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Design a Pick-and-Place Robot

Building on the design challenge we did in class, design a looks-like/works-like prototype of a Pick-and-Place robot. A pick-and-place robot does what it sounds like: it picks something up, and it places it elsewhere.

The constraints are the same as in class:

  • The robot should pick up something from one end of a table, and put it on another.
  • The robot must be mechanically plausible
  • The robot design must include analysis for the degrees of freedom and encoders
  • The prototype must include both a physical looks-like model of the mechanics (no motors required) and at least one electronic prototype that demonstrates some important principle of distance sensing (a.k.a. encoding).

To build the looks-like part of the prototoype, make a real, physical prototype of the robot. You can use any crafting material: Lego, popsicle sticks, cardboard, paper, hot glue, etc. You do not need to use any electronic parts in the looks-like prototype. Accompany the physical model with drawings in your sketchbook that match the physical design, annotate them, and briefly explain how it works.

To build the works-like part of the prototype, make a real, physical circuit. You can use buttons, switches, photocells, and/or potentiometers. You should demonstrate at least one DOF's distance encoding with the circuit. Accompany the circuit with drawings in your sketchbook that match the circuit design, annotate them, and briefly explain how it works.

Design solution format and handin​

Submit a short video of your prototype to Pizza.

Each design solution, including this one, should include two short reflections and self-provided grades in the range of 0-5. Yoru final design and relfections should be in your sketchbook. The reflection grades must be very clearly marked (highlighted, circled, at the top of the page, something), or we will count it as zero. You will submit a photo of the final design and reflections to Canvas.

The first reflection and self-provided grade should assess your design challenge: how well did you think that you did the design challenge? Provide a short justification for your self-given grade and reflect on the connection between the design challenge and course concepts.

The second reflection and self-provided grade should assess your participation in the course: over the module, did you fully engage in the pre-readings? Did you do the in-class drawing exercises and design challenges to the best of your ability? Provide a short justification and reflect on your changing understanding of COGS as a result of the module.

The best reflections do not linger long on self-promotion. Instead, they focus on course concepts. Use this first design challenge as a practice run.

For this course, we always use the following kind of scale:

  • 5: Exceptional: above and beyond requirements, brings in outside knowledge and/or deeply engages with the material.
  • 4: Very good: meets requirements fully, no major critiques.
  • 3: Good: mostly meets requirements, one or two major critiques or many minor critiques.
  • 2: Poor: mostly pro forma meeting of requirements, many major or minor critiques.
  • 1: Very poor: some discernable effort, but significant problems.
  • 0: No discernable effort.

You will notice that "fully meeting requirements" is only a 4/5, or 80%. This is unusual for many people, but is standard in art and design courses. The secret requirement is that you must go above and beyond to get above 80%. The point is to get you to creatively engage with the course. If we fully specify what it takes to get 100%, then there will be no creative component. Part of the purpose of engaging with this in this manner is to teach you to assess yourself in your own creativity. Then, we will assess you on your self-assessment. Don't worry, this will seem natural soon enough.

Since this is your first design challenge, we will provide some ideas of above and beyond:

  • Very well done and/or highly-detailed drawings
  • Creative measurement processes that use multiple tools or perspectives
  • Unusual and fully worked-through estimation techniques
  • Extra building perspectives that include analyses of smaller sections of the building
  • Etc.

The design challenge is due two weeks after the assignment released (will be indicated on Canvas).