Biorobotics Laboratory Projects
Cornell University
Lab of Andy Ruina, Mechanical Engineering

 Robots

 

The Cornell Autonomous Biped: We have $1Million and 3 years to make, if we are lucky, the most energy-efficient bipedal robot in the world.
There are many things that need to line up for this to get done.

Get "Green Apron" shop status and design and make robot parts.

 

Get CNC training and design and make CNC parts.

 

Design, model and make a sequence of successively refined robot feet (CAD, balsa, 3D printing...).

 

Make mockups of the robot kinematics (CAD and/or mockup with scraps or 3D printer).

 

Motor/actuator/transmission testing (what are the torque, speed, power properties of various motors)

Robot fall protection designs (how to keep the robot from damage when failing)

 

Learn ROS (Robot Operating System) and design interface to our microcontroller

 

ROS (Robot Operating System)

 

      Setting up ROS (Robot Operating System) as supervisory control for Ranger Robot.

 

      Making remote robot control system (with ROS and/or Labview, part of international open source project)

 

Learning Gazebo (for simulation of robots and other things).

 

Evaluate finite-state machine options for micro-controllers.

 

Simulations using Bullet and/or ODE.

 

Point-mass 3D walker simulation using Matlab.

 

Printed circuit board design and construction (for micro-controllers and sensors)

 

Review and implement navigation system for indoor and outdoor use.

 

Make commercial RC biped (Japanese fighting robot) walk as best possible.

 

Develop data-analysis software that integrates with video.

 

Various sensor testing (and batteries etc)

 

Rowing

Design and build a better rowing ergometer. One that better mimics the feel of rowing.

 

Bicycles

Autonomous bicycle

Steer-by-wire bicycle

See: Autonomous Bicycle Project Team

Human Biomechanics

Video analysis of athletes and how they balance.

Balance experiments for extreme maneuvers.

Setting up lab for human subjects.

Literature review for human perturbation experiments.

Sailing

New team: Make an autonomous sailboat to cross the atlantic.
(In cooperation with a Finnish Nautical team.)

See: Autonomous Sailboat Project Team

 

Organizational things

Make a lab you-tube channel.

 

Or additional projects : Talk to Andy Ruina about your ideas and see if there is mutual interest.