Undergraduate Robotics at Roger Williams University Matthew Stein Roger Williams Unversity

Never Heard of it? Just 20 minutes south Undergraduate Institution B.S. General Engineering One elective course in Robotics Employ 1-2 students on internally funded Research projects

The Robotics Class 3 Credits Sr/Jr engineers and computer scientists 21 Students Fall 2006 Entertaining video

Research projects? Like What? PumaPaint ,000 users - thousands of paintings Allows user to perform 2D task Limited to a plane ( canvas) Internet surfers control robot through a graphical user interface. Limited to simple camera feedback

Most Recent Project J.P Brice 2008 Graduate On to U. of Utah Slides from his ASME DETC presentation

Objective 3D manipulation Let users manipulate object instead of drawing on a canvas Provide more information to the user. Provide touch feedback True haptic feedback using a force feedback controller or sensory substitution through a GUI

iHands Robotic hand that let internet users manipulate objects Platform mounted on a linear stage with 1 foot of displacement Two pair of fingers Sensors provide touch feedback A pneumatic thumb Hardware and circuitry controlled by Galil Inc. DMC motion controller Online 24x7:

Right now

Fingers Provide touch feedback Skin over skeleton Sensors to detect touching. Reproduce open-close motion of actual finger Lead screw linear actuator 12V dc motor

Skin structure Four segments for upper finger First two segments cover first and second phalanges Rigid and used for pressing and gripping Three segments for lower fingers First segment is also rigid and covers first phalanx.

Skin structure (continued) Third and fourth segment cover the third phalanx Retractable skin PVC piece with ½ inch linear displacement Sensors Spring Rotating tip

Third Phalanx

Finger control Switch at each end of linear actuator To eliminate drift over long term operation To prevent motor from over heating at end of travel Encoder on motor shaft Allows position control Encoder feedback automatically handled by Galil Software

Motor control Use of motor command signal from DMC panel Linear transistor circuit to amplify signal current from 3mA.

Finger motion

Sensory Substitution Detect contact Skin retracts and obstruct optical sensor Op amp circuit to decide when touching or not Display contact through graphical user interface Red arrows are displayed on the GUI

Thumb Design 3 state opposable thumb Pneumatic actuator moves thumb up and down Transistor circuit control valve Output port on DMC panel used to activate thumb All the way up All the way down Touching and applying quick pressure

Drawings of Thumb

The Graphical User Interface

Conclusion / future work Users have manipulated balloons and clay Slow access ( about 2 users per day) System is robust. Operated without need to reset for six months GUI an interesting research issue