3.1.7 Machine Control

Project Objective: The objective of the project was to fully understand the fundamentals of engineering and a systematic approach to a surgical robotic arm with all its advantages and disadvantages and constraints. The objective was to pick up a block from a minimum of 1 inch elevation and place it at a minimum of 7 inches in elevation from its starting point using an robotic hand which could freely move in all directions. 

Design/Project Process: As the system’s engineer I was the “leader” for this project which helped me gain the following skills: getting everyone on task, helping each other understand and make sure everyone is on the same page. This allowed me to get rid of the biggest threat that we all have with all our assignments: procrastination. We were able to learn how to get our project done on time which can be a very crucial skill for engineering jobs. This required things like brainstorming, working together, generating new ideas for problems like motor problems mechanical advantage, etc.

What I Learned: The learning target of this project was to fully understand the fundamentals of the surgical robotic arm and how to accomplish such projects with constraints with an team to work with. This shows the importance of how you as an engineer could accomplish such biomimicry in your life with an team or without. The learning target was not just to create the robotic arm but to actually understand the meaning behind why its created and why should you even learn to create it. The research, biomimicry essay, decision making all were factors in fully understanding the fundamentals of the project. And the biggest of them all was to incorporate this with constraints given by the teacher and work with a team to accomplish the task.

Personal Reflection:
In my professional opinion, I believe that this project has fully helped me understand the teamwork behind making projects like these. This not only helped profound my knowledge on the robotic arm but also helped me understand how I can utilize teamwork in my future projects.