Final Project Proposals and Goals

Today

• Overview: What’s Ahead
• Work on project proposal

For Next Time

• Turn in your Final Project Proposal, due Friday 15th at 1PM.
  • Once you have a team, fill in this spreadsheet.
  • Individually complete YOGA Phase 1 by Friday 15th at 7PM.
• Read over and be aware of the expectations for the Broader Impacts Part 3 Assignment, due on December 6th at 7PM.
• Consider whether there is feedback you’d like to share about the class

Overview: What’s Ahead

Welcome to Day 20 in CompRobo! After today’s class, we have 7 more sessions together – 6 class sessions, and 1 Final Events period. Let’s take stock of where we’re headed:

• Class Sessions –
  • Opening 20-30 minutes will touch on our last Broader Impacts theme on Labor and Automation; these will be intentionally crafted to be a bit more bite-size than previous discussions since we’ll have overall more time on this topic, and to preserve studio time
  • All remaining time will be in Studio
• Final Project –
  • Two check-ins on Nov 21st (1 week from today) and Dec 5th (Thursday after Thanksgiving Break)
    • This will involve an update to your website, and an in-class verbal update from each team
  • All materials will be due at the conclusion of the Final Event Period on Dec 19th 1-3PM
    • Note that due to the timing of our final event, there isn’t going to be a ton of wiggle for late submissions
  • The Final Event period will include demonstrations from you all, a reflection on the semester + feedback period, and a celebration
• Broader Impacts Part III –
  • The last part of your independent Broader Impacts project will be due Dec 6th.
• Recitations –
  • These will remain optional, and will attempt to cover themes related to your final projects; once all the proposals are in a rough schedule of recitation topics will be listed for the rest of the semester (3 Wednesdays more)
• Grades –
  • Detailed feedback is forthcoming on your projects; otherwise everything else is essentially up to date. As feedback comes in, if you have any concerns (or if we have any concerns), let’s plan to meet 1-on-1 to discuss.
  • You will be assigning your own grade for the YOGA assignment by the Final Event.

Project Ideation and Proposals

Take a look at the final project assignment document – today we’ll be forming teams, brainstorming project ideas, and starting your project proposals. Our process will be similar to the machine vision project proposal period, with several keys to keep in mind (see these slides):

• The project teams can be up to 4 folks for this assignment
• You are welcome to explore any topic(s) of interest for this project, building on your previous projects or projects in other classes (if building on projects from other classes, do be clear about this in your proposal)
• The project should very much focus on a robotic system – while I won’t require integration with the Neatos specifically, use of datasets generated from real-platforms or use of other robots is highly encouraged.
  • An implication on this requirement is that most projects will be written as ROS packages.

Process:

• [5 min] Read through the final project assignment document and individually review your learning goals for the class and for this project. Consider – how much time can you put into this project, in balance with your other projects? What are key skills you want to practice during this project?
• [10 min] Create a sticky-note for each topic/theme you’d like to explore in this project. Consider:
  • Is there a particular robotic system you’d like to investigate?
  • Is there a particular class of algorithm you’d like to learn about?
  • Is there a particular algorithm you’d like to implement or dataset you’d like to use?
• [10 min] Gather with 2 other folks and sort your sticky-notes into clusters on a white board – label your clusters with themes of interest
• [5 min] Gallery walk the room and look at the affinity clusters that are being developed; what looks interesting to you?
• [8 min] Choose a theme that interests you and go to it in the room; with the other folks in that area, discuss your learning goals and ideas you have related to that theme
  • You’re not committing to anything yet! This is about exploring some areas and project ideas of interest
• [8 min] Pick another theme and go to it; repeat your discussions
  • You’re not committing to anything yet! This is about exploring some areas and project ideas of interest
• [5 min] Let’s take a break; take a few minutes to quietly generate a few thoughts or responses based on your conversations so far; grab some water; and come back for team formation and proposal work-time.
• [Last N minutes] Team up and work on your proposals!