Pick-n-Place Robot Arm

• Gio Eliashvili
• Mario Martinez
• Dhruven Patel
• Valentin Rufino

Advisor: Michael Brown, PhD

Sponsor: Michael Brown, PhD

Many distribution companies are able to turn a large profit by increasing productivity with the help of machines. Large scale companies such as Amazon and UPS use robotic arms to aid in the transport of packages or products. Robotic arms are able to lift much more weight and continuously work much longer than any person can. People require rest and are limited by their capabilities. With proper maintenance, machines are not bound by this limitation and are able to function much longer than a person. A robotic arm programmed to lift and sort items can be used to save a company a substantial amount of money. The robotic arm can either aid in lifting heavy weighted products, in the movement of a large amount of product at once, or sorting them for future schedules. The team is tasked with designing and creating a working prototype of a small scale robotic arm with functions similar to an actual robotic arm used in a warehouse. The design uses a barcode reader that will identify barcodes on small wooden blocks. Using the barcodes the robotic arm will sort the blocks on a shelf accordingly. The team uses a Fishbone Diagram, Morphological Chart, and a Selection Matrix. The Fishbone Diagram is used to create a Gantt Chart that is used to track the progress of the project. The Morphological Chart is used to identify the objectives of the design. The team uses a Selection Matrix to select the final design of the robotic arm. The design also consists of a two-link system. Where the bottom link is attached to a rotating base and the top link is attached to the end effector. The end effector transports a small wooden block. The final design is a fully automated link system with a clean and simple look that will allow for easy maneuvering and no cable tangling.

See supporting documentation in the team’s Box drive.