Projects:2014S1-47 Robotic Arm for Trash Collecting Robot

This project will be working on an autonomous trash collecting robot. The focus of the group for this project will be on the artificial intelligence and sensing aspects of the problem. A robotic platform already exists but the system will need a robotic arm to pick up and items and place them in a bin. Commercial arms are available, but a quick survey of what's available reveals that they are too small, not strong enough or too expensive. The objective of this project is to either develop a custom arm for the purpose or to find a commercial off-the-shelf arm and adapt it for the purpose, then to develop an interface for the trash collecting robot to be agreed with the other group. The arm may be used for other purposes including, for example, playing games or providing demonstrations at University Open Days and exhibitions and a secondary objective is to develop an engaging demonstration of its capabilities.

Introduction

This project will be on the artificial intelligence and sensing aspects of the problem. A robotic platform already exists but the system will need a robotic arm to pick up and items and place them in a bin. Commercial arms are available, but a quick survey of what's available reveals that they are too small, not strong enough or too expensive. The objective of this project is to either develop a custom arm for the purpose or to find a commercial off-the-shelf arm and adapt it for the purpose, then to develop an interface for the trash collecting robot to be agreed with the other group. The arm may be used for other purposes including, for example, playing games or providing demonstrations at University Open Days and exhibitions and a secondary objective is to develop an engaging demonstration of its capabilities.

Project Information

The trash collecting robot is expected to perform pick up trash and put it back to bin actions, and meanwhile the robot can move around inside university, detect objects to avoid collision with human and other barriers, also able to identify objects such as cans, bottles, apply the actions to achieve the function of trash collecting. Trash collecting robot project has been divided into 3 parts, as artificial intelligence agent development for the robot which considered as the “brain” of robot, and a platform which has a suitable size and functions to carry a bin and able to perform expected movements as the “body” of robot, for our group particularly we focus on the arm of this robot. There are a few of commercial arms are available, by study and understand the functions and capabilities of these arms, we will choose one of them and develop this arm to achieve the purpose of this project.

Personnel

Team Members

• Mr Junyu GUO
• Mr Salih Al Rashid

Supervisors

• Dr Braden Phillips
• Prof Michael Liebelt

Resources

Bench #7 Project Lab