ARDUINO POWERED UMANOID ROBOT

Hello! The tactigon is Here to tell you about The project you will see at #MFR18

No way: The Tactigon team are not able to “stand still” on a project. We ask them to keep us all updated about their progress and here come some juicy news directly from team members. Enjoy it!

“We’ve upgraded our previously created project of robot control by adding another Tactigon Skin to manage both arms of the robot, while keeping previous implemented actions – like walking and making bows. T-Skin is man-machine interface revolution. It’s the first programmable fashion design hand band and It’s not only a device for specialized and technology passionate people but it’s the real extension of the hand. Hand is our natural interface with real world, and with T-SKIN it becomes our interface with digital world.

You can download the APP and T-SKIN from our store and it will turn into a man-machine interface, or a robot controller or a drone controller. It is very easy to use thanks to the ergonomics form factor; one application can be the use of T-SKIN during company presentation or a training course. T-SKIN has 4 programmable key for different combination of hand movements and fingers.

THINGS USED IN THIS PROJECT

1.Hardware

2 Tactigon Skin
1 Arduino Leonardo
2 Bluetooth Low Energy
1 Humanoid Robot

2.Software

Processing
Arduino IDE

HOW DID WE MANAGE IT?

The humanoid robot has an Arduino Leonardo inside, and this time we have installed two Bluetooth Low Energy modules on the “backpack.” The Tactigon board is inside its T-Skin hand band, providing 8 command buttons and an ergonomic case for both hands!

SYSTEMS

We used two Bluetooth low energy module connected to Arduino Leonardo. We connected two T-Skin (as central role) to the two Bluetooth Low Energy modules (peripheral role) installed on the humanoid’s backpack.

Bluetooth Low Energy architecture is based on two roles for the devices:

Central Role and Peripheral Role. A Central Role device can subscribe to Peripheral Role Device’s characteristic, the name of the resource exposed. A Characteristic can be read only or read/write. It contains the data to be send.

Figura 1 The Tactigon Skin gesture controller programmable with Arduino IDE

The Tactigon, and T-Skin, can act either as Central Role and Peripheral Mode.

The systems is able to follow the movement of the human hand and transpose this movement in equivalent movement of the robot arms: right and left. This means if you move the hand clockwise the robot arm follow the movement by moving shoulder and elbow with a more natural effect.

FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION

For this project, we used only T-SKIN but is possible to integrate the system with other Tactigon board, for instance placed on elbow, to avoid interpolation of the movement and follow the action of the controlling arm!

INDUSTRY 4.0 AND MORE

Possible applications are many, not only at a recreational level, but also at an industrial one.

By future improving and development of the algorithm we can, for example, achieve control of industrial robots with a simple movement of human arm.

T-SKIN will allow this movement with no load and this means less stress and less effort for human body.

The project is still under development to add new features, commands and managing capabilities!

SKETCH ARENA

You will find this project and more in our “sketch arena”: a digital creative space for maker and technologies lover. Visit our web site here and sign up.