Their story, in their words…
Our project’s aim was to develop a proof of concept inspired by ELEGNT, a paper on humanised robotics to show the intersection between functionality and personality. We designed and produced a robotic lamp which uses computer vision and servo motors to process intuitive hand gestures as commands. We expanded our familiarity with CAD systems and were able to communicate through design sketches. A large team effort was spent collaborating on the Python code which implemented the libraries cv2 and MediaPipe, using machine learning to take input from the Pi camera and classifying it into several gesture instructions.
Collaboration on the code was productive, yet configuring it accurately for the Pi with several motors was challenging. It took us multiple attempts to manufacture the parts we needed for the lamp. Initially relying on 3D printing made us realise the financial and time cost, prompting us to pivot to half-hand designed components after delays. Assembling the lamp using the chassis, wooden arm, 3D printed motor seats and Pi modules was successful once each component had been acquired. In the end, the program successfully integrated with the physical lamp design we made to make a product which served the purpose we imagined during research.
All in all, we felt extremely accomplished and satisfied by completing this project due to the sheer challenge it posed. The initial confusion and often frustration that came with each unsuccessful attempt of putting everything together was marginally outweighed when it all worked smoothly in the end.
Naturally, by working as a team we learned the importance of teamwork and effective communication. As we had several different stages in our project, it was crucial to ensure everyone was on the same page to allow for a seamless transition between each step. Besides that, we were able to experience first hand the gruelling, yet rewarding, process of bridging hardware with software, allowing us to further appreciate how intricate technology is.
Images of our project in development and the final product are attached, as well as one video showing the computer vision functionality.
Thank you immensely for the chance to participate in this project and support this foundation.
