Modular Sensor Mounting Platform

THE PROJECT

Tailos requires a robust medium for testing sensor configurations and orientations. Our design team aimed to enable rapid sensor configuration testing while expanding the capabilities of Rosie–Tailos' flagship intelligent robot vacuum. 

An intelligent robot must have some method of perception. In the case of robotic vacuums, it's necessary to have an accurate description of the floorplan whilst adapting to a dynamic environment. This mapping heavily relies on sensor positions and orientations. Additionally, the robot must effiicientlty make use of multiple data streams provided by each sensor. Given the robot has computational power and necessary overhead, machine learning models can be subsequently trained. As products brought to market must be permanent and robust in their sensor configurations, a physical environment for testing these configurations prior to scaled production is ideal and necessary, especially in Tailos’ case. In addition to the opportunity for testing sensor suites, Tailos would like to expand on sensing capabilities: including but not limited to stair detection, human detection, and varying environmental conditions. The solution to achieving both wants is a universal sensor mounting platform, novel in the sense that Tailos’ sensor suites are unique and effective for their application.

Thus, the problem is twofold. One being the lack of physical infrastructure for a potential variation of sensors, and two being the lack of speed at which testing different suites can be accomplished. Relative to the speed at which sensor suites can be tested, our team had the goal of developing a system whereby each potential sensor can be quickly added to the current configuration and output useful data. With this, accurate mapping of sensor positioning becomes necessary. The entire system (software and mechanical) must work in conjunction. 

[ Above is an example sensor configuration shown on my final design of the sensor mounting platform. This configuration included a Luxonis Oak-D W Pro to replace the existing Intel realsense camera, an Orbet Femto Time of Flight sensor, multiple Arudcam RGB cameras, and a centrally mounted Livox Mid-360 LiDAR. ]

SENSOR MOUNT

I designed the sensor mount (shown below) with universality and modularity in mind. The system makes use of a 3-to-2 prong clasp—similar to mechanisms often used in mounting applications that require some level of rotational freedom. Retention here is done with an M4 bolt and respective hex nut. The hole orientation of the male/outer piece of the two-piece mount is made in the way shown so as to allow mounting for the Arudcam camera modules, the Oak D Pro W sensor, as well as modular mounting to another set of sensor mounts. The two symmetric cutouts are done to minimize weight and maintain aesthetic congruence. An example use-case of the sensor mount is shown mounted at the perimeter of the robot (shown in silver) with an arducam module (shown in bronze). 

LOCKING SENSOR MOUNT

To give the sponsors another more precise option for mounting sensors, I designed a version that mechanically locks at certain positions in addition to existing hardware retention. The mechanism as shown is set up to lock at 45° increments. This can be changed and remade with relative ease, however, as I designed the system parametrically. Shown in the renderings below, the two-pronged male end of the mechanism has an outer surface draft to allow flex since the locking mechanism itself is compliant. 

FINAL ASSEMBLY