Calendar

Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
2/13
Lecture 1 10:00a - 12:00p
2/20
Project Selection Form due 12:00p
Lecture 2 10:00a - 12:00p
2/27
Lecture 3 10:00a - 12:00p
3/6
Lecture 4 10:00a - 12:00p
3/13
Project Proposal due 11:59p
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
3/20
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
Design Document due 11:59p
3/27
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
4/3
Project Proposal Regrade due
Tomb-Sweeping Day
Teamwork Evaluation I due 11:59p
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
4/10
Individual Progress Report due 11:59p
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
4/17
Design Document Revision due - 11:59p
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
4/24
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
5/1
International Labor Day
International Labor Day
International Labor Day
Weekly Update Meeting 10:00a - 12:00p
5/8
Main Mock Demo Day D225
Mock Demo
Mock Demo
Mock Demo
Final Report draft due 11:59p
5/15
Final Demo Block 1 due
Final Demo Block 2 due
Final Demo Block 3 due
Final Demo Block 4 due
Final Demo Block 5 due
Final Presentation due
Final Individual Design Report Draft due
5/22
Final Individual Design Report due 11:59p
Functionality Demonstration Video (extra credit) due 11:59p
Final Report due 11:59p
Teamwork Evaluation II due 11:59p

Prosthetic Control Board

Featured Project

Psyonic is a local start-up that has been working on a prosthetic arm with an impressive set of features as well as being affordable. The current iteration of the main hand board is functional, but has limitations in computational power as well as scalability. In lieu of this, Psyonic wishes to switch to a production-ready chip that is an improvement on the current micro controller by utilizing a more modern architecture. During this change a few new features would be added that would improve safety, allow for easier debugging, and fix some issues present in the current implementation. The board is also slated to communicate with several other boards found in the hand. Additionally we are looking at the possibility of improving the longevity of the product with methods such as conformal coating and potting.

Core Functionality:

Replace microcontroller, change connectors, and code software to send control signals to the motor drivers

Tier 1 functions:

Add additional communication interfaces (I2C), and add temperature sensor.

Tier 2 functions:

Setup framework for communication between other boards, and improve board longevity.

Overview of proposed changes by affected area:

Microcontroller/Architecture Change:

Teensy -> Production-ready chip (most likely ARM based, i.e. STM32 family of processors)

Board:

support new microcontroller, adding additional communication interfaces (I2C), change to more robust connector. (will need to design pcb for both main control as well as finger sensors)

Sensor:

Addition of a temperature sensor to provide temperature feedback to the microcontroller.

Software:

change from Arduino IDE to new toolchain. (ARM has various base libraries such as mbed and can be configured for use with eclipse to act as IDE) Lay out framework to allow communication from other boards found in other parts of the arm.