Topic | Rationale | Key Things to Research | Assignment |
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Degrees of Freedom | - We definitely need to figure out how many degrees of freedom our arm needs to have; this much should be obvious.
- Selecting the optimum # of DoF will refine our design scope, and give us a better understanding of what linkages we need to fabricate
- Will also help us figure out how many motors (+ other OTS components we may need)
| - Recommended DoF for IK
- Where DoF should be placed on linkages
- How much we can simplify to reduce design complexity while maintaining function
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Linkages | - Linkages refer to the actual "limbs" of the arm, i.e. shoulder, forearm, wrist, etc.
- Determining how our linkages should be shaped and how they are commonly constructed will help us select materials and get
large components with longer lead times fabricated faster - This can also help us to prep stuff like cable routing options so its not ham-fisted into the design last second
| - Linkage design (what shapes/geometry are used to minimize weight while maintaining strength and rigidity)
- Linkages length (would be good to consider this in design, lengths are def TBD rn but its good to find something configurable for when we refine our values)
- Cable routing options in the linkages
- It would also be great to determine what kind of machining processes we will need to use to build our linkage so we can plan accordingly
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Construction Materials | - We need to figure out what we will actually build the arm with lol
- Look into high strength lightweight materials, like carbon composites (which is what most teams use)
- It would also be great to think of what can replacement materials could be used for prototyping and testing before actual parts are ordered
| - Construction material options and any unique fabrication processes required to use them
- Potential procurement routes (reach out to sponsors, figure out where we can get stuff and get estimates)
- CARBON COMPOSITES
| Austin Tailon Huang |
BLDC Motors for the Arm | - While it may be too soon to select motor ratings for our design, we should definitely find a vendor and potential motor options so we aren't left in the
dust after we find a design - It would also be good to get some cost estimates for budgeting
- There are also some nuances in motor design that should be research (like what's a pancake BLDC motor?)
| - Potential vendors
- Potential lines/models of BLDC motors we can use
- Potential sponsorships and cost estimates for motors
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Joint Drives/Actuators | - Joint drives and actuators are a huge topic to research, as they are what actually move the arm
- There are a number of different options with varying pros and cons - i.e. backlash, cost, implementation, size, reusability, torque/speed ratio, gear reduction, etc.
- We need to figure out what drives are required at each joint to properly design our robot arm
| - Ideal gear reduction for robot arms
- What types of drives are suitable at each joints
- OTS vs custom drive options
- Cycloid drives, strain wave drives, worm gears, belt drives, bevel/spur gearing, anti backlash gears, backlash solutions, hypoid gears
- DC motors, servos, steppers, linear actuators, solenoids, pneumatic actuators
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End Effector Design | - This is also straight forward, as the end effector is a huge part of our robot - its what gets shit done at comp
- The design for the end effector is pretty open ended, so lets try to refine the requirements and think of some good options
| - Num. of required fingers
- Gripper materials
- Range of rotation
- Clamping strength
- Tool compatibility
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