Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: fallenangel on September 12, 2008, 10:19:25 AM
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I have to build a robot that detects aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles. They are all Coke products. What would be the best way that a robot can detect these materials?
I was thinking a sensor might possibly do this. Using a scale to weight each item is another option. Maybe even a slight pressure applied on each container will be enough to differentiate between the three.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Aluminum conducts electricity--you could have a claw grab it and see if it completes the circuit (like a push button). Then reaction to pressure can be used to distinguish between plastic and glass.
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By the size. Each container has a different diameter and lenght.
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Detect the materials (from a lack of anything)? Or detect which material is which? Or detect a Coke product from a non-Coke product?
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What about a can half-filled with coke, accidentally dropped? That might be bad for electronics.
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id suppose a robot would need the same sensory that we have to detect it.
vision
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You could have a copper coil that all of the bottles pass. If the magnetic field changes, then it's an aluminum can. Then you can have the non-aluminum cans continue until they reach a certain point where an arm comes down with a pressure sensor on the end of it. You could program it so that if the pressure sensor gives a high pressure reading then it's glass, and if not it's plastic.
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Place two prongs on a robotic arm. If the prongs penetrate the material and it conducts its a can. If it penetrates and does not conduct its plastic. If it does not penetrate its glass