A robot is an automatic device that performs the functions ordinarily ascribed to human beings. The applications of robots have changed our life and society in one way or another. This course will introduce the basic knowledge for understanding how robots work and what they can do for us. The course will focus on applications of robots related to our life to see their impact on our society. To facilitate students’ learning, a series of Problem Based Learning activities will be introduced including the design of Lego robots to tackle some given problems, and company visits to see real robots at work.

This course aims to present an overview of the applications of robots as related to our life. The main objectives of the course are: to understand the breadth of the application of robots, to study the areas of robot applications that best suit students’ interests and that can be found in our daily life, and to develop the skills in individual thinking and teamwork work through project work. An emphasis is placed on giving an opportunity to students to integrate what they have learnt to understand the impact of applications of robots to our modern society. Besides learning the concepts on robots, students would also have the chance to develop the valuable skills in teamwork and problem solving abilities.