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Team Status Report for 10/5/2024

The most significant risk to the project at the moment is not being able to build the prototype on time. The mechanical aspects of this project have been more challenging than anticipated. As a result, we could not finish the mechanical design as soon as we would have liked. The contingency plan right now is to have a meeting tomorrow to figure out what aspects of the system we have finalized and try to order parts for those aspects, so that we can get some subsystems out ASAP.

Another risk is that we build the force sensing/feedback protype, and the user experience is not as intuitive as we had wanted. We have looked into previous research and found that the most common solution approach for force feedback is to use haptic engines that could direct haptic feedback to specific parts of the user’s hand. However, such hardware is out of reach in terms of budget. The best way we can mitigate this is to build the remote controller prototype as soon as we can so that we have time to iterate.

In terms of design changes, we realized that ARUCO tags will not provide sufficient depth precision. We estimated depth precision to be ~7mm based on the tag’s size and the pixel resolution. Therefore, we switched from a monocular web cam to a binocular stereo cam to measure depth directly as opposed to via ARUCO tags. This will end up costing less because we are getting it from the 18-500 inventory, so it’s a win-win.

No schedule changes?

New cam!

 

 

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Jack’s status report 10/5/2024

I have been working on designing the robot arm system in detail this week. I learned to use a new CAD program, Onshape, and it required a lot of effort. At the end, I was able to produce CAD drawing for multiple custom parts, and made good progress towards finishing the CAD assembly for the entire robot hand system. I also created the skeleton embedded code for controlling the robot arm. I wrote the code for sending PWM signal to interface with the motor drivers, as well as code to read measurements off force sensing resistors.

Progress Evaluation:

I am slightly behind schedule in terms of the mechanical components, as I should have already finalized the design at this point. However, I did get some software work done, which is what I was supposed to do this week.

Next Week Deliverables:

Complete CAD design for the robot. If the the parts arrive, also some parts assembly and wiring.

 

Onshape Assembly:

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Cary’s Status Report for 10/5/2024

Accomplishments This Week:
This week, I focused on selecting items for purchase based on the necessary material list. I carefully ensured that each component I chose is in the correct configuration and will be compatible with the parts my teammates have selected.

Progress Evaluation:
My progress is slightly behind schedule due to midterms. The purchase order was supposed to be submitted already, but I plan to complete this task over the weekend. However, I have no more midterms coming up, so I expect to remain on track moving forward.

Next Week’s Deliverables:
Once the items arrive, I will begin building the product and assembling the components as planned.

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Leland’s Status Report for 10/5/2024

This week, I changed my camera design by picking a different type of camera. I made this change because the depth perception of a monocular webcam was not good enough. Also, the stereo cam I want is in the 18-500 inventory which is great for budget. Also, I researched some pseudo-code to start crafting what the OpenCV code will look like when I get the camera.

I’d say my progress is just a little behind where I want to be. I’d really like to get the camera next week and set it up with my laptop. Then, I can set it up with a stand and a dummy remote with Aruco tags to start calibration and computation. In the meantime of getting the camera, I can continue to build the pseudo-code for the image processing. Another thought is I will need to start crafting pseudo-code for the UART protocol of sending and receiving data from the two ESP32s we have. I’d like to include that in my report next week too.

My work this week

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Jack’s Status Report for 9/28/2024

This week, I worked on selecting the electrical components for the teleoperated gripper system. I focused on all the subsystems besides the gripper, since the team is still working on how best to measure force at the grippers and produce intuitive force-feedback. However, I have managed to lock down the BOM for all the electrical components for arm movement, including XYZ axis motors and wrist tile motors. These selections are based on quantitative use case requirements such as payload, precision and speed. I have also selected mechanical hardware such as aluminum extrusions, brackets, linear slides, and lead screws.

See my component selection notes

 

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Team Status Report for 9/28/2024

Normal Report

• What are the most significant risks that could jeopardize the success of theproject? How are these risks being managed? What contingency plans are ready?

As of now, the greatest risk to the project is finishing up the design process and ordering parts. I hope there are little to no changes after the design review next week, so that we don’t need to spend more time designing. The team has been working hard this week designing and preparing for the design review in order to minimize risk of redesigning. The team is committed to working extra hours if needed.

• Were any changes made to the existing design of the system (requirements,block diagram, system spec, etc)? Why was this change necessary, what costsdoes the change incur, and how will these costs be mitigated going forward?

The camera FOV was switched from 90 degrees to 78 degrees because I had trouble finding a good 90 degree FOV camera that fit the more important specifications. This change comes at a cost of needing to raise the camera higher off the table which our camera stand will account for.

• Provide an updated schedule if changes have occurred.

No scheduling changes were made.

• This is also the place to put some photos of your progress or to brag about acomponent you got working

*Nothing for now…

+ the Status Report 2 assignment

Please write a paragraph or two describing how the product solution you are designing will meet a specified need…

Part A: … with respect to considerations of public health, safety or welfare. Note: The term ‘health’ refers to a state of well-being of people in both a physiological and psychological sense. ‘Safety’ is the absence of hazards and/or physical harm to persons. The term ‘welfare’ relates to the provision of the basic needs of people. –By Jack He

Our product is intended to promote health and safety by putting them out of harm’s way.  Lab environments can contain a wide range of hazards: flammables, explosives, toxic vapors, bio-waste… In addition to the obvious risk of severe injury, many substances found in a lab have negative long term health effects. For example, formaldehyde, commonly used to preserve tissue samples, are linked to neuraldegenerative diseases and cancer. By building a teleoperation interface capable of the fine manipulation tasks performed in a lab, we aim to make it easy for researchers to use our robot to perform these tasks from a safe location. Therefore, this system will promote both health and safety for the community of scientific researchers.

Part B: … with consideration of social factors. Social factors relate to extended social groups having distinctive cultural, social, political, and/or economic organizations. They have importance to how people relate to each other and organize around social interests. — By Zhenghao Jin

The remote-controlled robotic hand I am designing is primarily intended for lab environments, addressing the need for safer and more efficient experimentation. By enabling users to manipulate lab equipment and hazardous solutions remotely, the product minimizes physical risks and ensures a controlled, safe process for delicate or dangerous experiments. This solution is cost-effective and adaptable, making it a valuable tool for a wide range of labs, including those with limited safety resources. It enhances collaboration among researchers by providing a safer and more reliable way to conduct experiments, aligning with the broader goal of improving safety and efficiency in scientific research.

Part C: … with consideration of economic factors. Economic factors are those relating to the system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. — By Leland Mersky

Our product does not nicely meet a specific need with consideration of economic factors, as our product mainly meets the needs for public health and safety. The purpose of the robotic arm is to handle possibly dangerous chemicals to perform common tasks done in a chemistry lab. That being said, I can’t think of a way how this project affects the production, distribution, or consumption of goods and services.

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Cary’s Status Report for 9/28/2024

Accomplishments This Week: This week, I focused on updating the design of the remote controller for the project. I developed and finalized detailed schematics, capturing the design from multiple viewpoints to ensure clarity and thoroughness. I made significant progress in decision-making, finalizing all aspects except for the method to simulate weight, which remains under discussion.

Progress Evaluation: My progress is on schedule, with no significant delays. Although we changed the design of the remote controller a lot, I am moving steadily toward the next project milestones.

Next Week’s Deliverables: For the upcoming week, I plan to start the ordering process with the TA for the decided components. Additionally, I will compile a comprehensive list of material sources available, ensuring that everything necessary for the next phase of the project is accounted for.

This will help maintain the project timeline and ensure steady progress.

Check the new diagram:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eYKGII9tAvMpuPOwXikJ_ms9G_d58fbl/view?usp=drive_link

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Leland’s Status Report for 9/28/2024

This week, I have finalized a design plan for the camera station. I made some calculations to estimate what specifications would be necessary for the camera and the camera stand. I also picked out a specific webcam and camera stand that will satisfy my specification requirements.

I am on track, as I have a complete design and almost complete bill of materials. This is the goal that I had in last week’s status report.

Next week, there will be design review presentations where my team will receive design feedback for our project. By the end of next week, I want to use that feedback to finalize all our design plans and start ordering parts.

My work this week

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Jack’s Status Report for 9/21/2024

This week, I conducted some research into how best to implement the gripping mechanism, as well as the robot arm upon which the gripper is mounted.

I spent a lot of time trying to design a simple enough mechanism that could control force at the grippers effectively. What I wanted to avoid was to simply attach a motor’s output shaft rigidly to the grippers. This is because it will be very difficult to control force precisely when the gripper makes contact with a solid object. This was solved by attaching a torsional spring mechanism to the output shaft, so that the force output is a linear function of the motor’s position. 

I also spent time to size the motors needed to actuate various parts of the robot arm. I came to a decision by researching similar mechisms in 3D printers and laser cutters. For systems that are close in size, the most common option is a NEMA 23 stepper, so I decided to go with those.

Another challenge was to find a low-cost solution for precise linear movements. We needed linear movement over an area the size of a lab workbench, and many linear rails at that size were too pricey. I ended up finding a solution based on attaching wheelcarts to standard aluminimum extrusions, with an overall cost below $50.

After some discussion with my teammates, I drew up a preliminary mechanical design for the system based on the above considerations. Overall, I think I am on schedule, as I have another week to design the arm. I have a clear idea of what the robot arm hardware will look like, and have also started the detailed hardware design using OnShape, a CAD tool. It took some time to learn it, so I have not had the chance to complete the detailed design yet. While I have managed to identify the type and size of components needed, I will also need to shop for  the best option on the market and submit them using the purchase form.

Sept 20 design notes – arm

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Cary’s Status Report for 9/21/2024

This week, We meet to discuss the general design of our robotic hand and remote controller. We also talked about our algorithm in the big picture.

For my work, I finish the schematics draft for the remote controller. There is a PDF uploaded including the schismatic. a simple representation of what information is transmitted between devices, and a one-sentence summary of our algorithm for input data.

The schematic draft represents our final idea of how the remote hand should look. We have several different ideas abandoned along the way to reach this one. The records of previous ideas are not organized. If necessary, I will organize them to upload later.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JudQcw4ZLqIQBpjP6MZmLUYli48eiYFK/view?usp=sharing