Design and Development of Modular Industrial Robot Kit (Merlyn TRN-1) for classroom training in STEM and ROBOTICS Real Time Intelligent Training System

Varkey Merlyn Elizabeth Khurmi Yashpreet Singh Garg Anupam [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Grade 11th, King George Secondary Designs and Projects Development Frisklancer Services Limited School Pvt. Ltd. Vancouver, BC, Canada Vancouver, BC, Canada Patiala,Punjab, India

ABSTRACT limited options and extensions were not included in this review Merlyn TRN-1 is a set of precision machined parts so designed because they would never be able to provide the above advantages that they can be configured into interlinked linear and rotary axis [2]. as per your choice. The kit contains all the necessary mechanical structural elements, motors, motor driver electronics, micropro- 2 LITERATURE CITED cessor controllers and software. Each of them can be individually Robots have already become an integral part of our society and changed to upgrade your capacity and requirement. The modularity education system. Production, development and mass introduction is an integral part of the kit. Merlyn TRN-1 modular design, high of robotic systems is carried out into various spheres of social precision rugged parts with innovative tolerances and versatile practice (industry, military science, science and culture, service interconnection of parts allow the user to add axis as per their and life) [6, 8]. There are many new robotic infrastructure formed, design. resulting in global socio-cultural transformations [7,9]. Different types of educational robots have different appearances, CCS CONCEPTS structures (hardware), systems (software), and functions (behavioural • Hardware; • Applied computing; outcomes) [4, 10]. These features play an important role in deter- mining the curricula, the instructional activities, and the learning KEYWORDS objectives. Educational robots can be categorized as robotics kits, so- Robotics, STEM, Student Robotics Training, Higher education, Mod- cial robots, and toy robots [3]. Robotics kits are programmable con- ularity, Automation, High precision, Industrial Automation struction kits. Robotics kits allow students to create, build, and/or program robots [11]. ACM Reference Format: Varkey Merlyn Elizabeth, Khurmi Yashpreet Singh, and Garg Anupam. 2020. Design and Development of Modular Industrial Robot Kit (Merlyn TRN- 3 CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES OF 1) for classroom training in STEM and ROBOTICS: Real Time Intelligent MERLYN TRN-1 Training System. In The 10th International Conference on Web Intelligence, 3.1 Characteristics of the Robotics kit Mining and Semantics (WIMS 2020), June 30-July 3, 2020, Biarritz, France. ACM, New York, NY, USA,3 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3405962.3405972 To bring the total potential of Merlyn TRN-1 to the forefront for the customer, we have decided to add many characteristics in the kit to 1 INTRODUCTION make it compatible and to be used in best way for their benefit. Robotics needs to become an integral part of classroom education If the client is an Innovator then we would like to work very close because we have to prepare the next generation for the organic to bring his dream to reality. We and our team of collaborators look coexistence of robots at various levels of society. Robotics kits have forward to add our expertise to his expertise to create the ultimate been around for a long while, but only recently have they achieved device he wants to create with the help of this kit. such a level that they are now considered a distinct subfield of If the client is an Educator and want to bring the magic of Robot- educational robotics [1, 5]. The popularity of kits increased with ics into his/her class room. We are there to help to create the best the recent renaissance of the science, technology, engineering, and innovative course ware. You can tell us how you can bring your mathematics (STEM) fields in higher education Systems with very talent to teach students and help our customers.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or 3.2 Features of the Designed Kit classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation Merlyn TRN-1 is being developed as an OPEN SOURCE INDUS- on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the TRIAL ROBOT KIT which is best feature of this kit. Merlyn TRN-1 author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission can be used for simulation and duplication of real life industrial and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]. scenarios in the training labs of any educational institution for the WIMS 2020, June 30-July 3, 2020, Biarritz, France training of the students in STEM and robotics. © 2020 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM. ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-7542-9/20/06...$15.00 Yet another feature of Merlyn TRN-1 is that it is based on the https://doi.org/10.1145/3405962.3405972 Arduino platform. The ease and open configuration brings fluidity

- 235 - WIMS 2020, June 30-July 3, 2020, Biarritz, France M. Varkey et al. to the design which can be imagined at any level. Making it a reality The Arduino board is capable of driving up to eight axes (eight becomes very easy as the client have a whole team at his back to stepper motors) at the same time. Hence your system has around help him out. If the client have the expertise or products that can eight degrees of freedom. You can add a proximity sensor, IR sensor work seamlessly with Merlyn TRN-1 the kit has the option for or whatever suits you. The different motors are connected to each collaboration and integration. other to help the robot move the way you like. Merlyn TRN-1 kit has got a complete modular design so same Apart from these it has got aluminum profile which is totally parts can be used to create different configurations which can work customized as per the idea, design, weight and other requirements for student’s big idea and bring it to reality. With Merlyn TRN-1 of the kit. The length and width of the aluminum profile pieces you can create the big picture which will be the future. Same kit changes with the design to be made and the number of axis required can also be connected with other kits to find the simple way to or the degree of freedom required in the design. bring your ideas to reality fast. 3.3 Structure and Design The design and structure of kit is basically divided into three parts: Electronics, which includes microcontrollers, motors and drivers for motors; Mechanical part, which comprises components to move its parts on all the axes like motors, gears and sensor sensing com- ponents of different types and Software segment, which controls microcontrollers used in the kit.

Figure 3: A 3D basic structure which is modular

Also used in the kit are customized plastic parts which are to- tally designed by the research team in-house. The design, shape and quality of these plastic parts is a major contribution for the successful movement of different axis in this kit. The screws, nut and bolts used for connecting different plastic parts and aluminum profile are standardized and can be got from local vendors.

Figure 1: Basic Robotics Kit Structure

The kit uses a stepper motor for movement along all the axes, including the rotary axis that has a geared set-up. The motor used is a 2A stepper motor and we have independent drivers for each of the motors. These drivers are controlled by a microcontrollers. In case of TRN-1, an Arduino Mega 2560 board is used for driving it Stepper motors can easily be replaced with DC motors or servo motors, and all of them can be controlled directly by the board without much fuss,"

Figure 4: Extension of Robotic Kit in 2D

The modularity and expandability of the Merlyn TRN-1 makes it possible for it to be implemented at a lower level into the curricula of the school education system and to be seamlessly expanded and implemented into the education curricula of an engineering college right from the Diploma level through the Under Graduate level to the Post Graduate and Research level. The Base level of the kit includes the mechanical structural components and DC Geared Motor which are manually controlled and does not need any type of programming etc. It is meant to excite the fundamental creative process of a young mind to think and plan in 3D and find possibilities for the use of systems in daily use.A Figure 2: Design of Robotic Kit new meaning is given to the learning process as fundamental like

- 236 - Design and Development of Modular Industrial Robot Kit (Merlyn TRN-1) for classroom training in STEM and ROBOTICS WIMS 2020, June 30-July 3, 2020, Biarritz, France mathematics, and physics are learnt the practical way. Students and the 12 sides of the box now become 12 axes of the robot. The last staff can find ways to use the created robot systems in chemistry one is regarding the specific drive mechanism where you can use for hazardous experiments remotely. any member of the kit and drive it directly through the stepper motor without using any type of belt. 4 DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH In the system, you can have a linear drive with the stepper motor OUTCOMES using a screw-drive while having a DC motor on another axis, which To add value, Merlyn TRN-1 was worked on extensively to enable has a wire drive to move aroundâĂŤall of them independently it to be turned into 28 fundamentally different types of robotic working together on different fields and different actuations. systems. You can cascade different kits together to increase the Regarding additions to the design, adding new features is the envelope in which you are working along with the range/scope of basis of all innovations and we are no different. We have plans to the work you are doing. The best part is that you are not limited by increase the amount of customization available and improve the the mechanical, electronics or software scheme of things utilized graphical user interface of the microcontroller and a host of other in the robot. features. The components were especially made from anodized aluminum, ensuring a rugged yet light design. Spreading the wings The kit was 6 CONCLUSION premiered at the EFY Expo, held recently in New Delhi, as a project Merlyn TRN-1 Modular Industrial Robot Kit is a multi-level kit concept for students. A trial run for the product has already been which can be upgraded or downgraded to be used in School ed- done at some engineering colleges by way of live demonstrations, ucation, College experiments or Industry level automation. The and almost all of those colleges have placed orders for our product. innovation of the design criteria was pushed to the extent that the kit can be down sized to be used in the curriculum of the school education system starting from a very low level. For the first time it is possible to nurture the inherent inquisitive- ness of the student and give a meaning and better understanding to the subjects they are learning. The kit can be used to, bring the 3D concept into the teaching methodology or to train the students to use their innovative craze to create and build systems for use in different aspects of life and their education or to teach thefun- damental use of algebra and its practical use in daily life and to teach the fundamental practical use of Trigonometry. Also to give a practical meaning to Differential and Integral Calculus and to teach the physical quantification of motion and concepts like momentum, acceleration, deceleration, stress, strain and other calculation of forces and its practical implications. REFERENCES Figure 5: Live Demonstration [1] Patricia S Abril and Robert Plant. 2007. The patent holder’s dilemma: Buy, sell, or troll? Commun. ACM 50, 1 (2007), 36–44. We plan to market the product by directly contacting the engi- [2] Sten Andler. 1979. Predicate path expressions. In Proceedings of the 6th ACM SIGACT-SIGPLAN symposium on Principles of programming languages. 226–236. neering institutes in India and North America, through dealers who [3] Fabiane Barreto Vavassori Benitti. 2012. Exploring the educational potential of are already selling kits in the market, and by seeking help of media robotics in schools: A systematic review. Computers & Education 58, 3 (2012), 978–988. outlets like Electronics For You and the likes to spread word about [4] Marina U Bers. 2010. The TangibleK Robotics program: Applied computational this product. thinking for young children. Early Childhood Research & Practice 12, 2 (2010), n2. Another way we have thought of is by utilizing the open source [5] Amy Eguchi. 2014. Robotics as a learning tool for educational transformation. In Proceeding of 4th international workshop teaching robotics, teaching with robotics way. Our kit is open for all sorts of customization. If a software guy & 5th international conference robotics in education Padova (Italy). comes up with a neat applet that can be integrated into the robot to [6] Dave Kosiur. 2001. Understanding policy-based networking. Vol. 20. John Wiley & perform some particularly specific function, we will work out some Sons. [7] MJ Matari’c. 2004. Robotic Education for All Ages AAAI Spring Symposium on sort of revenue sharing method. If a mechanical guy comes up with Accessible. Hands-on AI and Robotic Education (2004). an end effector that works great, he can put it on our website and [8] Anastasia Misirli and Vassilis Komis. 2014. Robotics and programming concepts in Early Childhood Education: A conceptual framework for designing educational we can look at the revenue sharing angle with him as well. scenarios. In Research on e-Learning and ICT in Education. Springer, 99–118. [9] Natalie Rusk, Mitchel Resnick, Robbie Berg, and Margaret Pezalla-Granlund. 2008. 5 PATENTS AND FUTURE ADDITIONS New pathways into robotics: Strategies for broadening participation. Journal of Science Education and Technology 17, 1 (2008), 59–69. We have applied for three patents covering the drive mechanisms re- [10] Lai Poh Emily Toh, Albert Causo, Pei-Wen Tzuo, I-Ming Chen, and Song Huat lated to this robotics kit. One is for the drive mechanism being used, Yeo. 2016. A review on the use of robots in education and young children. Journal of Educational Technology & Society 19, 2 (2016), 148–163. which deals with how different mechanisms can be put together [11] Marjo Virnes. 2014. Four Seasons of Educational Robotics. The University of on the same axis. Another patent is for the direct drive mechanism Eastern Finland: Kuopio, Finland (2014). that allows any linear member of the kit to become a linear axis. For example, consider the making of a box-type robot. In this case,

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