Monday, September 20, 2010

Warning-I Will Be Bragging In This Post

I am guessing you probably have seen my Lego Flexpicker video on YouTube that I put up a while ago. If you haven’t, here it is. The video has been picked up by lots of blogs and websites.

Earlier this summer Niklas Dahlin from the Swedish technical newspaper Ny Teknik contacted me and asked if they could get some information for an article they would like to do on the Lego Flexpicker. I obliged, but in return I asked that I get a copy of the paper with the article. I got that paper today. With their gracious permission, I submit to you a scan of the article. But I can’t read it because they misspelled every word in it.

(Click to zoom in)

So if anyone can translate Swedish into English, I would be greatly in debt to you.

8 comments:

  1. Here the text from a free OCR and Google Translate

    e NyTeknik Auto 111
    DERIVING WITH AN TEKAIK No. 37 * 2010
    ntisTA AUMMER OF AUTOMAT1011 published October 13, 2010 u "• - '
    Can you build something more extreme? Tell about your robot project in Lego!
    He built his favorite - in Lego
    Chris Shepherd built a Lego version of the ABB robot Flexpicker success.
    Chris Shepherd enthusiast has built one of the most advanced-the Lego project to date: a working copy of the ABB robo-ten Flexpicker.
    "I chose Flexpicker for the technological challenges, and they were many," said Chris Shepherd. On a tour of one kakfabrik he got stuck in front of robots that put the lid on the cake and was fascinated by their precise movements. This led to several attempts to build a Lego copy. He started with Legos Mindstorms robotic systems and compressed air, but not the parts, sensors or processes sorkraften enough. The arms must
    be easy, but very stiff, to be able to move quickly. The algorithms, which may effektorn lie horizontally regardless of how the arms are, were difficult to reproduce and required simplification.
    But after investing in new Lego pieces and very hard work was Chris Shepherd to the robot end to one of ABB's conferences, where the pick-sorted and the colored blocks. Right now, the machine nedplockad, but Chris Shepherd plays with the idea to build a production line with two or three Lego Flexpicker. - Flexpicker was, and is, one of the tastiest robots on the planet, Jor-on. Niklas Dahli

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  2. [Here's a hand-translated version, hope it's fairly close]

    He built his favorite - in Lego

    Chris Shepherd built a Lego version of ABB's robot success, the Flexpicker.

    Enthusiast Chris Shepherd has built one of the most advanced Lego projects so far; a functional copy of the ABB robot Flexpicker.

    I chose Flexpicker for the many technical challenges and they were many, says Chris Shepherd.

    On tour in a cookie[1] factory he stopped in front of robots putting lids on cookies[2] and was fascinated by their exact movements. This led to several attempts to build a Lego copy. He started with Lego's robot system Mindstorms and compressed air, but neither the parts, sensors or processor performance was sufficient. The arms must be light, but stiff, to be able to move quickly. The algorithms that make the effector stay horizontal regardless of how the arms are positioned were hard to recreate and demanded simplifications.

    But after investments in new Lego pieces and much hard work, Chris Shepherds robot was finally shown at one of ABBs conferences, where it picked and sorted differently colored bricks.

    At the moment the machine is dismantled, but Chris Shepherd is playing with the idea of building an assembly line with two or three Lego Flexpicker.

    Flexpicker was, and is, one of the sweetest robots on the planet Earth.

    [1] kaka = cookie, but I don't know if Swedish story got the concept right
    [2] Putting a lid on a cookie is silly, presumably it would be boxes of cookies or whatever else was packaged at the factory

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  3. chamaeleon, you got it right. I did tour a Pepperidge Farm Cookie factory and the Flexpicker was putting what they called "caps" (lids) on Milano Cookies. If you aren't familiar with Milano cookies, they are a sandwich type cookie with chocolate in the middle. The Flexpicker did this mundane task extremely fast.

    Thanks so much for your translation!

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  4. Cris.
    I quote:
    "The algorithms that make the effector stay horizontal regardless of how the arms are positioned were hard to recreate and demanded simplifications."

    If ithey are still simplified I can send you a none-simplified solution.
    I made some simulations using Mathematica and can extract solvings from that.

    Any Flexpicker makes everyone smile. So nice

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  5. willysixten, I am very interested in seeing your version of the kinematics. I am considering building this once again (it's an all time favorite build)

    I found another version and the explanation is really good, I just haven't had the time to sit and digest it yet...
    http://forums.trossenrobotics.com/tutorials/introduction-129/delta-robot-kinematics-3276/

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  6. Well, that trossenrobotics was really exhaustive...

    My one is that simple ;)

    I'll soon publish the url to the simulation in Mathematica and to an explanation to the equations.

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  7. hehe.. well i got this far then noticed you've all done a great job translating it already :D

    Swedish to English translation:
    Enthusiast Chris Shepherd has built one of the most advanced legoprojeckten so far: a working copy of the ABB robot FlexPicker

    Congrats on being published - i know it's a great feeling ;)

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  8. Here is an url as I promised with a set of documents. Animation, theory, algorithms.

    http://deciweb.se/Robots

    (Hope you tolerate some writings as I'm not a mechanical engineer)

    Next step, I think, is to develop smooth acceleration to avoid all "shakiness"

    Have more fun!

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