Syringe Robot Arm

Lockview High School Tech Ed 9 Mr. Saunders

Introduction:
A robot is a machine that can be programmed to perform a task. The word robot comes from the word robota in the !echoslovakian language" which means slave#like work or forced work. Toda$" robots are primaril$ used in industr$. T$picall$" robots are used to perform tasks that are dull" dirt$" and%or dangerous. &obots increase production capabilit$' improve product (ualit$" and lower production costs. )t is likel$ that ver$ soon there will be almost totall$ *human# free+ factories. ,erhaps -ust one or two people will program or monitor the computers and carr$ out routine maintenance to robots and other machines. The robots used in industr$ usuall$ consist of a mechanical arm controlled b$ a computer. The arm is -ointed in one or more places and there is a .hand. at the end of the arm. The /hand. is called an end effector. Each end effector is designed specificall$ for a particular -ob. Among the simplest -obs is .pick and place. where a robot ma$ take something from one place and move it to another. &obots can do man$ different kinds of tasks but the$ still need humans to control them and give instructions. A robot is not intelligent b$ itself and can perform onl$ those tasks for which it is given a set of instructions or program. omputers act as the robot/s brain. The power for a robotic arm can either be electric" h$draulic" or pneumatic. H$draulics is putting li(uids under pressure while pneumatics is putting gases under pressure. The power suppl$ acts like the robot/s heart and muscles. )t provides the energ$ for pushing" pulling" turning and lifting. There are five types of robot arms commonl$ used in industr$. 0 The c$lindrical movement moves in and out" up and down" and swivels round a vertical a1is. 0The -ointed arm has a -oint at the waist" shoulder and elbow. 0The polar 2or spherical3 movement is like the c$lindrical movement" but uses a pivoting vertical motion. 0Scara#t$pe movement is similar to the -ointed arm" but has -oints in the hori!ontal rather than the vertical plane. 04inall$" rectangular movement can go up and down" from side to side and in and out.

*In this activity, you will design, build, and program a simple pick and place robot that will solve a materials handling problem.

roblem:
5ou are a designer at Acme &obotics" Ltd. 5our firm has been asked to design a material#handling s$stem for 6edoital" )nc." 6edoital )ncorporated makes 7doits8. 9uring the manufacturing process" 7doits8 need to be moved from one conve$or s$stem ! oint A" to another conve$or s$stem ! oint #" b$ hand. Moving the7doits8 b$ hand is boring and dangerous. The compan$ has had to pa$ a lot of medical bills due to in-uries caused b$ moving7doits8. Management feels that using a robot to move7doits8 will free personnel for more important work" reduce accidents" and improve productivit$. 5our department head has decided to put together several design teams. Each design team 2: people3 will develop and present a proposal for solving 6edoital+s material#handling problem. Each proposal will be in the form of a working model robot and a program documenting the steps re(uired to perform the task. The design team that presents the best proposal will receive the contract. Specifications; <. The robot arm can be no larger than := 1 := cm at the base" with an overall height of := cm. >. 5ou must use rec$cled wood" metal" and plastic as part of $our robot. :. The robot should include h$draulic 2s$ringes and vin$l tubing filled with water3 and mechanical s$stems 2simple machines3. ?. oint A and oint # must be at least <= cm apart and on different planes 2levels3 <= cm high.

rocedure:
<. 6ithin $our design team decide how $our robot will move the table tennis ball 27doits83. &esearch the )nternet" te1tbooks" etc. for ideas >. 9iscuss with $our team all of the possible wa$s to .move. $our 7doits8. :. 9ecide where point A 2the place where the7doits8 starts3 and point @ 2the place where the 7doits8will end up3 will be in relation to each other. 9oes the 7doits8 have to move hori!ontall$" verticall$" both" etc.A ?. @egin sketching robot ideas. These sketches can be (uick and simple wa$s of communicating $our plan or design. B. After selecting and refining $our best design" draw it neatl$ and accuratel$. @e sure to include enough detail to build the robot as planned. C. Have Mr. Saunders sign#off on $our design. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

E. onstruct $our robot in the ,roduction Lab. 2Take pictures during construction3 )t is best to start with the base of $our robot and locate points A and @ and then build accordingl$. #e sure that safety rules are followed while using tools and e$uipment in the lab. F. After the robot is constructed" fill the s$ringes with water of different colours. Mr. S can assist $ou. 9. 6rite a program for $our robot that will move the ob-ect from point A to point @. 6hen the program is completed" test it and make an$ necessar$ revisions. Then switch programs and robots with another group and evaluate their program as the$ evaluate $ours. !Rubric" <=. Have Mr. Saunders sign#off on $our program. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD <<. ,repare a two to four minute ,ower,oint presentation of $our proposal. The presentation should include; pictures" a demonstration of $our robot" Lab Safet$ and program along with a description of an$ h$draulic" mechanical s$stems. GAll design team members must participate in the presentation.

%valuation:
<. The following are re(uired for $our Hroup &ubric; # &obot 9esign Sketches%9rawing >= pts # &obot reativit$%Iriginalit$ >= pts # &obot 6orkmanship >= pts # &obot ,rogram >= pts # ,roposal ,resentation >= pts Total J <== pts GGG &ood 'uck and have lots of fun(