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--- ece4560:project [2016/09/06 17:01] – pvela
+++ ece4560:project [2024/08/20 21:38] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 ====== ECE4560 Projects ======
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 ===== Default Projects =====
+------------------------------
+The course currently has three default projects.
-The default project for the course is a [[http://www.lynxmotion.com/images/jpg/al5d.jpg|5DOF robotic arm]], with a second project being a [[http://www.turtlebot.com/|mobile robot]].  The robotic arm project, as the default project, is already incorporated into the homeworks. The mobile robot project is not, but has a mostly established [[Turtlebot:Adventures | program of study]].
+. **The Robotic Arm Track.** \\
+ The original project for the course which is a [[http://www.lynxmotion.com/images/jpg/al5d.jpg|5DOF robotic arm]]. A recent addition to this track includes a 4DOF planar robotic arm. The robotic arm track, as the default project, has historically been incorporated into the homeworks.
-===== Research-Inspired Projects =====
+[[Manipulator:Adventures | Program of Study]].
-. Salamander \\
+. **The Mobile Robot Track.** \\
-Build and program a salamander robot based on the [[http://biorob.epfl.ch/ | Biorobotics Laboratory]]
+This newer [[http://www.turtlebot.com/|mobile robot]] project has a mostly established [[Turtlebot:Adventures | program of study]]. It revolves around learning to use the Robot Operating System (ROS) to control a robot to move about. The culmination uses visual sensing to perform tracking and target following.
-design called [[http://biorob.epfl.ch/pleurobot | Pleurobot]], some of whose details were recently [[http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/13/119/20151089 | published]].  Involves mechanical design and construction, kinematic modeling of articulated robots, and servomotor programming.
-. Mechbot \\
-Re-design and program a mech-warrior type robot from a previous iteration of the course. The leg design is more like that of a bird, which has an inverted knee (relative to humans).  Involves mechanical design and construction, kinematic modeling of articulated robots, and servomotor programming.  Also may involve optimal trajectory synthesis methods for movement. Initially, planar models would be explored, followed by spatial models.
-. Biped/Humanoid Robot \\
+[[Turtlebot:Adventures | Program of Study]]
-There is a small bipedal humanoid robot, [[https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bioloid+GP&t=canonical&iax=1&ia=images|Bioloid-GP]] with some custom modifications, available for exploring bipedal movement and locomotion.  This project would be about learning to model and control biped robots.  The initial exploration would start with a planar model of the biped and ramp up to a full spatial model.  The idea being to understand the kinematics of balance and of walking for biped robots.  Please let me know if this is of interest, as there is one student already committed.
-. Factory \\
+. **A Bipedal Robot.** \\
-Create a //factory lab// for the class.  The class originally had a small industrial workfloor courtesy of a, now retired, professor who was using his research laboratory as the class laboratory. It was non-functional when I first arrived, and a replacement has never been created. Let's see if we can create our own miniature factor floor complete with a machine vision overhead view for planning and control. This project will involve creating miniature conveyor belts, revising an embedded computing circuit design and programming the microcontroller, and software design. Creating the mini-factory will involve using your knowledge of kinematics in the design process.
+The newest is a (planar) [[ECE4560:Biped:Adventures|bipedal locomotion project]].  It combines some of the course material with numerical optimal control methods to synthesize a quasi-static walking gait. The project deliverables will be posted to this wiki as the semester progresses.  What the term "planar" means is that we constrain the robot to walk in a circle using a boom, so that it cannot tip sideways. It can fall forwards/backwards.
-. NASA Space Challenge \\
+[[ECE4560:Biped:Adventures| Program of Study]]
-NASA has this [[https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/feature/space_robotics_challenge.html|space robotics challenge]] that involves getting a humanoid robot to perform certain tasks. The humanoid robot is NASA's Valkryie robot.  The [[https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/space_robotics/index.html|main website]] has more details. I have no idea what this entails since one must first [[http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2986243/NASA-Space-Robotics-Challenge-Team-Registration-Form|pre-register]] in order to get details.  What I imagine is that they will do something like DARPA's Robotics Challenge.  You will be given access to a robot simulator (to be downloaded to your computer, and in all likelihood requiring linux) which will be used to program the robot to perform different tasks. If you are lucky and it builds on [[http://ros.rog|ROS]], then programming might be possible in python.  There will most likely be a mix of tele-operation and autonomous operation.  Outside of this, I really don't know.  I presume then, this is for the motivated team.
-. [[https://duckduckgo.com/?q=johnny+5+robot&t=canonical&iax=1&ia=images|Johnny 5]] like robot: AWSM \\
+===== Research-Inspired Projects =====
-The [[http://rical.ce.gatech.edu|RICAL Lab]] here at Georgia Tech has this robot whose design is similar to Johnny 5, from the 80's movie of same title.  The robot works but is tele-operated and has mostly manual operation.  It would be cool to start to give it some smarts. (NOTE: This project is a maybe at the moment.  I need to confirm with Dr. Cho that something reasonable can be done. I should hear back by Monday or Tuesday (September 5/6).  To see AWSM the Robot, go to the [[http://rical.ce.gatech.edu|RICAL page]] and flip the image slideshow to the right a few times.  The 6th or 7th image gives a good full robot view of AWSM.
+------------------------------
+. **Kitty/Quadruped**\\
+A slightly modified version of the planar biped, here the objective is to generate a walking gait for a quadruped robot.  In addition to having two bipedal halves, there is some articulation or actuation in connector between the front and rear leg pairs.  The additional degrees of freedom can be used to assist with realizing quadrupedal gaits.  Still works in Matlab.
-. Bridge Crawler. \\
+. **Bi-Manual Arm**\\
-Create a small electro-magnetically controlled crawling robot for performing bridge inspection.  At minimum, it should be able to crawling across a surface.  Being able to crawl across a surface and maneuver a bend to the adjoining surface would be even better.  This will involve a little bit of electronics (putting together the brains of the robot, circuit-wise), plus some kinematics and control.  This topic was inspired by a colleague who wants to improve on his existing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSo1KBAXyUE|bridge crawler design]].  An image of the envisioned crawling type system is below (note: artist's rendering), though it is possible to also consider modifications of the existing wheel-based design.  Perhaps an initial evaluation of pros/cons for each design would be of interest.
+Also a modified version of the traditional manipulator project.  Here there are two manipulators that can be used to solve tasks requiring two hands, whatever those may be.  Planning now also needs to worry more about arm-to-arm collisions. Interfacing and programming is through ROS/Python or ROS/C++.
-;#;
-{{ece4560:projects:bridgecrawler.png?450}}
-;#;
-. Optimal control: IPOPT + python  or IPOPT + Matlab \\
+. **Vision-Based Manipulation**\\
-The latest trend in robots and control of them is to utilize optimal control strategies to generate control signals for the robots.  We are interested in enhancing and porting an existing optimal trajectory generation package [[http://github.com/uqLab/Optragen|Optragen]].  Porting would involve translating the current design to python and incorporating [[https://projects.coin-or.org/Ipopt|IPOPT]] or some other similar nonlinear optimization solver.  A slightly simpler step would be to enhance the current version of Optragen to work with IPOPT's Matlab version (or even with Matlab's internal optimization solvers).  In the process, more complex optimization problems will be solved than the current examples. If possible, they can even be implemented on actual experimental robot platforms (presuming that it is fairly simple to do so). As a final consequence, Optragen will be able to run on more platforms and/or on more optimal control problems than it can now.
+Adds a camera to the robot arm and aims to use it for successfully executing grasping tasks on objects within the field of view of the camera.  Most likely will be a depth camera to facilitate grasping analysis. Recovery of reference frames will involve the use of AR Tags ([[https://docs.opencv.org/3.1.0/d5/dae/tutorial_aruco_detection.html|ArUco Markers]], specifically). Interfacing and programming is through ROS/Python or ROS/C++.
+//Program of Study:// An attempt to formalize this project will be made. Look [[ECE4560:VisMan:Adventures | here]].
+. **Mech-Warrior** \\
+Similar to the biped project, but the geometry is flipped, and there are some shape differences. Depending on the scope, it may be the same grading structure as the //Biped//, or may follow the //Custom// project structure. Still works in Matlab.
 ===== Group Creation =====
+------------------------------
-Students can define their own project, through discussions with instructor.  Usually the discussions are to assess the appropriateness of the chosen topic, both in terms of its relation to the course material and in terms of its level of difficulty.
+Students can define their own project, through discussions with instructor.  Usually the discussions are to assess the appropriateness of the chosen topic, both in terms of its relation to the course material and in terms of its level of difficulty. Starting in Fall 2018, custom projects are expected to align with the expertise of the research group, so that we can more readily guide the group. Thus it is anticipated that the //Custom// project would be one of the above or a minor variation.
 ===== Past Projects =====
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