Fabrication and assembly
I contributed fabrication, assembly, and evaluation work for a concentric-tube robot platform at WPI’s Cognitive Medical Technology Laboratory. The goal was an accessible actuation system built from readily sourced components and suitable for teaching and kinematic experiments.
The build combined printed parts, laser-cut acrylic, bearings, servos, electronics, and shaped tubes.
Fit and alignment
I evaluated component fit and alignment through the build. The iterations included slotted servo holes for adjustability and revised acrylic openings for bearings and inserts.
I documented fabrication dimensions, tube-forming molds, and printing orientations, turning the assembly experience into practical corrections for subsequent builds.
Kinematic checks
I worked with MATLAB kinematics and optical tracking to compare the robot’s movement with expected end-effector behavior. I checked tube fixation and marker placement as part of the measurement setup.
The work connected mechanical assembly, the robot’s kinematic model, and measured end-effector motion.
Build documentation
I proposed exploded CAD views that distinguish mirrored and unmirrored carts, orientation labels, step-specific parts lists, and clearer links between the BOM and the final assembly. For tube preparation, homing, and other steps that were difficult to infer from still images, I recommended short videos.
My documentation feedback aimed to make the platform easier to assemble and use for teaching tube translation, rotation, and robot kinematics.