The field of robotics integrates sensing, information processing, and movement to accomplish specific tasks in the physical world. As such, it encompasses several topics, including mechanics and dynamics, kinematics, sensing, signal processing, control systems, planning, and artificial intelligence. Applications of these concepts appear in many areas including medicine, manufacturing, space exploration, disaster recovery, ordinance disposal, deep-sea navigation, home care, and home automation.
The faculty of the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR), in collaboration with the academic departments and centers of the Whiting School of Engineering, offers a robotics minor in order to provide a structure in which undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University can advance their knowledge in robotics while receiving recognition on their transcript for this pursuit. The minor is not “owned” by any one department, but rather it is managed by the LCSR itself. Any student from any department within the university can work toward the minor.
Robotics is fundamentally integrative and multidisciplinary. Therefore, any candidate for the robotics minor must develop a set of core skills that cut across these disciplines, as well as obtain advanced supplementary skills.
Please visit the program's website for current course listings and full minor policies.
Core Skills Include the Following
- Robot kinematics and dynamics (R)
- Systems theory, signal processing and control (S)
- Computation and sensing (C)
Supplementary advanced skills may be obtained in specialized applications, such as space, medicine, or marine systems; or in one of the three core areas listed above.
The full minor course listing, provided below and available at the program's website, specifies which courses fulfill these requirements. Please always check the website for the most up-to-date listing of courses. Note that all core areas must be covered, but that any advanced/supplementary courses can be chosen from the list. This allows students to strike a balance between breadth and depth.
Advising
- Students who decide to pursue the minor should first fill out a course plan for the Robotics minor, using the Checklist and submit the form to the Robotics Academic Program Manager for review.
- Then, students who decide to pursue the minor should complete the "Request a New major/Minor" form, which can be initiated in SIS Self-Service under the Online Forms screen. Students will be assigned a minor advisor during this process.
- Complete the Requirements Checkout tables in the Checklist while progressing towards the minor. Students should bring a copy of the form for review when meeting with their minor advisor.
- During senior year, students should ensure that the Robotics Minor is noted on their graduation application.
- When all requirements have been completed, submit the completed form to the Robotics Academic Program Manager for review and signature. Questions related to the minor should be directed to the Robotics Academic Program Manager.
The minor is managed by the faculty of the LCSR in collaboration with academic departments and centers of the Whiting School of Engineering. If students have suggestions/questions regarding the minor, please direct them to the Director of Education.
The information below describes the academic requirements for students entering JHU as degree-seeking students in Fall 2024. Students who entered JHU as degree-seeking students prior to Fall 2024 should view the appropriate archived catalogue.
MINOR REQUIREMENTS
The minor in Robotics requires 6 courses and 18 credits. At least 6 credits of the 18 must be outside the student's primary major (courses cross-listed with the student’s home department are acceptable). At most 3 credits of the 18 can be an independent research or individual study with a faculty member on the list of approved faculty advisors.
A grade of C- or higher is required for all courses. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade is accepted. Details of these requirements are as follows:
CORE SKILLS
Courses from the Robot Kinematics and Dynamics (R), Systems Theory, Signal Processing, and Control (S), Computation and Sensing (C), Laboratory (Lab), and Advanced Supplementary (Sup) may overlap. See below for the course listings.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| At least one R course | 3 | |
| At least one S course | 3 | |
| At least one C course | 3 | |
| At least one Lab course | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTARY SKILLS
Advanced Supplementary Skill (Sup) courses may overlap with courses from the Robot Kinematics and Dynamics (R), Systems Theory, Signal Processing, and Control (S), Computation and Sensing (C), and Laboratory (Lab). See below for the course listings.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| At least two Sup courses | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
SKILLS COURSES
Graduate levels of the same course may be substituted for the undergraduate levels listed below without additional permission.
Robot Kinematics and Dynamics (R)
R courses are coded in SIS as Program of Study (POS) Tag: ROBO-RMRR.
| Course Number/Title | Lab | R | S | C | Sup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN.530.343 Design and Analysis of Dynamical Systems | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.420 Robot Sensors/Actuators | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.421 Mechatronics | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.424 Dynamics of Robots and Spacecraft | x | x | |||
| EN.530.468 Locomotion Mechanics: Fundamentals | X | X | |||
| EN.530.469 Locomotion Mechanics: Recent Advances | X | X | |||
| EN.530.470 Space Vehicle Dynamics & Control | x | x | |||
| EN.530.603 Applied Optimal Control | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.645 Kinematics | x | x | |||
| EN.530.646 Robot Devices, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.678 Nonlinear Control and Planning in Robotics | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.691 Haptic Interface Design for Human-Robot Interaction | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.707 Robot System Program | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.535.782 Haptic Applications | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.455 Computer Integrated Surgery I | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.456 Computer Integrated Surgery II | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.463 Algorithms for Senor-Based Robotics | x | x | x |
Systems Theory, Signal Processing, and Control (S)
S courses are coded in SIS as Program of Study (POS) Tag: ROBO-RMSS.
| Course Number/Title | Lab | R | S | C | Sup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN.520.344 Introduction to Digital Systems Processing | x | x | |||
| EN.520.353 Control Systems | x | ||||
| EN.520.412 Machine Learning for Signal Processing | x | ||||
| EN.520.414 Image Processing & Analysis | x | x | |||
| EN.520.415 Image Process & Analysis II | x | x | |||
| EN.520.418 Modern Convex Optimization | X | X | |||
| EN.520.433 Medical Image Analysis | X | X | |||
| EN.520.454 Control Systems Design | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.612 Machine Learning for Signal Processing | x | ||||
| EN.530.343 Design and Analysis of Dynamical Systems | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.469 Locomotion Mechanics: Recent Advances | X | X | |||
| EN.530.470 Space Vehicle Dynamics & Control | x | x | |||
| EN.530.603 Applied Optimal Control | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.646 Robot Devices, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.678 Nonlinear Control and Planning in Robotics | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.553.361 Intro to Optimization | x | ||||
| EN.553.493 Mathematical Image Analysis | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.455 Computer Integrated Surgery I | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.463 Algorithms for Senor-Based Robotics | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.482 Machine Learning: Deep Learning | x | x | |||
| EN.601.760 FFT in Graphics & Vision | x | x | x |
Computation and Sensing (C)
C courses are coded in SIS as Program of Study (POS) Tag: ROBO-RMCC.
| Course Number/Title | Lab | R | S | C | Sup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN.520.349 Microprocessor Lab | X | X | X | ||
| EN.520.414 Image Processing & Analysis | x | x | |||
| EN.520.415 Image Process & Analysis II | x | x | |||
| EN.520.417 Computation for Engineers | x | ||||
| EN.520.418 Modern Convex Optimization | x | x | |||
| EN.520.424 FPGA Synthesis Lab | x | x | |||
| EN.520.432 Medical Imaging Systems | x | x | |||
| EN.520.448 Electronics Design Lab | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.450 Advanced Micro-Processor Lab | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.420 Robot Sensors/Actuators | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.421 Mechatronics | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.603 Applied Optimal Control | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.678 Nonlinear Control and Planning in Robotics | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.691 Haptic Interface Design for Human-Robot Interaction | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.707 Robot System Programming | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.535.782 Haptic Applications | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.553.493 Mathematical Image Analysis | x | x | x | ||
| EN.580.471 Principles of Design of BME Instrumentation | x | x | |||
| EN.580.571 Honors Instrumentation | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.433 Intro Algorithms | X | ||||
| EN.601.456 Computer Integrated Surgery II | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.461 Computer Vision | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.463 Algorithms for Sensor-Based Robotics | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.464 Artificial Intelligence | x | x | |||
| EN.601.475 Machine Learning | x | x | |||
| EN.601.476 Machine Learning: Data to Models | x | x | |||
| EN.601.490 Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction | x | ||||
| EN.601.491 Human-Robot Interaction | x | ||||
| EN.601.760 FFT In Graphics & Vision | x | x | x |
Laboratory (Lab)
Lab courses are coded in SIS as Program of Study (POS) Tag: ROBO-RMLB.
| Course Number/Title | Lab | R | S | C | Sup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN.520.349 Microprocessor Lab | X | X | X | ||
| EN.520.448 Electronics Design Lab | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.450 Advanced Micro-Processor Lab | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.454 Control Systems Design | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.343 Design and Analysis of Dynamical Systems | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.420 Robot Sensors/Actuators | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.421 Mechatronics | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.707 Robot System Programming | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.535.782 Haptic Applications | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.580.471 Principles of Design of BME Instrumentation | x | x | |||
| EN.580.571 Honors Instrumentation | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.455 Computer Integrated Surgery I | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.456 Computer Integrated Surgery II | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.461 Computer Vision | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.491 Human-Robot Interaction | X | X | |||
| AS.270.366 Spacecraft Instrumentation Project | X | X |
Advanced Supplementary (Sup)
Advanced Supplementary courses are coded in SIS as Program of Study (POS) Tag: ROBO-RMSU.
| Course Number/Title | Lab | R | S | C | Sup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN.520.344 Introduction to Digital Systems Processing | x | x | |||
| EN.520.349 Microprocessor Lab | X | X | X | ||
| EN.520.424 FPGA Synthesis Lab | x | x | |||
| EN.520.432 Medical Imaging Systems | x | x | |||
| EN.520.433 Medical Image Analysis | x | x | |||
| EN.520.635 Digital Signal Processing | x | x | |||
| EN.520.448 Electronics Design Lab | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.450 Advanced Micro-Processor Lab | X | X | X | ||
| EN.520.454 Control Systems Design | x | x | x | ||
| EN.520.462 Leading Innovation and Design Team | x | ||||
| EN.520.463 Leading Innovation and Design Team | x | ||||
| EN.530.424 Dynamics of Robots and Spacecraft | x | x | |||
| EN.530.468 Locomotion Mechanics: Fundamentals | X | X | |||
| EN.530.603 Applied Optimal Control | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.645 Kinematics | x | x | |||
| EN.530.646 Robot Devices, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.678 Nonlinear Control and Planning in Robotics | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.530.691 Haptic Interface Design for Human-Robot Interaction | x | x | x | ||
| EN.530.707 Robot System Programming | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.535.782 Haptic Applications | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.553.493 Mathematical Image Analysis | x | x | x | ||
| EN.580.571 Honors Instrumentation | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.455 Computer Integrated Surgery I | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.456 Computer Integrated Surgery II | x | x | x | x | |
| EN.601.461 Computer Vision | x | x | x | ||
| EN.601.464 Artificial Intelligence | x | x | |||
| EN.601.475 Machine Learning | x | x | |||
| EN.601.476 Machine Learning: Data to Models | x | x | |||
| EN.601.760 FFT in Graphics & Vision | x | x | x | ||
| AS.270.366 Spacecraft Instrumentation Project | X | X | |||
| Independent Research/Individual Study | X |