Robotics

This course is course 1 of the Robotics Hardware & Systems track and goes deep on the muscle of every robot: the actuator. Where Robot Kinematics & Motion teaches how joints move and PID & Feedback Control Systems teaches how to command them precisely, neither one opens up the hardware itself. Here we do exactly that: DC motors, brushless motors, servos, steppers, and hydraulic/pneumatic actuators, how gear reduction reshapes torque and speed, why backdrivability matters for safety and force sensing, and how PWM and encoder-based closed-loop control actually drive a shaft in practice. Built for learners who want to open the motor housing, not just the control loop diagram, and walk away knowing which actuator to specify for a given torque, speed, precision, and power budget.