Introduction

The new Robotics Laboratory was created three years ago. There were several reasons to build it:

A numerous robotic group that had been working for almost 10 years was badly in need of some more sophisticated robotics platform for educational as well as research purposes. Computer simulations became insufficient and unsatisfactory. The two educational, university made robots we had, were inaccurate and unreliable. Finally, the students had been taught to program robots with a teach pendant only. Our industrial robot had a closed control structure controller.

We had some robotics and computer equipment, bought or self-made which we could start with.

A big area of about 100 square meters, in a recently rebuilt basement, could be designated for the laboratory.

Several educational and research programs, such as TEMPUS or Program in Control and Information Technology supported by Warsaw University of Technology and Polish Committee of Scientic Research grants, funded the laboratory development.

Today the laboratory is a quite well equipped. It is used by students, post graduate students and scientists who wish to study or solve robotics research problems. Nevertheless, the development work never ends and there are new ideas to be implemented in the laboratory.

Photo 1. General view of the Robotics Laboratory

This report starts with a brief description of the laboratory hardware and software facilities. The educational program conducted there is presented in the next section. A supplementary section is devoted to the laboratory work policy, including safety rules, timetables, etc. The report ends with some device descriptions and the future laboratory expansion.