J. Knight

This is a 13 second exposure of a 6 DOF Puma 760 Robot holding an LED flashlight. By controlling the acceleration and position of the indicator I was able to smoothly draw my school's initials. Programmed in VAL II.

This demo is part of a larger project that included a 3D MATLAB demo to match the real robot. The MATLAB code provides for forward or inverse kinematic input through a simple GUI and provides true 3D animation.

click photos to enlarge

This machine uses a router to automatically cut 6-block, notchable burr puzzles. It takes an average of 18sec. or less per block, and can run in a continuous loop, as long as there is a supply of blocks.

As project lead, I oversaw 3 other students and was heavily involved in all phases: concept, CAD drawing, manufacturing, assembly, sensors and pneumatics layout, and was responsible for all of the PLC wiring and programming.

Our concept from the beginning was to minimize block movement by keeping the machine small and simple. Of course there are still optimizations that could be made, but with a run time of 1:48 our machine performs 5x better than previous years.

Cuts are consistent and accurate. The sawdust is collected by a suction system with ducts under the table. When not traveling through the block, the router bit is purposefully tucked underneath the slide for safety reasons.

For more info on the puzzles themselves, go to IBM's Website. The puzzle in the video is a Level 5 (D. Winkler's Favorite.)

Skilled:
· chain-referencing
· assemblies with connections
· reverse engineering from photographs
· compound spline curves
· MATLAB integration (iges/stl)

Some Experience
· CNC toolpaths
· GD&T
· Mechanica FEA
· surfacing
· family tables
· 2D drawings



Download a 3D pdf

Skilled:
· Advanced Matrix Operations
· including Robotic and Kinematic calculations
· Object-Oriented Animations
· Function Passing
· Basic GUI
· Some Image Processing

See an Example

∙ Briskly navigate advanced features of Word, Excel, PowerPoint to reach sound analysis and polished presentation for effective communication

Fluent
With a photography background I first approached Photoshop for realism and detail preservation in picture altering. From there I have grown to some minor illustration, and text layout. I am comfortable writing Actions, and using Photoshop or Illustrator for scientific or artistic purposes.

I worked in a Graphic Design shop for a year (2002), designing video, CD, and DVD labeling as well as streamlining work-flow and unofficial tech-support. Since then, my skills have mostly been put towards promoting events run by my university.

User since Photoshop 5, Illustrator 9, and Pagemaker 6.5.

As part of a project I taught myself to program a PLC using Ladder Logic. By breaking the problem down to simple state-machines I was able to isolate and solve problems effectively. The machine requires keeping track of block number, cut number, and slide position. The PLC and a slide-controller are entirely responsible for running the machine.

On this project, I alone was responsible for code, and received little assistance other than a basic introduction to the concept of the "language".

I am currently becoming more familiar with the SolidWorks interface. The design principles are of the same root as Pro/E, and the interface is far more intuitive. I will soon be a strong user.

I can create what I need in AutoCad, but am not particularly fond of it. This bias has led me to develop 2D drawings in other solutions such as Adobe Illustrator (which can save as .dwg) and Pro/E.

This software is useful in keeping record of calculations for future recycling. MathCad also provides a clean presentation of mathematical operations to ease technical communication.

I have used Nastran 4D on a limited basis (largely due to availability). It's interface and real-world style of simulation create an environment that is easy to understand. As a side-note to a project in vibrations, I created this animation