CS325  Lab 1 - Introduction to the Arm

Objectives:

• Be able to operate the robotic arm
• Learn the basics of RAPL
• Understand the joint coupling on the arm

1. Download lab1.r3 and read through the code.  This is a simple program which allows the user to move the five joints of the robot through commands at the keyboard.
    
2. The basic instructions on the robot operation are given here.  This is an expensive piece of equipment and must be treated with respect.  The robot can move quickly and may move erratically when you are debugging your programs.  You MUST have everything (including yourselves!) out of the robot workspace when in operation.
    
3. Follow the instructions to start up the robot and run the lab1 program.
    
4. If you move the shoulder or elbow you should notice that the shoulder, elbow, and pitch joints are coupled.  This is done so that the tool pitch is kept constant when moving the other two joints.  If a liquid-filled container is carried by the tool, it will not spill on account of tipping when either the shoulder or elbow is moved. 
   
   When the shoulder is moved m degrees, the elbow is automatically moved by -m degrees by the coupling.  Likewise, moving the elbow by m degrees causes the pitch to move by -m degrees.
   
   Modify the code so that the joints can be moved individually without the coupling effects.  When the shoulder is moved m degrees, you will need to move the elbow by m degrees as well to keep it where it was.  Moving the elbow m degrees will cause the pitch to change, and so the pitch will also have to be moved m degrees to keep it in place.
    
5. Using the RAPL reference guide add an array to your program which will store the angles in degrees of all of the joints.  The initial values of these angles after the robot is homed are:
       phi[0] = 0
       phi[1] = - 90
       phi[2] = 90
       phi[3] = -90
       phi[4] = 0
   These values should be changed appropriately when the joints are moved.
    
6. Write a function jointAngle(int i) which returns the angle of joint i.  Add keyboard commands "1", "2", ... "5" which will cause the value of that joint angle to be displayed on the screen.
    
7. Demo your program for me and email your code to jill.zimmerman@goucher.edu