Robot Applications in Laboratory-Learning Environment

This paper presents the use of a programmable five-axis robot in the laboratory-learning environment. The three applications presented and discussed are machine loading and unloading, kindergarten painting, and Kool-Aid mixing. The machine loading and unloading application consists of integrating the robot arm with a CNC machining center by designing and fabricating an automatic clamping device to hold the part that is being machined, designing and building a control system to operate the clamping device in automatic or manual control mode, and programming the robot arm and the CNC machining center for automatic loading and unloading the parts and machining the part respectively. The kindergarten painting consists of programming the robot arm to paint the first letter of four students\´ first names, spelling "KATE". A significant element of this application was to design and fabricate a fixture to house the paint containers and other apparatus interfacing with the robot. The design requirements for the fixture were to effectively house four containers for storing paints and water, and to be stable so that there was no risk of spillage. The fixture was created in 3-D, solid modeling computer software and was fabricated out of wood using a drill press. Then the robot was programmed to paint "KATE" in four different colors - yellow, red, blue, and purple. The Kool-Aid mixing application consists of designing and building a fixture to hold a cup for Kool-Aid mix, cup for sugar, bottle of water, a mixing cup, and a spoon. The fixture was placed directly in the center of the table in front of the robot. Then the robot was programmed to make a cup of Kool-Aid in approximately 3 minutes. These robot-based laboratory experiences enrich student learning, while teaching professional engineering skills necessary for careers in automation, manufacturing, and design.