Automated systems can improve access to medical care in rural areas where medical professionals are scarce. By using robotic systems to assist with complex medical procedures, doctors can provide care remotely and narrow the gap in healthcare between people in different locations. One example of how machines can be used in healthcare is by helping with surgical operations. In this project, a system was created to pick up, transfer, and drop off medical instruments into sterilized containers using a machine arm that was controlled by potentiometers. I worked with a Q-arm for this project, a robotic arm made by Quanser being controllable using a python library. By optimizing the code it allowed it to be run on less powerful machines which are more commonly accessible. The potentiometers were incorporated to allow the operators of the machine to have a level of control to work alongside the Q-arm for a smoother operation. The software I wrote allowed for full control of the robotic arm to complete an entire sterilization cycle for a surgery.
Project 2 Design Report-min (3).pdf
Testing Q-arm
Turbine Materials Selection
Spawn container
numberSet dummy variable equal to container number integer
If container is 1 or 4:
set variable colour to red
else if container is 2 or 5:
set variable colour to green
else:
set variable colour to blue
Arm moves to container pickup position
If variable is greater than or equal to 4:
Set large_container to be true
else:
Set large_container to be false
If large container is true:
Open colour variables autoclave
Arm picks up container by controlling gripper
Use right potentiometer to move arm above respective autoclave
Check potentiometer value
Use potentiometer to move container to its respective spot in autoclave
Return to home position
If large container is true:
Close colour variables autoclave
Loop this for each of the containers