Robotic Camera Imaging Axis

Tasked with creating a camera axis co-located behind a SCARA robotic arm to independently image and pick tomatoes
Must fit within a 100mm x 125mm space and travel 1200mm so the camera could access the entire robotic workspace
Subsystem must manage electrical power, communications, and pneumatics independently from the rest of the system
Worked with Electrical Engineers to select layout and design the electrical cabinet, optimizing wire routes and minimizing cabinet size
All components must be sourceable within 8 week timeline to quickly assemble subsystem
Motor must be carefully selected to include a brake, encoder and a gearbox that can be backdriven

Design was completed within a 4 week timeline to quickly increase robot performance
Had to carefully choose between selecting COTS components and customed designed parts to work within a constrained supply-chain
Ran simulations to ensure that the structural frame would not produce any harmonic motions when either the camera or robotic arm were moving at high-speed
The electrical cabinet was constrained to a 4in width behind the robotic arm, limiting the component selection possible
Designed a custom mechanical tensioning system to keep belt and motor functioning properly without slipping
Critical design review revealed manufacturing oversight in sheet metal part that required a late stage update to the structural design

The system was successfully designed, ordered, built and tested resulting in the successful completion of 8 units
Had to revise the electrical cabinet so that an electronic pneumatic regulator could be added to increase control over the pneumatic pressure
Overall system was successfully integrated into the rest of the platform
Created and reviewed over 25 custom parts and drawings that were sent out to manufacturers
Software team was able to parallelize the imaging and movement of the secondary axis in-timing with the robotic arm
Final design was able to increase speed of the system by 300% between target acquisition and capture

Ability to design complex mechatronic systems within tight system constraints
Coordination with electrical engineering team members on integration of electrical and mechanical design
Worked with additional engineers to coordinate designs and review of overall system
Balanced competing requirements and space constraints to successfully integrate design into the back-side of the robotic arm
Simulation studies were successfully in eliminating any structural frequencies and ensure that design was strong and rigid

STERLING GRAY