General Information

6.01 is the required first subject for undergraduates entering the department. It explores fundamental ideas from electrical engineering and computer science in the context of working with mobile robots. It covers basic engineering ideas of abstraction and modularity, elements of programming, basic circuits, discrete-time control systems, and reasoning in the presence of uncertainty.

Meetings

The entire class meets together for lecture on Tuesday morning. After that, the class splits into sections, and you will be assigned to a section. Each section is directed by two faculty members, who are assisted by a staff of TAs and Lab Assistants. The faculty members running your section have the ultimate responsibility for monitoring your progress in the course. You should speak with them if you have issues with homework, need extra help, or anything else.

In addition to lecture, each section meets twice a week:

• There is a 90-minute software lab that serves as a practicum on the material covered in the immediately preceding lecture. During this lab, you will work individually on exercises designed to reinforce the lecture material. Lab assistants will help you through the material, quiz you on your progress, and evaluate your work during the period. There will also be short exercises for you to turn in at the end of the session.
• There is a three-hour design lab involving extensive open-ended work in both software and hardware, which forms the bulk of the week's material. During this period you will work with a partner. Partners will be assigned by the course staff, and you will change partners periodically during the semester. As with the software lab, the lab assistants will coach you though the material and monitor and evaluate your progress. There is weekly homework designed to help you prepare for the design lab, and each design lab will begin with a nanoquiz designed to test whether you are keeping up with the week's material and prepared to begin the lab.

Attendance at both labs is mandatory. If you need to miss a session because of illness or some other extraordinary situation, you should contact one of your section faculty supervisors.

Homework

1. Readings, including notes on the lecture material and reading for the design lab.
2. Exercises to be done during the software lab, including problems to hand in at the end of the lab.
3. An assignment (completed at home or during staffed lab hours), usually using the on-line tutor. This is due before the beginning of the design lab. The nanoquiz as the beginning of the design lab will include questions based on this homework, as well as on the readings.
4. A post-design-lab assignment due the following Tuesday in lecture (completed at home or during staffed lab hours).
5. Additional on-line tutor problems, due before Tuesday's lecture.

Grading policy

1. A take-home final exam during finals week (20% of the final grade)
2. A take-home midterm exam (10% of the final grade)
3. Weekly nanoquizzes given at the beginning of each three-hour design lab (20% of final grade)
4. Weekly written post-design-lab reports (40% of final grade)
5. Weekly preparation assignments using the on-line tutor (10% of final grade)

• 5 - superlative, demonstrates excellent understanding of the material
• 4 - complete, demonstrates good understanding of the material
• 3 - missing some work or demonstrates partial understanding of the material
• 2 - substantially incomplete or demonstrates poor understanding of the material
• 0 - not done

The cutoffs for grades will be as follows:

• 90% and above : At least A-
• 80% and above : At least B-
• 70% and above : At least C-

You may pick any two nano-quizzes to re-do. There will be a nano-quiz make-up day in the last week of classes.

You may pick any one pset to be up to two weeks late handing in with no penalty. No further late homework will be accepted (without an explanation from the counseling deans).

Extra exploration problems are available on each problem set. They are entirely optional. They ask for deeper, more independent work. Each week there will be 10 exploration points available. You may hand in up to 5 exploration assignments, earning up to 50 exploration points. 50 exploration points will add 10% to your grade.

Extraordinary work in the explorations and other assignemnts will be recognized with an official letter.

Policy on collaboration