First off, we are on the verge of launching the MS and PhD programs in Robotics by the summer of 2021. The students, who do not have a BS in Computer Engineering should prefer to apply to that program, since an MS/PhD in Computer Engineering would force you to go through a "Scientific Preparation" (Bilimsel Hazirlik) that would require them to take 2-4 undergraduate courses before being admitted to the graduate program.

I get many emails from candidate students who are interested in joining my group. Hence I have setup the following "test course" as a way to filter out the ones that are not worthy of my time. Please complete the following tasks before sending me an email:

• Listen to the first 8 lectures of Oussama Khatib's online Robotics course at Stanford. Solve the first three assignments.
• Install ROS. Read the first 6 chapters of AGITR book.
• Use the Gazebo simulator to simulate a UR5 robot, by commanding it to reach to a desired point in space.
• Prepare and record a presentation about your own work related to robotics or a robotics paper. Use this document as useful advice to prepare your presentation.

• CV
• transcripts
• the first three assignments
• Video of UR5 assignment
• Recording of your presentation

If succesful, you should start working on a sample project at least 6 weeks prior to your graduate program application.

Finally your chance of being accepted is also proportional to your GPA (>3 preferably) and your ALES (>90 preferably). I will prefer full-time students who are interested in working in an existing project at my lab or students with their own scholarship/funding.

PS: Some of the tasks that are requested are deliberately under-specified. I am only interested in students who can figure them out.

Erol