Every year thousands of carpenters injure their hands and fingers doing dangerous tasks such as sawing.
In an effort to minimize injury and let carpenters focus on design and other bigger-picture tasks, a team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has created AutoSaw, a system that lets nonexperts customize different items that can then be constructed with the help of robots.
Users can choose from a range of carpenter-designed templates for chairs, desks, and other furniture.
AutoSaw draws on expert knowledge for designing, and robotics for the more risky cutting tasks. Using the existing CAD system OnShape with an interface of design templates, users can customize their furniture for things like size, sturdiness, and aesthetics. Once the design is finalized, it’s sent to the robots to assist in the cutting process using the jigsaw and chop-saw.
To cut lumber the team used motion-tracking software and small mobile robots — an approach that takes up less space and is more cost-effective than large robotic arms.
After the robots finish with cutting, the user then assembles the new piece of furniture using step-by-step directions from the system.
Using the robots, the team made a table with an accuracy comparable to that of a human, without a real hand ever getting near a blade.
News Source: http://news.mit.edu/2018/custom-carpentry-help-robots-autosaw-0228
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