Week 16

Machine Design

Group Site

As a group we decided to name our project Handy McHandface. Next task was to read more on the TinyG and how to connect it to Chilipeppr. Chilipeppr is a browser based CNC software that I used to connect to my PS4 controller. When I saw that itwas possible to connect a controller to Chilipeppr I suggested that we would use that instead of a sensor. To connect the TinyG to Chilipeppr, I needed to run a JSON serial port server and we ran version 1.88 and it worked like a charm. Together with Jón we were working on fine tuning the movement of the fingers. What we wanted was that the fingers go from stretched position to closed position and stop there. We found out that G91 wich means "move axis to relative position" and it worked.

Jón was experimenting with the board and put in a new program and nothing worked after that. So we contacted Bas and he advised us to use Synthetos TinyG updater app. One thing we had make sure was that the TinyG wasn't connected to any other application like CoolTerm or the JSon server.



When that was done, everything worked. Next up was to connect everything together and test it. I made the left analog stick of the controller contol the rotation and the right control the fingers.
Meanwhile I was doing that, my classmates assembled the hand. I salvaged a stop switch from a ruined 3d printer and used that to limit the rotation of the base. Jón worked on getting the switch connected and operational.

Final Product

I really liked working in a team and I learned how to work g-code and Chilipeppr. Looking at the final product I can see if we had more time, we could stabelize the base-plate design more and it would be fun to have more control over the fingers indivitually.