Matching Items (14)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: robotics
- Creators: Engineering Programs
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
The field of robotics is rapidly expanding, and with it, the methods of teaching and introducing students must also advance alongside new technologies. There is a challenge in robotics education, especially at high school levels, to expose them to more modern and practical robots. One way to bridge this gap is human-robot interaction for a more hands-on and impactful experience that will leave students more interested in pursuing the field. Our project is a Robotic Head Kit that can be used in an educational setting to teach about its electrical, mechanical, programming, and psychological concepts. We took an existing robot head prototype and further advanced it so it can be easily assembled while still maintaining human complexity. Our research for this project dove into the electronics, mechanics, software, and even psychological barriers present in order to advance the already existing head design. The kit we have developed combines the field of robotics with psychology to create and add more life-like features and functionality to the robot, nicknamed "James Junior." The goal of our Honors Thesis was to initially fix electrical, mechanical, and software problems present. We were then tasked to run tests with high school students to validate our assembly instructions while gathering their observations and feedback about the robot's programmed reactions and emotions. The electrical problems were solved with custom PCBs designed to power and program the existing servo motors on the head. A new set of assembly instructions were written and modifications to the 3D printed parts were made for the kit. In software, existing code was improved to implement a user interface via keypad and joystick to give students control of the robot head they construct themselves. The results of our tests showed that we were not only successful in creating an intuitive robot head kit that could be easily assembled by high school students, but we were also successful in programming human-like expressions that could be emotionally perceived by the students.
ContributorsRathke, Benjamin (Co-author) / Rivera, Gerardo (Co-author) / Sodemann, Angela (Thesis director) / Itagi, Manjunath (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This thesis proposes the concept of soft robotic supernumerary limbs to assist the wearer in the execution of tasks, whether it be to share loads or replace an assistant. These controllable extra arms are made using soft robotics to reduce the weight and cost of the device, and are not limited in size and location to the user's arm as with exoskeletal devices. Soft robotics differ from traditional robotics in that they are made using soft materials such as silicone elastomers rather than hard materials such as metals or plastics. This thesis presents the design, fabrication, and testing of the arm, including the joints and the actuators to move them, as well as the design and fabrication of the human-body interface to unite man and machine. This prototype utilizes two types of pneumatically-driven actuators, pneumatic artificial muscles and fiber-reinforced actuators, to actuate the elbow and shoulder joints, respectively. The robotic limb is mounted at the waist on a backpack frame to avoid interfering with the wearer's biological arm. Through testing and evaluation, this prototype device proves the feasibility of soft supernumerary limbs, and opens up opportunities for further development into the field.
ContributorsOlson, Weston Roscoe (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis director) / Zhang, Wenlong (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This thesis is explaining the background, methods, discussions, and future work of developing a low-budget, variable-length, Arduino-based robotics unit for a 5th-7th grade classroom. The main motivation for the Thesis came from self-motivation and a lack of K-12th grade teachers’ teaching robotics. The end goal of the Thesis would be to teach primary school teachers how to teach robotics in the hopes that it would be taught in their classrooms. There have been many similar robotics or Arduino-based curricula that do not fit the preferred requirement for this thesis but do provide some level of guidance for future development. The method of the Thesis came in four main phases: 1) setup, 2) pre-unit phase, 3) unit phase, and 4) post unit phase. The setup focused primarily on making a timeline and researching what had already been done. The pre-unit phase focused primarily on the development of a new lesson plan along with a new robot design. The unit phase was primarily focused around how the teacher was assisted from a distance. Lastly, the post unit phase was when feedback was received from the teacher and the robots were inventoried to determine if, and what, damage occurred. There are many ways in which the lesson plan and robot design can be improved. Those improvements are the basis for a potential follow-up master’s thesis following the provided timeline.
ContributorsLerner, Jonah Benjamin (Author) / Carberry, Adam (Thesis director) / Walters, Molina (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This honors thesis project aims to design and develop the ideal design for a soft robotic grasper used in combination with a robotic supernumerary limb design for impaired individuals (i.e. a wearable robotic limb that branches out of the body), to help accomplish the tasks of daily living. Observations of current grasper solutions for similar applications has led to a design that incorporates a soft, pneumatically controlled grasper which integrates with the existing limb. Computational models of the grasper design have been created which demonstrate the grasping capabilities of this proposal. Initial prototypes of this grasper approach have been fabricated for testing and analyses purposes to build a foundation for future implementation.
ContributorsThalman, Carly Megan (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis director) / Lande, Micah (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Cornhole, traditionally seen as tailgate entertainment, has rapidly risen in popularity since the launching of the American Cornhole League in 2016. However, it lacks robust quality control over large tournaments, since many of the matches are scored and refereed by the players themselves. In the past, there have been issues where entire competition brackets have had to be scrapped and replayed because scores were not handled correctly. The sport is in need of a supplementary scoring solution that can provide quality control and accuracy over large matches where there aren’t enough referees present to score games. Drawing from the ACL regulations as well as personal experience and testimony from ACL Pro players, a list of requirements was generated for a potential automatic scoring system. Then, a market analysis of existing scoring solutions was done, and it found that there are no solutions on the market that can automatically score a cornhole game. Using the problem requirements and previous attempts to solve the scoring problem, a list of concepts was generated and evaluated against each other to determine which scoring system design should be developed. After determining that the chosen concept was the best way to approach the problem, the problem requirements and cornhole rules were further refined into a set of physical assumptions and constraints about the game itself. This informed the choice, structure, and implementation of the algorithms that score the bags. The prototype concept was tested on their own, and areas of improvement were found. Lastly, based on the results of the tests and what was learned from the engineering process, a roadmap was set out for the future development of the automatic scoring system into a full, market-ready product.
ContributorsGillespie, Reagan (Author) / Sugar, Thomas (Thesis director) / Li, Baoxin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Mission aviation groups operate aircraft in areas with limited infrastructure. Existing airdrop methods pose significant risk due to their lack of steerability. This thesis details the development of Manna, a system built to address these concerns. Manna provides an automated, low cost, safe steerable delivery platform, through a custom designed parafoil and guidance unit. Flight tests and simulations show that Manna can provide a safer alternative for critical air deliveries.
ContributorsSeveringhaus, Lukas (Author) / Schlichting, Audrey (Co-author) / Wende, Anthony (Thesis director) / Delp, Deana (Committee member) / Takahashi, Timothy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Engineering Programs (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Due to monumental advancements in large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, there is widespread interest in integrating this general AI’s capabilities into various applications, including robotics. However, the rush to deploy this technology has left safety as an afterthought, if at all. This study investigates the potential for LLM-fused robots to operate safely in real-world settings. This study begins with a review of ChatGPT, highlighting its capabilities and current challenges, particularly with integrating LLMs into robotics, and continues with similar applications as AI agents though APIs. To assess the safety implications of LLM-driven robots, the study presents experimental methods involving the navigation of a TurtleSim robot in 2D environments when given different scenarios. Various parameters are analyzed to determine the current capabilities of ChatGPT to understand how to adjust any agents it possesses based on the situation. Current findings reveal that ChatGPT-driven robots demonstrate adaptive behavior based on the scenario provided, indicating their potential for real-time safety adjustments and eliciting further research to ensure safe and successful integration of these robots into diverse work environments.
ContributorsPisors, Jacob (Author) / Cooke, Nancy (Thesis director) / Delp, Deana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Tech Entrepreneurship & Mgmt (Contributor) / Engineering Programs (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
A novel underwater, open source, and configurable vehicle that mimics and leverages advances in quad-copter controls and dynamics, called the uDrone, was designed, built and tested. This vehicle was developed to aid coral reef researchers in collecting underwater spectroscopic data for the purpose of monitoring coral reef health. It is designed with an on-board integrated sensor system to support both automated navigation in close proximity to reefs and environmental observation. Additionally, the vehicle can serve as a testbed for future research in the realm of programming for autonomous underwater navigation and data collection, given the open-source simulation and software environment in which it was developed. This thesis presents the motivation for and design components of the new vehicle, a model governing vehicle dynamics, and the results of two proof-of-concept simulation for automated control.
ContributorsGoldman, Alex (Author) / Das, Jnaneshwar (Thesis advisor) / Asner, Greg (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The mean age of the world’s population is rapidly increasing and with that growth in an aging population a large number of elderly people are in need of walking assistance. In addition, a number of medical conditions contribute to gait disorders that require gait rehabilitation. Wearable robotics can be used to improve functional outcomes in the gait rehabilitation process. The ankle push-off phase of an individual’s gait is vital to their ability to walk and propel themselves forward. During the ankle push-off phase of walking, plantar flexors are required to providing a large amount of force to power the heel off the ground.
The purpose of this project is to improve upon the passive ankle foot orthosis originally designed in the ASU’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (RISE Lab). This device utilizes springs positioned parallel to the user’s Achilles tendon which store energy to be released during the push off phase of the user’s gait cycle. Goals of the project are to improve the speed and reliability of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, design the device to fit a wider range of shoe sizes, and reduce the overall mass and size of the device. The resulting system is semi-passive and only utilizes a single solenoid to unlock the ratcheting mechanism when the spring’s potential force is required. The device created also utilizes constant force springs rather than traditional linear springs which allows for a more predictable level of force. A healthy user tested the device on a treadmill and surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors were placed on the user’s plantar flexor muscles to monitor potential reductions in muscular activity resulting from the assistance provided by the AFO device. The data demonstrates the robotic shoe was able to assist during the heel-off stage and reduced activation in the plantar flexor muscles was evident from the EMG data collected. As this is an ongoing research project, this thesis will also recommend possible design upgrades and changes to be made to the device in the future. These upgrades include utilizing a carbon fiber or lightweight plastic frame such as many of the traditional ankle foot-orthosis sold today and introducing a system to regulate the amount of spring force applied as a function of the force required at specific times of the heel off gait phase.
The purpose of this project is to improve upon the passive ankle foot orthosis originally designed in the ASU’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (RISE Lab). This device utilizes springs positioned parallel to the user’s Achilles tendon which store energy to be released during the push off phase of the user’s gait cycle. Goals of the project are to improve the speed and reliability of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, design the device to fit a wider range of shoe sizes, and reduce the overall mass and size of the device. The resulting system is semi-passive and only utilizes a single solenoid to unlock the ratcheting mechanism when the spring’s potential force is required. The device created also utilizes constant force springs rather than traditional linear springs which allows for a more predictable level of force. A healthy user tested the device on a treadmill and surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors were placed on the user’s plantar flexor muscles to monitor potential reductions in muscular activity resulting from the assistance provided by the AFO device. The data demonstrates the robotic shoe was able to assist during the heel-off stage and reduced activation in the plantar flexor muscles was evident from the EMG data collected. As this is an ongoing research project, this thesis will also recommend possible design upgrades and changes to be made to the device in the future. These upgrades include utilizing a carbon fiber or lightweight plastic frame such as many of the traditional ankle foot-orthosis sold today and introducing a system to regulate the amount of spring force applied as a function of the force required at specific times of the heel off gait phase.
ContributorsSchaller, Marcus Frank (Author) / Zhang, Wenlong (Thesis director) / Sugar, Thomas (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This is a report on an experiment that examines if the principles of multimedia learning outlined in Richard E. Mayer’s journal article, “Using multimedia for e-learning”, located in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning would apply to haptic feedback used for haptic robotic operation. This was tested by developing and using a haptic robotic manipulator known as the Haptic Testbed (HTB). The HTB is a manipulator designed to emulate human hand movement for haptic testing purposes and features an index finger and thumb for the right hand. Control is conducted through a Leap Motion Controller, a visual sensor that uses infrared lights and cameras to gather various data about hands it can see. The goal of the experiment was to have test subjects complete a task where they shifted objects along a circuit of positions where they were measured on time to complete the circuit as well as accuracy in reaching the individual points. Analysis of subject responses to surveys as well as performance during the experiment showed haptic feedback during training improving initial performance of individuals as well as lowering mental effort and mental demand during said training. The findings of this experiment showed support for the hypothesis that Mayer’s principles do apply to haptic feedback in training for haptic robotic manipulation. One of the implications of this experiment would be the possibility for haptics and tactile senses to be an applicable sense for Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning as most of the current work in the field is mostly focused on visual or auditory senses. If the results of the experiment were replicated in a future experiment it would provide support to the hypothesis that the principles of multimedia learning can be utilized to improve the training of haptic robotic operation.
ContributorsGiam, Connor Dallas (Author) / Craig, Scotty (Thesis director) / Sodemann, Angela (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05