Background: 

Gravish Lab aims to further the scientific understanding of movement and manipulation in biological systems and to apply this knowledge to new engineering paradigms in robot design, fabrication, and control. The current focus is on movement and manipulation in milli-scale robots and biological systems. To accomplish this, research is conducted at the intersections of robotics, physics, and biology by understanding the natural locomotion of small-scale organisms, particularly ants and other small insects. This information is incorporated into agile and dexterous mobile microrobot models which can aid in developing intuition and understanding of effective movement strategies at small scales. 

Team's Objective:

We have been tasked with the development of a portable 3D scanner using a camera and laser in order to obtain topographic data for small-scale (<0.5 square meters) field locations. The device will connect to a laptop and output topographic data in a text file. This data can be used to track and/or model paths of motion for insects as well as biologically-inspired microrobots to support the research efforts of Gravish Lab.

Our current design consists of major components that all contribute to the project objective:

• Chassis - Large-footprint tripodal frame that supports a motorized linear actuator that sweeps the laser triangulation assembly across the desired scanning area

• Actuator - Allows for a scanning range of motion of 500 mm as per requirements using a ball screw that provides smooth motion of the laser and camera

• Leveling - Adjustable feet are attached to each of the legs via threaded rods, allowing for each foot to be adjusted by a minimum of 60 mm vertically

• Electronics - Onboard electronics housing sits on the central chassis segment that facilitates device performance and connects to an external laptop for data transfer along

• Triangulation/Calibration - Simplifies laser triangulation calculations using calibration blocks with known dimensions

1. Gravish Lab, http://gravishlab.ucsd.edu/index.html.

2. Clifton, Glenna, et al. “The Bumpy Road Ahead: The Role of Terrain Roughness on Animal Walking, and Where to Go from Here.” Journal of Experimental Biology, 2019, pp. 6–6.