Physical demonstrator planning
Prototype BOM & Subsystem Specification
A manufacturer-oriented bill of materials framework for the first engineering demonstrator. These are development targets and subsystem classes—not final purchasing specifications or certified production components.
| Subsystem | Prototype elements | Purpose | Development target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery chamber | Rigid base, shallow side walls, transparent/visible work surface, removable access panels | Creates a bounded and observable manipulation field. | Approx. 1000 × 600 mm working envelope; refine after material trials. |
| Handling modules ×4 | Linear/rotary actuator, compliant guide, interchangeable contact cartridge, encoder, current sensing | Distributed local acquisition, sliding, slack creation and transfer. | Independent module control with mechanical compliance. |
| Perception | Overhead RGB-D camera; optional local cameras; calibrated lighting | Detect endpoints, segments, crossings, loops and motion changes. | Single overhead view first; add local views only where occlusion requires. |
| Physical sensing | Force/tension sensing where practical; motor current monitoring; contact switches/sensors | Detect loading, grip/contact and unexpected resistance. | Calibrate per module and material class. |
| Controller | Real-time motion controller or microcontroller layer | Deterministic module control, watchdog and low-level safety interfaces. | Hardware-specific limits established by qualified engineering. |
| Supervisory compute | Industrial PC or development computer | Perception, line-state graph, planning, verification and logging. | Separate supervisory logic from motion authority. |
| Safety layer | E-stop, guarded enable, limit monitoring, watchdog, safe release/stop circuitry | Remove motion authority under defined fault conditions. | Formal risk assessment required before physical operation. |
| Organization output | Guide rollers, straightening path, loose-coil or controlled take-up fixture | Receives recovered line after separation. | Prototype output chosen per first material class. |
| Calibration fixtures | Known-length line, crossing fixture, loop fixture, reference markers | Repeatable perception and manipulation tests. | Build before full autonomous trials. |
| Data system | Timestamped telemetry, camera recordings, state/action logs | Evidence, debugging and rollback analysis. | Every manipulation assigned a run/action ID. |
Build sequence
- Bench-test one handling module.
- Calibrate position, contact and current sensing.
- Build a two-module recovery fixture.
- Integrate overhead perception and line-state reconstruction.
- Demonstrate one crossing and controlled slack creation.
- Add verification and rollback.
- Expand to four modules only after the two-module gate is stable.
- Add organization output and repeatability trials.
Supplier/manufacturer handoff questions
- What actuator technology best meets the required compliant motion envelope?
- Which force/tension sensing method is mechanically robust for the chosen line class?
- What guarding and safe-stop architecture is appropriate after risk assessment?
- Which camera/depth system meets the required working distance and frame rate?
- Which interchangeable contact geometry best handles the first target material?
Important: This BOM intentionally avoids locking the project to specific commercial parts before the mechanical concept and first material class are physically tested. Existing research confirms cable manipulation is an established robotics problem; this project therefore focuses its IP boundary on the proposed combined recovery architecture rather than generic cable manipulation. citeturn0academia0turn0academia1
Requirements & acceptancePrototype build specControl package