Final Paper Guidelines

Basic Structure

• Format: HTML or LATEX (no exception!)
• Length: 5 single-spaced printed pages (+- 1 page) including graphs, references, etc.
• Structure: 5 sections (see below)

Detailed Structure

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage{latexsym}
\usepackage{xspace}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage{epsfig}
\setlength {\topmargin} {0 mm}
\setlength {\headsep} {0 mm}
\setlength {\headheight} {0 in}
\setlength {\voffset} {0 mm}
\setlength {\oddsidemargin} {0 mm}
\setlength {\evensidemargin} {0 mm}
\setlength {\hoffset} {0 mm}
\setlength {\textwidth} {6.5 in}
\setlength {\textheight} {9 in}

Alternatively, you can turn in a paper in HTML. In that case, use the commands as described below.

Headings, Figures, etc. in HTML

• For standard paragraphs, use the "normal" paragraph style, for section headings use "heading 3", for subheadings "heading 4".
• The title of the paper should be "heading 2" and centered, your name should be below it, centered as well using "heading 3".

Section 1: Introduction

• Introduce the reader not familiar with your project to the problem your are tackling in the paper in a very general way and line out what you are tackling/solving in your project.
• Do not go into details, but stay at a very high conceptual level, address also briefly why your project is important, what it shows/implies, and what the advantages of your solutions are (as opposed to other possible solutions, say).
• End your introduction with a very short outline of the rest of the paper (in one paragraph).

Section 2: Problem description

• Describe the problem in detail, make reference to all the sources you used, and inform the reader about possible strategies to solve the task (include descriptions of the environment, basic robot functions, etc.)
• Include background information here,
• Describe the task and possible solutions, and point out their advantages and disadvantages.
• You should not repeat details of well-known architectures and methodologies; instead refer to them if necessary.
• You may assume that the reader has some knowledge of behavior-based robotics when you explain the setting.

Section 3: Your solution

Subsection 3.1: Description of your solution

• Describe in detail your own solution using graphs and pictures to aid the reader (you might want to include separate graphs for different levels of detail).
• Include detailed descriptions of your architecture and of its various parts as well as their respective functions

Subsection 3.2: Analysis--how and why the solution works

• Explain why you used this kind of approach and how it works
• Discuss its advantages and possible disadvantages.
• If you did not succeed in solving your original task, describe in detail what you have succeeded in (include also a description why you think this particular model failed)--note that while you do not have to succeed in solving your original task to get a good grade on your project, you do have to be very specific and detailed about what you have attempted, why you have tried it (as opposed to other solutions), and why it failed in order to get a grade if your original goal is not accomplished

Subsection 3.3: Experiments and results

• Show data demonstrating what your system does (include information about test runs, etc.)
• Suggest additional experiments and/or improvements to the solution

Section 4: Conclusion

• Summarize what the project was supposed to show, what your system achieved, and how the solution could be extended or used in other tasks
• If your attempts failed, include suggestions that are based on your analysis in section 3 how a solution (if at all) could be attempted.
• If you succeeded, include suggestions (again based on your analysis in section 3) for improvements.

Section 5: References

• Include all reference of material (texts, papers, books, etc.) that you used.
• If you are not sure you know how to reference sources, either use the method from the course text book, or come and see me

What You Should Turn In...

• Turn in all non-program files (i.e., the HTML or LATEX file plus the files of all links) into your dropbox directory in AFS space
• Turn in all JAVA files, i.e., all source code files of code that you wrote into your dropbox directory in AFS space (groups turn in a copy for each member)

Additional Remarks

• Try to be as precise and clear as possible, avoid convoluted sentences.
• You may assume that a potential reader is familiar with behavior-based robotics, but might not be familiar with all the material you used in your model (so make sure you explain the necessary details that somebody who did not read all the papers you referenced would need to understand your model); in particular, include information about the experimental setup (i.e., the robot and its environment)
• For groups: make sure that you point to the respective responsibilities of each group member (and mention them when you refer to the respective code in the text).