Robust end effecter for the introduction to Robotics Laboratory robotic arms

Abstract

In the MIT ci ss Introduction to Robotics, a two link robotic arm is used to learn about robots however, the arm is limited since its only function is movement. In order to create a more meaningful and useful experience for students in the class, an end effecter with position feedback is going to be design and created as a third link for the current arm. Once complete, it will add functionality to the robot, namely picking up objects, by providing students with hands-on experience accomplishing a fundamental human task with a robot. The end effecter is comprised of a gravity link with two finger grippers each having rotating compliant tips which will compress around the object selected for lifting. The gravity link will insure that the two fingers are always vertical and the rotation on the tips will allow the fingers to be in the correct orientation so they can grasp around an object and pick it up. This solution creates a more practical experience and provides increased learning tasks for students in Introduction to Robotics.