ModuMaid Covid Robots for Safe Classrooms The ModuMaid-Air and ModuMaid-UV are autonomous disinfection robots developed in collaboration with Mechanical Engineering, Tsignhua University, National Autonomous Univerity of Mexico, and RPI to disinfect both human-free and human-occupied spaces safely and efficiently.

SuperBaxter, a collaboration with the former Rethink Robotics SuperBaxter is a next-generation collaborative bi-manual robot with enhanced human/robot interface and Barrett Hand grippers with force and tactile sensors, including SynTouch.

Precision micro-gripper with tactile sensing and high dynamic range motion control. The gripper can grab things on the scale of millimeters and position them within tens of nanometers of accuracy (under temperature-controlled conditions), spanning 5-6 orders of magnitude.

Robotic Systems

Baxter from Rethink Robotics Demo of GBP with Rod Brooks

PUMA Software QNX/RTLinux drivers for Matlab/Simulink and the Servo To Go Board We have developed a software suite for creating control algorithms in block diagram form in Simulink, generating real-time code using Real-Time Workshop, and running them in real-time under QNX to control a PUMA manipulator with the Servo To Go board. PUMA Robot Matlab/Servo To Go software

Robotic Applications

Olin Wrought Iron is a local wrought iron shop that primarily makes standard component parts for other craftpeople to construct custom decorative railings and gates. These components are exported all across the country and the world and, as a result, Olin Wrought Iron must compete with other international suppliers from countries with very low labor costs. Prof. Voyles worked with Olin Wrought Iron to develop this robotic welding application to perform high-volume welds with very low capital and recurring costs.

The robot above is a surplus PUMA 760 retrofitted with a set of control cards that resulted from Prof. Voyles' research.	The picture above is a close-up of the robot inserting four square bars into the welding fixture.

The robot above is a surplus PUMA 760 retrofitted with a set of control cards that resulted from Prof. Voyles' research. Prof. Voyles' company, Mark V Automation Corp, supplied the boards and software, Prof. Voyles set up the initial application, and Olin employees built the fixtures and programmed the movements.

The robot has been a great success for Olin Wrought Iron. It requires very little attention (only the feeder needs loading twice per day), has very high yield, and frees up skilled welders from a boring, repetitive, low-skilled task. This project is a perfect example of how University expertise can impact the local community. Research hardware and software was applied to a real-world application, via University expertise, to economically build an automated system to keep a local employer competitive in the world marketplace.