Electronics package for mobile multi-axis robot

Services: Electrical Engineering, Project Management, Product Design

Where: PRI Automation, Billerica Massachusetts

Project life cycle: Designed the electronics for a multi axis robot that traveled on an overhead track. The electronics package I designed included switching power supplies, programmable logic, embedded microprocessors, optical and ultrasonic sensors, motors, encoders, motor amplifiers, motion controllers, and RF and IR Communications. I condensed the circuits, fit them in a very small package, and integrated them into the robot. I spent much time in the lab debugging both the mechanical and electrical operation of the robot. I was the lead in making the robot work. I also conceptualized and implemented several major architectural changes. One of these changes involved redirecting the project away from an expensive and complicated inductively powered track to a much simpler more effective design that used Ultra-Capacitors (1200 Farad Capacitors) that could be charged at certain locations on the track, and used to replace the batteries that power the robot. This idea halted a proposed 2 million-dollar, 2 year R&D effort, and replaced it with a 100,000 dollar 6 month effort. In addition the total system cost was greatly reduced, projecting savings of several million dollars per job. Completed in Nov. 2001.