Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
27 Supernumerary Robotic Limbs
 Haotian Jiang
Xuekun Zhang
Yichi Zhang
Yushi Chen
 design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
final_paper2.pdf
proposal2.pdf
proposal1.pdf
 Liangjing Yang
# TEAM MEMBERS
Haotian Jiang (hj24)
Yushi Chen
Yichi Zhang
Xuekun Zhang(xuekunz2)

# PROBLEM
Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRLs) have emerged as a fascinating advancement in the field of robotics, offering the potential to augment human capabilities by providing additional robotic limbs. However, a significant current problem plaguing the implementation of SRLs revolves around integration challenges. The seamless coordination between these robotic limbs and the user's natural limbs remains a complex issue. Achieving intuitive and synchronized control over the supernumerary limbs, ensuring they move in harmony with the user's intended actions, poses a considerable technological hurdle. Additionally, the current state of SRLs faces limitations in adaptability to various tasks and environments, hindering their practicality.

# SOLUTION OVERVIEW
1. Seamless Coordination and Control: One of the main challenges is achieving intuitive and synchronized control between SRLs and the user's natural limbs. This requires advanced sensor technologies and algorithms capable of interpreting human intent and translating it into precise robotic movement.

Solution Ideas:
Advanced Sensory Feedback: Implementing a sophisticated sensory feedback system that can accurately detect and interpret the user's movements and intentions. This could involve a combination of technologies like electromyography (EMG) to read muscle signals, motion sensors, and perhaps even neural interfaces. Machine Learning Algorithms: Developing algorithms capable of learning and adapting to the user's movement patterns. Machine learning can help in predicting and synchronizing the movements of the robotic limbs with the user's natural limbs. Haptic Feedback: Integrating haptic feedback into the SRL system can provide the user with tactile information about the limb's position and the forces it encounters, enhancing control.

2. Adaptability to Various Tasks and Environments: SRLs need to be versatile enough to perform a wide range of tasks in different environments, which is a challenging aspect of their design and functionality.

Solution Ideas:
Modular Design: Creating a modular SRL system where different types of limbs or tools can be attached and detached as needed could provide the versatility required for different tasks. Environment Sensing and Adaptation: Incorporating sensors that allow the SRL to understand and adapt to different environments. This could involve visual recognition systems, lidar for spatial awareness, or other environmental sensors. User-Defined Customization: Allowing users to customize the settings and behavior of the SRLs for specific tasks could enhance their practicality in various scenarios.

3. User Training and Interface Design: Another critical aspect is how users interact with and control the SRLs. The learning curve and ease of use are important for wide adoption.
Solution Ideas:
Intuitive User Interfaces: Designing user interfaces that are intuitive and easy to learn can significantly enhance the user experience. This could involve gesture-based controls, voice commands, or even direct brain-computer interfaces for more advanced implementations. Simulation and Training Programs: Providing simulation-based training tools can help users learn to control the SRLs effectively, ensuring they can be used efficiently in real-world tasks.

4. Safety and Compliance: Ensuring the safety of both the user and those around them is paramount, especially in environments where human-robot interaction is frequent.
Solution Ideas:
Real-time Safety Protocols: Implementing real-time monitoring and safety protocols that can prevent accidents or injuries. This includes collision avoidance systems and emergency stop mechanisms. Compliance with Regulations: Adhering to existing robotic and workplace safety regulations, and contributing to the development of new standards specifically for SRLs.

# CRITERION FOR SUCCESS
For our Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRLs) project, success is contingent upon meeting specific high-level criteria. Stability is a paramount goal, demanding that signals are received seamlessly, without any loss, especially within the confines of a room, even when there is a gap of two chairs. Affordability is a key criterion, emphasizing the importance of keeping costs low to enable widespread adoption and accessibility. Efficiency is critical; the process from user input to signal collection and transmission should operate with minimal delay. Aesthetic considerations are not overlooked; the design should be widely accepted and easily producible through technologies like 3D printing. Feedback mechanisms are crucial for user satisfaction; users should receive prompt and meaningful feedback from the system, enhancing their experience and trust. Additionally, the system's concurrency is vital; it must adeptly handle signals from multiple limbs in real-time, ensuring seamless integration and coordination. These high-level goals collectively define the success of our Supernumerary Robotic Limbs project.

# DISTRIBUTION OF WORK

Yichi Zhang: Part of the code work and electronic control system design and equipment selection

Yushi Chen: Part of the code work and electronic control system design and equipment selection

Xuekun Zhang: Progress major code work and overall design work

Haotian Jiang: 3D print structure design and physical setup for the hardware part.

Fountain show

Dingyi Feng, Tianli Ling, Zhelun Lu, Shibo Zhang

Featured Project

## Team

- Dingyi Feng(dingyif2)

- Tianli Ling(tling3)

- Zhelun Lu(zhelunl2)

- Shibo Zhang(shiboz2)

## Problem:

A fountain show on campus can make students feel more relaxed after class. However, some fountain shows only have monotonous, stiff, and single actions. Besides, they cannot automatically generate action and light effects. Compared with large fountain shows, small and medium-sized fountain shows have the advantage of time and space. In most cases, a large fountain show only has preloaded music which cannot be decided by audiences. Large fountain shows also require people to design the action and light effects for each music, which takes lots of time and effort. Compared with the large fountain show, our small fountain show will be more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, large fountain shows might result in large crowds gathering, but a small fountain show can reduce the risk of infection.

## Solution Overview:

Our fountain show would be built at a pool on the sourthwest of the main lake on campus. By manually programing, the fountain show could realize changing lighting effects and movements. Besides, our fountain show could also identify the music which was imported into our system, and automatically generate the lighting effects and movements with the music. If time permits, we will strengthen the human-computer interaction of our product. To be specific, people could scan the QR code or use our online system to choose the music they want, so that they can enjoy the fountain show at any time.

## Solution Components:

### Control Subsystem:

- Music colleccting and analyzing subsystem: Computer that can import music signals and analyze them.

- Converting subsystem: After music signal is analyzed, we need computer to convert useful signals into digital signals. Digital signals will be used to control LEDs and other mechanical subsystems.

### Mechanical Subsystem:

- Pump Subsystem: Water pump that can pump water from the lake. Valves will be used to control water’s flow rate of each nozzle.

- Lighting Subsystem: LEDs are needed to light our fountains. They are controlled by microprocessor on PCB. Their brightness and color can be changed with music.

- Motor Subsystem: Two motors are needed for each fountain nozzle to control the movements. The motors are controlled by microprocessor on PCB.

### Power subsystem:

- The pump is drived by DC power (12V 20~30A). PCB and computer will be drived by USB (5V 1A). Full module power supply with 12V and 5V output is needed.

## Criterion for Success:

- If it can successfully identify a piece of music and convert it to electrical signals that we need in controlling LED’s lighting and nozzle’s moving.

- If the whole system can work stably for a long time and whether it is safe to use without electric leakage or other problems.

- If music playing, fountain movements and LED lights are synchronized.

- If the fountain system is neat and whether the fountain performance is ornamental enough.