MAE 3780
MAE 3780 is a mechatronics class offered at Cornell University. For this class, I designed a mechatronic solution for cutting onions called Onbot, as well as a competitive robot named Bruce.
Onbot
Onbot is a countertop robot designed to automatically slice or dice onions. The onion holder was designed to hold half of a medium onion 2-3 inches in diameter. The knife elevator was custom designed to fit the kitchen knives I own, a model of which can be seen in the images. The knife elevator is actuated using a winch to lower the knife while springs provide resistance and are used to return the elevator to its raised position. The elevator pivots approximately 180 degrees about the base to allow the onion to be cut into even slivers. To use Onbot, half of an onion must be placed on the platform in the onion holder, and the top of the holder must be closed. Once the switch indicating the top is closed is triggered, Onbot will delay for 5 seconds to ensure the user has enough time to clear their hands from the work volume before proceeding to cut between each of the spokes on the top of the onion holder. For a sliced onion, the user can then simply open the onion holder and Onbot will end its routine. If the user wishes to dice the onion, the platform can be rotated 90 degrees using the lever, and Onbot will repeat the routine to dice the onion.
Bruce
Bruce is a small autonomous robot designed for a class-wide competition. For the competition, a square was delineated with black lines, which was bisected to create two halves, one colored yellow and the other blue. Several 1-inch cubes were placed randomly along the centerline prior to the start of the match, with the goal being to retrieve the most cubes and place them on your side of the field. Bruce had a wide plow attached to the front of the robot to easily collect and deposit the cubes. During a match, Bruce would first use a color sensor to determine the side of the field it was placed on, then drive forward until a color change was detected. It would then turn 90 degrees to the left and drive along the centerline until it detected the border of the field, and turn an additional 90 degrees to the left to deposit the cubes at the back of its starting side. After backing up slightly to release the cubes, Bruce would then turn left again and drive until it detected the opposite sideline, where it would then turn left and repeat the initial routine. If there was still time left in the match, Bruce would then repeat this routine again with the addition of a delay added after detecting the color change in an attempt to retrieve any stray blocks from the opponent's side of the field.