Cellulo V2
Cellulo V2
The actual version of Cellulo (V2) is born from two core needs: Adapt the previous version to correct flaws and errors discovered over its use and seek to expand the functionalities to adapt to the necessities of the users.
Cellulo is a project born in 2013 as an educational tool and the digital and autonomous pen of the classrooms. After constant use by the researchers and users, it was possible to point out weaknesses in the design. Additionally, the advance in technology has opened new capabilities for the robot. The goals of the new redesign are to solve the flaws spotted, improve the functionalities of the robot and increase its capacities. The strategy to achieve those goals is based on the following factors: Usability, maintainability, cost, and scalability.
The old Cellulo had two core flaws spotted; battery capacities, mainly caused for the lack of on/off buttons, and locomotion maintenance. Additionally, it was learned that the users would appreciate having versatility in the way to interact with the robots, whether it is from a mechanical perspective or from the electronic one, which led us to the introduction of modularity. These flaws, as well as other lessons learned, are dissected in the following sections.
A schematic of the V2 is displayed below.
Version 1 of Cellulo provided many lessons about things that could be improved. Hence, for Version 2, the lessons learned were iterated and applied to the design. The following factors were considered:
- Easiness to produce
- Easiness to mount
- Easiness to repair
- Scalability
- Costs
- Usability
- Modularity
- Aesthetics
Those factors were the KPIs used during the new iteration. Details about the mechanics can be found in the Wiki and the files in the Git
The change in electronics was driven by the new technologies and parts accessible in the market, as well as to adequate to the new features that wanted to be implemented. However, during the development of the current version, a big shortage of electronic parts reduced the possibilities of development as well as delayed and rerouted the initial design. More details on the electronics in the Wiki and access to the files in the Git. The wiki describes the lessons learned in the current development and a suggestion for future steps.
Due to the limitations in electronic availability, the core MCU used was the same as the previous version, and hence, the firmware is really similar with some changes. The description of it is detailed in the Wiki and access to the code is in the Git repository.