor control with switch, potentiometer | 4 |
| Week 3 | Discuss play theme; Music Maker Shield, NeoPixels | Select play theme, select presentation topics, Music Maker Shield, NeoPixels | 1 |
| Week 4 | Common robot base, electronic fabrication rules, soldering | soldering, L298 interface board | 3, 4 |
| Week 5 | Tool Training | Common robot base 90% complete | 3, 4 |
| Week 6 | Finalize play outline and characters | choose team, character (sketch and description), 1 dialogue | 1 |
| Week 7 | Remote control of robot base; presentations Midterm | movement based personality | 3, 4 |
| Week 8 | Unique robot features, servo motors, nRF servo shield | sketch and describe all features | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Week 9 | Fabrication techniques: cardboard, wood, aluminium | robot body 90%, prototype mechanical features | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 10 | nRF transmitter and receiver | Finish robot body and all features | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 11 | Remote control of robot features | Remote control all features and dialogue | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 12 | Finishing touches, rehearsals | Complete any late assignmensts | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 13 | Rehearsals | Complete any late assignmensts | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 14 | Perform at the IM End of Semester Showcase! | na |
- Arrive on time or a few minutes early
- Attend every lesson unless you are sick
- If you miss a lesson, ask a classmate to fill you in on what you missed
- Silence all notifications on your laptop, phone, and watch
- Bring a notebook to class and take notes during class
- Ask questions and participate in discussions and critique
- During in-class hands-on activities, work diligently. Once you have the basic thing working, experiment with modifications
- Start homework and projects early
- For any assignment or project, do the most difficult part first
- Document your work as you go along, writing directly in your journal. Take photographs and videos as appropriate. Draw sketches in your notebook, photograph them, and add to your journal.
- Pay attention when things go wrong. Try to understand why. Ask questions, do research on the internet. The ability to approach debugging with a logical and critical mind is a superpower.
- Aim to have your robot assignments done two days before they are due
- Expect things to take much longer than you think. Be pleasantly surprised when they don't. Feel free to tell me that I was wrong
- Expect unexpected problems and failures. Embrace the opportunity to learn something new.
- Expect things to not work when you think they should
- Beware of the word "should", such as "this shouldn't take too long" or "this should work". Unless you've built many robots in the past, you have no basis for making this judgement and you are probably wrong.
- Put serious effort into solving problems, but at the same time be ready to change your design or plan to avoid the issue. Knowing when to abandon a problem and instead to develop a workaround is another superpower.
- Reach out to me early and often. I like it when students ask me questions. Don't be afraid of becoming a nuisance to me. That is my responsibility, and in all my years of teaching that has never happened.
Upon completion of the major in Interactive Media at NYU Abu Dhabi, all students are expected to have fulfilled the following:
- Research and Understanding: IM students will cultivate a substantive understanding of the past, present, and future landscape of Interactive Media.
- Analytical Thinking: IM students will be challenged to answer fundamental questions relating to the field of Interactive Media.
- Conceptual Thinking: IM students will develop conceptual skills through the use of computational and interactive media tools to create project-based work and project oriented research.
- Critical Thinking: IM students will refine their critical thinking skills by analyzing and critiquing work in cultural, social, historical, ethical, and aesthetic contexts.
- Technical Implementation: IM students will cultivate technical skills with contemporary media technologies to execute their coursework.
- Creative Processes: IM students will gain the ability to explore, innovate, and realize creative ideas in multiple fields of inquiry and interest.
- Organization and Communication: IM students will develop professional practices of delivering and sharing their work.
- Collaboration: IM Students will gain experience in collaboration through active participation in group and team-based work.