Robotics by the Numbers: Wheel Encoders, Odometry, Two-Link Arm Kinematics, Motor Gearing & PID Control Steps
Do the maths of a small robot in a spreadsheet: encoder ticks to distance, where a two-wheeled robot thinks it is, arm joint angles to tool position, gear ratios and torque, and a PID controller step by step, with every cell checked as you go.
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About this course
This course works through the maths of a small two-wheeled toy robot in a spreadsheet. You turn wheel diameter and encoder ticks into distance and speed, track the robot's position with a differential-drive odometry table using COS and SIN, and see how a tiny wheel-size error bends a square path. For a two-link arm you calculate elbow and tool positions from joint angles, check the reachable area and find the best angles by grid search. Then you compare motors and gear ratios for speed, torque and a ramp test, replay a PID controller step by step and compare three gain sets on overshoot and battery runtime.
Lessons
- Encoders: Ticks per Revolution, Distance per Tick & Wheel Speed Pro
- Differential Drive Odometry: Heading Change and an x/y Step Table Pro
- Drift: How a Small Wheel-Size Error Bends a Square Path Pro
- Two-Link Arm: Joint Angles to Elbow and Tool Position Pro
- Reaching a Point: Reachable-Area Check, Grid Search & the Nearest Solution Pro
- Motors & Gearing: Gear Ratio, Wheel Speed, Torque & the Ramp Test Pro
- PID Control: Error, Integral, Derivative & the Output Step by Step Pro
- Tuning Comparison & Battery Runtime: Three Gain Sets, Current Draw & a Chart Pro