Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

From July 2017 to September 2017, I undertook a research placement in the Robot Intelligence Lab under the supervision of Dr Petar Kormushev. I collaborated in a team working on a new bipedal robot, in particular focusing on the interface between the motor electronics and software.

By undertaking this placement I gained invaluable experience in technical design and project organization. Continuous involvement with practical aspects of robotics, such as working with a motor controller and prototype design, gave me insight into research and development in this field. I learned how to work in a truly multidisciplinary team, by quickly developing limited competencies in other disciplines of engineering and design, and by executing tasks in parallel to work around personnel absences.

Testing Rig for Motor Commands

Using extruded aluminium and lasercut plywood, I constructed a custom rig for testing motors with ODrive Motor Controller boards.

Slider Leg Prototype

The motors and motor controller tested in the previous rig were later integrated into a leg prototype by a group of mechanical engineering students at Imperial College.

Slider Simulation in Gazebo

A Gazebo simulation of the Slider robot walking (courtesy of Dr Ke Wang).