ME132a TA-Instructor Meeting, Winter 2011

This page is used for facilitating discussion between the instructors and TAs of ME/CS 132a (Winter 2010). Please note that the content of this page is open to the public.

Course Preparation

Course Organization

• Homework
  • How many: 1 per week? 1 per module?
  • Due date: 1 week later? When will the first homework be assigned?
  • How to turn in: box in Steele? Thomas?
  • Office hours: once or twice per assignment?
  • Grading: when? how (percentage, late hw)?

• Midterm/Final
  • Is there one?
  • Percentage?

• Web page, mailing list
  • Where to set up the web page: Murray Wiki? IMSS? Andrea/Shuo's site?
  • Format: plain HTML? Wiki?
  • Upload: by TA (probably easier)? by instructors?
  • Access (incl. solutions, hw sets, lecture notes): outside Caltech OK? enrolled student only?
  • Mailing list: email IMSS to set up one?

• Honor code
  • Collaboration policy: hw? lab? exams? (cf. CDS_101/110a,_Fall_2008)
  • Use of other materials: previous hw solns, other textbooks

• Textbooks/references?

• Prerequisites?

Platform

• Which robots we are going to use (ER-1 from Joel's lab vs Pioneers from JPL)
  • ER-1: there is some maintenance to do. The unit I was using summer had a motor controller failure. We have bought the

replacement, but haven't installed yet (it is not a 5 minute thing, as the software driver has changed, so there will be a little tinkering required).

• Software stack.
  • What interface/drivers do you want people to work with? (player, ROS, ...)
  • What would be the format for data files? (HDF, carmen, ...)

• Labs organization
  • For example, the first lab assignment: Should I give them a charged robot with installed drivers, and let them write the software to collect the log? Or should I write all the software and let them collect the log? Is this done as a group (all the students together), as many small groups, or once for individual students?

• Matlab vs. Python