Wine serving Robot
2020
A collaborative robot, serving wine from the bottle,
and it can adapt if I pour a glass myself.....
Well.. as long as I tell it to recheck the bottle
Key skills: Python, Offline simulation, sensor integration, CAD, 3D printing, communications, networking, project management
Industry Placement - Background
From August to December 2020, I underwent my Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement at the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (AITI). In the early weeks I was informed that, for my project, AITI were going to be supplied a Doosan collaborative robot, through a loan agreement with Diverseco, a company I was later invited to work for. A wine pouring application was chosen by the industry supervisor as a unique demonstration of collaborative robotics.
Cad design - 3D printing
During my placement I spent a lot of time with CAD and 3D printing. Some notable products include my Wine Grips, modelling a damaged component for 3D printing a replacement, and the design of an intermediate robot mounting plate to be machined by a local supplier.
Early Prototype
November, I was invited to provide some "robotics magic" to a networking event. This event, hosted by Flinders' New Venture Institute (NVI), welcomed South Australia's Chief Entrepreneur, Jim Whalley, to the Tonsley Innovation District.
The demonstration had a Doosan robot picking and pouring a full bottle of Bird in Hand Shiraz, evenly distributing it to 6 glasses and returning the empty bottle back to its holster. The task was setup using the Doosan's Teach Pendant, taking a little over a day of trial and error to get the glass servings all within +-10ml of each other.
The most common question I received when showcasing the robot was "Does it know where you place the glasses?"
..."Not yet".
Project Presentation
Mid-November, my design to utilize weight sensing, proposed 3 months prior, was greenlit and promptly supplied with the requested weighing instrument.
With little over a week of equipment access, I had barely completed the proof of concept modules, when I had to submit a project poster and presentation (online due to Covid-19). As this typically would be used to present the results of a students project, I had to compromise and present the intended system with the early prototype video and proof of concepts as they were.
Committed to making the best presentation I could, I contacted a good friend Bridget Behan, who went above and beyond, volunteering her design expertise as we spent 3+ hours collaborating on my poster, through online screen sharing.
It was certainly worth the effort.
Adaptable System
The intended project design was to develop a system that was adaptable to different fill levels in bottles, customisable serving sizes and ordering selections. The operational prototype of this system was demonstrated on the final day of my placement.
While the prototype was operational, the system didn't meet a level to enable operators unfamiliar with the system.
