Group 10 – Helping Hand
Kurt Graf
Matt Carlson
Eric Donley
Taylor Jones
Our Project Is
A haptic robotic arm controlled by a sleeve mounted
with motion and force sensors on a human
operator's arm – which controls the motiontracking robotic arm's proportional motion.
These robots have a wide range of industrial and
medical applications such as pick and place
robots, surgical robots etc. They can be employed
in places where precision and accuracy are
required. Robots can also be employed where
human hand cannot penetrate.
The Future of Technology
“The future of technology is computers and
power electronics”
- recent IEEE literature
The interpretation is computers tell the machinery
what to do and the power electronics implements
the actual actions.
Power electronics refers to control and conversion of
electrical power by power semiconductor devices
wherein these devices operate as switches.
Motivation for Project
• We are Electrical Engineers and Computer Engineer
candidates for a bachelor of science diploma
• Concern for real working world (industrial) knowledge and
skills led the team to choose for senior design project a modern
application of an industrial standard robotic application - the
robotic arm.
• Our application is more sophisticated technologically than
original manufacturing and packaging and assembly
robotic
arms like the Unimate (See picture next slide)
the original robot arm was basically an open-loop control
scenario:
First Industrial Robotic Arm - 1961
UNIMATE: the first industrial robot, began work at General
Motors. Obeying step-by-step commands stored on a
magnetic drum, the 4,000-pound arm sequenced and
stacked hot pieces of die-cast metal.
UNIMATE at Work
was first used to lift and stack die-cast metal parts from molds

Over 1,000,000 current working industrial robots

Over 100,000 new industrial robots each year

Most common type of robotic device is the robot arm
 The most common type of existing robotic device is the
robot arm often used in industry and manufacturing. The
mechanical arm recreates many of the movements of
the human arm, having not only side-to-side and upand-down motion, but also a full 360-degree circular
motion at the wrist, which humans do not have. Robot
arms are of two types. One is computer-operated and
programmed for a specific function. The other requires
a human to actually control the strength and
movement of the arm to perform the task.
Current Light Industry Robot Arms
modern assembly line robot arm(s)
A large robot arm that controls you!
A Very Large Robot Arm
- Caterpillar Large Hydraulic Excavators
A new wave in robot arms (two of 'em) -
BAXTER
Rodney Brooks's new start-up wants to spark a factory
revolution with a low-cost, user-friendly robot - IEEE
BAXTER
Includes two 7 DOF arms with torso and head,
integrated vision system, integrated robot
control system, integrated safety system.
http://www.rethinkrobotics.com/
Learn about Robotics

Robotic systems

Wireless systems

IC/MEMS manufacture

Radar, Antennas

Power Electronics
Are all virtually or literally EE grad school
only subjects.
Robot Arm Update


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Our application of a human arm motiontracking robot arm is intended more like the
robot arms used in robot surgery.
Theoretically, adding digits (fingers) to the
arm with extremely fine control could make
a skilled work duplication station possible.
That means you make a part at your
workstation and the Helping Hand
duplicates your work on a robotic station.
An alien abduction simulator?
Da Vinci Robot Surgery
Manual control looks like a two
handed joystick
Da Vinci System
Using the most advanced technology available today, the da Vinci
Surgical System enables surgeons to perform delicate and
complex operations through a few tiny incisions with
increased vision, precision, dexterity and control. The da
Vinci Surgical System consists of several key components,
including: an ergonomically designed console where the
surgeon sits while operating, a patient-side cart where the
patient lays during surgery, four interactive robotic arms, a highdefinition 3D vision system, and proprietary EndoWrist®
instruments.
da Vinci is powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology that
allows the surgeon’s hand movements to be scaled, filtered
and translated into precise movements of the EndoWrist
instruments working inside the patient’s body.
Goals and Objectives of Our Project
1. Proportional motion-tracking of a human
operator's arm motion
2. Fast tracking response (shadow boxing
in Real Steal)
3. Effective grasp-and-place object with endeffector
4. Smooth and safe and stable motion
5. Bold attempt at 7th DOF with elbow roll
Human Arm Motion plus Sensors
Specifications of Performance
1. Less than 0.1 second (human reaction time) delay from
human arm motion to robot arm motion-tracking
response
2. Automatic reset to “home base” position
3. Work volume range-of-motion computer tracked.
4. Internal range-of-motion limitation fail-safes
5. Grasp, lift, and place 13 oz payload
6. End-effector does not damage payload
Basic Idea of Motion Tracking (dc
motor prototype)
Sensors
Human Arm
Motion
Processing
Actuation
Robot Arm
Motion
Not an Open Loop System
Exteroceptive (operator) Feedback
System Schematic (dc motors)
System Schematic (servo motors)
System Schematic (wireless)
Power Supply
• 3 voltage power supply for
• 3.3V sensors/ mcu
• 5.0V sensors
• 6.0V servos
• 2 Buck regulators
• One with multiple loads
8 AA Battery Holder
Power supply schematic
Invensense MPU-6050
6-axis gyroscope and accelerometer
4 x 4 x 1 mm
MPU-6050
Supply voltage of
2.375V – 3.46V
Current of 3.9mA
Uses an I2C bus
Selectable gyroscope
and accelerometer
ranges
1MHz internal clock
How MEMS Gyroscope Works
GYRO equation
The gyro gives data in
degrees/second
To determine actual angle of
rotation requires integration with
respect to time
∫dΘ dt = Θ
Actual MEMS Gyro Construction
Sample Gyro (3-axis) data
[degrees/second]
starting loop
X: -4 Y: 109 Z: -9 // these are values when the gyro isn't moving
X: -5 Y: 72 Z: -17
X: 22 Y: 81 Z: 5
X: 13 Y: 75 Z: 30
X: 11 Y: 75 Z: 67
X: 9 Y: 89 Z: 4
X: 0 Y: 95 Z: 38
X: -12 Y: 88 Z: 32
X: 18 Y: 66 Z: 49
X: 19 Y: 93 Z: 70
X: 27406 Y: -2091 Z: -29629 // these are values after a quick move of the gyro
// inside loop
X: 35 Y: 67 Z: 12
X: 26 Y: 74 Z: 50
// next values after motion stopped
AL5D Arm Hardware-Only
• Distance (base-to-elbow axis) = 5.75"
• Distance (elbow-to-wrist axis) = 7.375"
• Height (arm parked) = 7.25"
• Height (reaching up) = 19.00"
• Median forward reach = 10.25"
• Gripper opening = 1.25"
Microcontrollers
Name
I/O pins
Memory
A/D converter
Language
Price
Basic ATOM 24
24
14k code
368 RAM
256 EEPROM
11 channels
BASIC
$8.95
PICAXE-20X2
18
4k code
256 RAM
11 channels
BASIC
$3.88
ATxmega128A4U
34
128k code
8k SRAM
2k EEPROM
12 channels
C/C++ or
assembly
$3.00
Propeller 40 pin DIP
32
0 channels
Spin
$7.99
64k RAM/ROM
Initial Design of MCU Board
Sensor Data Conversion
Determining axis of rotation:
x coordinate = M21 - M12 / √(M21 – M12)2+(M02 – M20)2+(M10 – M01)2)
y coordinate = M02 – M20 / √(M21 – M12)2+(M02 – M20)2+(M10 – M01)2)
z coordinate = M01 – M10 / √(M21 – M12)2+(M02 – M20)2+(M10 – M01)2)
Determining Angle to axis’:
Angle to x axis = cos-1(x / √(x2 + y2 + z2))
Angle to y axis = cos-1(y / √(x2 + y2 + z2))
Angle to z axis = cos-1(z / √(x2 + y2 + z2))
Motor Coordination
Operating
Flowchart
Deliverables
1. 2 Power Supplies (sensors, mcu, servos) –
3.3V, 5.0V, 6V
2. Micro-controller unit
3. Sensor mounted human operator arm
sleeve
4. Robot arm outfitted with working sensor
system and working software
5. Bold attempt at 7th DOF with elbow roll
Administrative
project is self-funded
- arm h/w is $165
- servos are ? < $200
- sensors about $100
- misc parts for power supply, construction
$100
Target budget is < $800 = 4 x 4914 textbook
Progress Status
Basic Prototype (1 sensor) - 95%
Research – 80%
Component Identification – 85%
Coding - 20%
PC Board (MCU) – 30%
PC Boards (components) – 30%
Power Supply Board – 25%
Servo purchase - 0%
CHALLENGES

getting response time under 0.1 seconds

system stable

system easy to use

safe payload handling

Getting DMP pre-process data from sensors

Bold attempt at 7th DOF with elbow roll
(rotatable wrist and elbow
QUESTIONS
???