Personal Accomplishments

Scaled out the circuitry to support 6 valves and organized circuitry to make setup easier

Helped organize the tubes and containers by taping the valves to the wood and labeling/mapping ingredients based on our website.

Experimented with different valve pressures and measured amount of liquid dispensed to determine ball park estimate of ratio of timing to amount in ML

Below is the image of attaching the valves to the wood: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NUxk5qAmYsefShDEVbOFaYRmuMOm26_l/view?usp=sharing

Below is the image of scaling out the circuitry:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aPcGPDX6_HwjfodIvGQHIX_9pdHxlQD1/view?usp=sharing

Verification

Since I was the lead contributor for the valve dispensing system, my verification and testing was in the form of ensuring certain valves opened according to ingredients chosen. Hence, my testing was experimenting with different combinations of drinks and timing how long the corresponding valves stayed open to ensure the circuitry was correct. Additionally, I testing different valve pressures and found that the pressure of 0.15 Pa was the optimal pressure for our system, I plan on doing more verification to ensure it fits in to the entire system.

Next Week Deliverables

Further testing of the dispensing system and overall system

Build the legs that will hold up the dispensing system and drill holes for the tubes and wiring the go through

Organize the entire system to prep for demo day

Status: On schedule

This week we began optimizing our system to look more visually appealing for the eventual final demo, now that we have a working system end to end. We began by shortening the pipes and taping the valves to our wooden structure so that the flow rate is consistent and the dispensing system looks cleaner. We also scaled out to 6 bottles and numbered them in certain positions on the dispensing unit that map directly with the website ingredients. Additionally, we improved the AI recommendation service to fully output customize drinks based on variety of user input and added in a “fun fact” which is additional information on the drink being made. Furthermore, we printed out the platform that the cup will sit on and the stirring mechanism will rest beneath. Finally, we scaled out the circuitry that attaches to each valve such that now we can control 6 different solenoids related to the 6 ingredients.

 

Below is the image of attaching the valves to the wood: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NUxk5qAmYsefShDEVbOFaYRmuMOm26_l/view?usp=sharing

Below is the image of scaling out the circuitry:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aPcGPDX6_HwjfodIvGQHIX_9pdHxlQD1/view?usp=sharing

Below is the full image of all valves attached to the system: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G9PB19FqwNt-jJ9HlFJwAHforfFz5lIG/view?usp=sharing

 

Verification and Validation

In terms of testing the dispensing system, we are currently in the process of testing amount of mL dispensed and mapping it to timings the valves are open to ensure the right amount of each ingredient is poured. We are testing this by individually measuring dispensing amounts  using a measuring cylinder and currently experimented with two different valve pressures to determine which one gives a steady and reliable flow. We also are planning to run several trials to observe and minimize leakage, using specialized safety clamps to observe where leakage is happening and avoid it. Finally, we are planning to do many different combinations of ingredients using the inbuild ingredients page and AI recommendation service to ensure certain valves correctly open. We plan on measuring the final amount of product and ensure it matches the sum of the ingredients also using the measuring cylinder.

In terms of the mixing system, it is pretty simple and reliable in its mechanism, so testing will be a series of repetitions in the overall system, ensuring that the pill spins for a certain number of revolutions for sufficient mixing. This number will be determined later after several trials of experimentation.

 

In terms of the garnish system with the robot arm, we currently have it fully integrated with the rest of the system but plan on testing individually to ensure the robot arm can reliably place the garnish in the cup. To do so, we plan on transitioning to the actual garnishes we are going to use for the demo, and test the robot arm on all the different ingredients multiple times, to ensure the robot arm and clamp is configured to pick up these unique shapes.

As a system altogether, we plan on running several tests using different combinations of ingredients, amounts, garnish selections to ensure the robustness of our system. We also plan on experimenting with different orientations to validate the quality of the system in an external enviroment.

 

Status: On schedule

 

 

 

 

Personal Accomplishments

• Focused on modeling and preparing parts for 3D printing, including iterating through several failed prints and design adjustments to ensure proper fit and function with other components. These parts will be key to mounting and aligning system modules like the stirrer and cup positioning.
  • Current Iteration

• Took the lead in planning the architecture and physical layout of the final system, including the positioning of valves and how to conceal and organize circuit boards within the structure for both aesthetics and protection from liquid.

• Assisted in flow rate testing and valve dispense calibration, helping verify the timing needed to achieve consistent and accurate drink volumes across different tube and valve configurations.

Next Week Deliverables

• Finish printing and installing final mechanical components.

• Full system integration using finalized layout.

• Continue tuning valve timing, flowrate control and stirrer during testing.

Status: On Schedule

 

Personal Accomplishments

• Implemented the products website that shows the curated drinks given the users recipes and images of the associated drinks. It is connected with the hardware so it is able to make the drinks directly
  • Git Commit:
  • Video: 
• Wrote the code for the AI speaker to say a fun fact about the drink and to repeat the user’s name. This will ultimately lead to a more personable experience for the user
  • Video
• Bought the wood 4×4 pieces that will be able to elevate the system above so that it can 1.) hide the circuitry from the user 2.) be above the cup so the liquid can flow downwards. I was going to build it this week, however, the wood shop is closed until the end of the next week. I’m hoping it will be open by the demo time so I can properly build it then.

 

Next Week Delivarables

• Have the table support fully built to support the system
• An accurate number for the system based on our metrics we established in the beginning

Status: On Schedule

This week we started to shift our focus from one simple drink working to a scaled out system that serves multiple ingredients. With this, managing the more valves and components introduces high chances of leakage, timing mismatches and hardware failures. To mitigate this risk, we created a valve system that been scaled to handle multiple valves with additional screws to minimize leakage. We also tested the integration between the wheel and arm using serial handshakes. A contingency plan will be reverting to fewer valves for the final demo if necessary.

Another risk that we had was timing and synchronization issues. The pouring of multiple ingredients in parallel introduces incorrect timing that can impact the overall latency of the product. To mitigate this, we incorporated multi-threading (concepts that we learned from Carnegie Mellon system classes like 15-440 and 15-418). Specifically, the threading was implemented to handle concurrent valve control with specified delays. Here is the video of that working

Another risk was the physical support and structural stability. Specifically, we had to create a wooden bookshelf structure was built to mount and support the valves. We will be adding 3D-printed components like the stir cup holder both for functionality and secure fitting.

The dispensing system was redesigned to support parallel valve control and expanded from handling 1 drink to a scalable system for 6 drinks. We did this because we need to support multiple drink combinations on demand.

Some other accomplishments we have is a fully working AI Drink recommender with voice integration. We also had issues with the robot malfunctioning. We were able to get the root cause of the error being a power and motor issue and debugged accordingly.

Currently we are still on schedule with the following tasks planned for next week

• scale up to 6 working drinks
• Integrate stirring and cup holder as base.
• Measure and calibrate flow rates for consistent pouring.
• Perform full integration testing
• Finalize hardware layout.

The following are deliverables from this week.

Parallel Valve Control + Integration Demo
Parallel pouring system now works using Python threading:
Code: Valve Threading Code
Video: Parallel Pouring Demo

Valve System Physical Expansion

Expanded system to handle 2 valves with plans to scale to 6.
Photo: Valve Setup

Wheel and Arm Integration
Components now communicate via serial handshakes.
Video: Integration Video

AI Drink Recommender with Voice Interaction
Voice-assisted AI bartender implemented.
Demo: AI Bartender Demo

Core Stirrer Functionality

3D printed magnet holders integrated with motor.

Demo: Stirrer Core Demo

 

Personal Accomplishments

• Debugged circuits and control logic for integrating multiple components, focusing on the handshake between the robotic arm and garnish wheel.

• Completed the stirring mechanism, including all circuitry, code, and core physical structure using 3D-printed parts. The system now reliably spins the stirrer.

  • Demo: Link 1, Link 2

• Started early planning for mounting the stirring unit and aligning it with the cup position and other subsystems.

Next Week Deliverables

• Complete the structural setup for the stirrer, including cup holder and motor mount.

• Integrate and test the stirring mechanism within the full system.

• Add more poses to the robotic arm for expanded garnish placement.

Status Report: On Schedule

Personal Accomplishments

• Scaled out the valve system circuitry to handle multiple valves and added additional screws to minimize leakage.  Link to Image below shows this for 2 valves (will add 4 more this week).
  •  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ybm8si2S9msktVDp471zcipxxyNXv3TY/view?usp=drive_link
• Implemented parallel processing in terms of opening valves and closing valves with certain delays using threading in python web app
  • https://github.com/aakinci32/barbelt/blob/c637b3ea99b20109cabff1b28ce7a92275c7a112/BarBelt/arduino.py#L99
  • Link to video showing parallel pouring: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qKEYoIiZR0NajrIisGp3BHuI4G–HjCr/view?usp=drive_link
  • Integrated wheel and arm using handshakes via Serial.println such that arm moves when wheel done spinning and vise versa:
    • Link showing video of integration: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AqzoWQwhecUoRkIP48dVEdZ-Obk8P1KT/view?usp=drive_link

 

Next Week Goals:

• Scale out the dispensing system for 6 drinks
• Figure out pouring rates in terms of flow rate and timing
• Test out full integration multiple times
• Build platforms for orientation of system accordingly

Current Status: On Schedule

Personal Accomplishments

• Implemented the AI drink reccommender for the website, including a voice that communicates with the user that simulates an actual bartender encounter:
  • Demo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p8YH_9dif7g0S69WDj-xRIZIRuf77PBJ/view?usp=sharing
• Cleaned up the routing within the website so it all connects
• Built the bookshelf that will be needed to hold the valves using wood scraps at the woodshop
• 3d printed the stir cup holder for the mixing of the drinks

 

Next Week’s Goals 

• Scale up the current one drink to have all 6 working by the demo
• Test the current implementation

Current Status: On Schedule