Category: Marcus’s Status Reports

This week I worked on dialing the Arduino robot feedback control software. I added servo tuning to only increment by max 10 degree per second, and also update to face downward based on actual position of the earlier links from averaged angle sensor values.

Working with the team to get the robot to have high accuracy at getting boxes every time, and speeding up overall movement.

This week I worked on the Arduino feedback control algorithm, and tested robot arm with the Qr detection system. I changed the servo on the 4th axis to have higher volts and refresh at a lower rate, that helped with the jitter and keeping it reliably downward. I also centralized the Arduino, vacuum, motor controllers and horizontal actuator to 3d platform that we connected to a steel plate under the treadmill.

We are working to make our synchronous box pickup more reliable and quick.

The last two weeks Ive been testing and rebuilding the robot arm to make it more reliable. I have updated system to have both arm and electronic controllers on the same 3d printed structure, and revised pieces to make wires internal. I tested some pwm ramping functions, and am still revising control software.

I had difficulty threading the wires through the structural components, and adjusting calibration for each new iteration.

Next week we are going to work on dialing in arm movement.

This week I wrote more code to control the robot arm, and designed a clamp to connect the camera to our treadmill in a robust non moving manner. I isolated the vacuum from the sensors to help with keeping steady voltage feedback. We were able to get the robot to pick up multiple packages in a row. Next steps are adding better move selection and QR tracking.

This week I finished up wiring the robot and wrote code to run and send angle feedback position moves. It took alot of trouble shooting to get all three angle sensors accurately measuring 0-180 of the three main actuators but luckily it wasn’t to hard to get the vacuum to turn on and off.  I spent alot of time this week wiring, troubleshooting, and programming the robot arm. Luckily all the work paid off and we had a successful package pick up and move. I was able to get the robot to run to 7 diffrent positions in a row using a command sender app and a Arduino control sketch. I got the robot to pick up a moving package on its 15th try.

This week I soldered most of the arm wiring, and connected it up to an Arduino controller. I tested the voltage feedback for each component. The 360 angle sensors were more like 180 so I had to account for dead space in the actuator movement. It took many iterations of Arduino to get the angles dialed to have each actuator have an accurate 0 – 180 measurement. I then wired the motors for t1 an t2. I had to get the direction of rotation and limit switches right  through flipping wires. I was able to get t1 and t2 to run specific angle moves with feedback. I then wired the vacuum and got the robot to do a box pick up move.