i n t r o d u c t i o n


Wouldn't it be incredible....

....if we could control a robotic arm via a microcontroller?

....if we could regulate the speed and direction of each motor?

....if the microcontroller could be used to move the various arm joints to precise angles?

....if we could extend the arm control to a 3D graphical user interface? 

....if the GUI allowed the capability to manipulate the arm to any position and then send positions at the user's discretion?

....if the GUI further provided the ability to program a series of arm positions, to clear, update, load, or save programs as desired, and then send a program to the microcontroller to execute?

....if we could then add object recognition code to scan a Quickcam device for simple-shaped objects and send any data to the GUI and microcontroller?

YES, IT WOULD!

Well, that's what we were thinking when we went crazy with our final project for EE476.  We had both always been interested in how to interact with Quickcam-like devices.  We both found a liking to programming in Java3D.  We both had always wanted to work with robotics.  Simple solution: do everything to as much extent as we can so we can take in a little bit of everything.

Jeff Vogel & Robin Glinton

Materials & Things Used