Module Progression Map

This document visualizes the learning progression through all 14 modules of the Physical AI and Humanoid Robotics textbook.

Overview

The curriculum is structured in three difficulty tiers spanning a 14-week semester:

Tier	Weeks	Modules	Focus Area
Beginner	1-4	01-04	Foundations: concepts, physics, kinematics, sensing
Intermediate	5-10	05-10	Core Skills: control, planning, manipulation, locomotion, ROS2, deployment
Advanced	11-14	11-14	Integration: learning, HRI, autonomy, capstone

Prerequisite Graph

                        ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                        │           BEGINNER (Weeks 1-4)                  │
                        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

                                    ┌─────────┐
                                    │   01    │
                                    │ Intro   │
                                    └────┬────┘
                                         │
                    ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
                    │                    │                    │
                    ▼                    ▼                    ▼
              ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐
              │   02    │          │   03    │          │   04    │
              │ Dynamics│          │Kinematics│         │ Sensors │
              └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘
                   │                    │                    │
                   │    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                   │    │         INTERMEDIATE (Weeks 5-10)               │
                   │    └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                   │                    │                    │
                   ├────────────────────┤                    │
                   │                    │                    │
                   ▼                    ▼                    │
              ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐               │
              │   05    │          │   06    │               │
              │ Control │◄─────────│Planning │◄──────────────┤
              └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘               │
                   │                    │                    │
                   ├────────────────────┤                    │
                   │                    │                    │
                   ▼                    ▼                    ▼
              ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐
              │   07    │          │   08    │          │   09    │
              │ Manip.  │          │ Loco.   │          │  ROS2   │
              └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘
                   │                    │                    │
                   └────────────────────┴────────────────────┘
                                        │
                                        ▼
                                   ┌─────────┐
                                   │   10    │
                                   │Sim2Real │
                                   └────┬────┘
                                        │
                        ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                        │            ADVANCED (Weeks 11-14)               │
                        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                        │
                   ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
                   │                    │                    │
                   ▼                    ▼                    ▼
              ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐          ┌─────────┐
              │   11    │          │   12    │          │   13    │
              │Learning │          │  HRI    │          │Autonomy │
              └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘
                   │                    │                    │
                   └────────────────────┴────────────────────┘
                                        │
                                        ▼
                                   ┌─────────┐
                                   │   14    │
                                   │Capstone │
                                   └─────────┘

Module Details

Beginner Tier (Weeks 1-4)

Module	Title	Prerequisites	Key Topics
01	Introduction to Physical AI	None	Physical AI definition, embodiment, history, humanoids
02	Rigid Body Dynamics	01	Newton-Euler, forces, torques, inertia, momentum
03	Kinematics Fundamentals	02	Forward/inverse kinematics, DH parameters, workspaces
04	Sensors and Perception	01	IMU, cameras, LIDAR, sensor fusion, state estimation

Intermediate Tier (Weeks 5-10)

Module	Title	Prerequisites	Key Topics
05	Dynamics and Control	02, 03	PID, computed torque, impedance control, stability
06	Motion Planning	03, 04	RRT, A*, trajectory optimization, collision avoidance
07	Manipulation	05, 06	Grasping, force control, dexterous manipulation
08	Locomotion	05	ZMP, whole-body control, bipedal walking, balance
09	ROS2 Integration	04, 06	Nodes, topics, services, robot state, transforms
10	Simulation to Real	07, 08, 09	Domain randomization, reality gap, deployment

Advanced Tier (Weeks 11-14)

Module	Title	Prerequisites	Key Topics
11	Learning-Based Control	05, 07	RL, imitation learning, policy optimization
12	Human-Robot Interaction	04, 07	Safety, collaboration, natural interfaces
13	Full-Body Autonomy	08, 10, 11	Integrated systems, decision making, autonomy
14	Capstone Integration	All (01-13)	System design, deployment, future directions

Learning Paths

Path A: Control Systems Focus

01 → 02 → 03 → 05 → 07/08 → 11 → 14

Path B: Perception Focus

01 → 04 → 06 → 09 → 10 → 12 → 14

Path C: Full Stack Roboticist (Recommended)

01 → 02 → 03 → 04 → 05 → 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → 11 → 12 → 13 → 14

Time Allocation

Module	Estimated Hours	Theory	Labs	Assessment
01	10	4	4	2
02	12	5	5	2
03	12	5	5	2
04	12	4	6	2
05	14	5	7	2
06	14	5	7	2
07	14	5	7	2
08	14	5	7	2
09	12	4	6	2
10	12	4	6	2
11	14	5	7	2
12	12	4	6	2
13	14	5	7	2
14	14	4	8	2
Total	170	64	88	28

Prerequisite Validation Rules

1. No circular dependencies: The prerequisite graph is a directed acyclic graph (DAG)
2. Difficulty progression: Prerequisites must be same or lower difficulty tier
3. Week ordering: Prerequisites must have lower week numbers
4. Completeness: All modules except 01 have at least one prerequisite
5. Reachability: All modules are reachable from Module 01

Validation Status

Rule	Status
DAG (no cycles)	✅ PASS
Difficulty progression	✅ PASS
Week ordering	✅ PASS
Completeness	✅ PASS
Reachability	✅ PASS