This week, I continued working on the ROS package for the Fetch robot. I am learning how to use the Fetch robot with ROS. I am working with my lab partner to create a ROS package that will allow the Fetch robot to control the fog screen device controller. I am also learning how to create a ROS package so that the Fetch robot can navigate to a specific location. This week, I also started assembling the fog screen device. I am working with my lab partner to assemble the fog screen device. We are assembling the fog screen device in the lab. We are also testing the fog screen device to ensure it works as expected. However, we are waiting for the lab personnel to finish the parts for the fog screen device. We are also waiting for the acrylic to arrive. We will start assembling the fog screen device as soon as the parts and the acrylic arrive.

This week, I continued working on the fog screen device controller. However, I found that the controller worked well on some devices, and since it works well on the Fetch robot, we decided that it was unnecessary to continue working on it. We will use the controller we have now. However, if we encounter any problems with the controller in the future, we will make the changes. This week, I also started learning about the Robot Operating System (ROS). I am watching and reading tutorials on how to use ROS. I am also learning how to use the Fetch robot with ROS. I am working on a ROS package meant to connect the Fetch robot with the fog screen device. I am also learning how to create a ROS package so that the Fetch robot can navigate to a specific location.

This week, I continued working on the fog screen device controller. I tested the controller on multiple devices and found that it works better with some devices than others. This week, I also talked to a person from a lab at the University of South Florida that 3D print and laser cut parts. They are willing to help us with the fog screen device. I sent them a design for the controller and other parts. The lab personnel started working on the parts, but they found one of the designs unsuitable for 3D printing. They asked us if we wanted to make changes to the design or if we wanted to print anyway and risk the part not working. We decided to make the changes to the design.

This week, I started working on fixing the fog screen device controller. I made a list of possible sources of error and started working on them. I identified that the Arduino used too much power switching on/off a relay. However, making the changes to fix the controller will take a long time, and I will need to add some extra parts. I will continue working on the controller next week. This week, I also discussed the fog screen device with personnel from a lab at the University of South Florida that 3D prints and laser cuts parts. They are willing to help us with the device. I will send them the design of the fog screen device next week, as well as the design of the controller.

This week, I worked on the abstract of the research paper. I continued the work that one of the lab partners started last week. I also wrote the first draft of the evaluation section. My lab partner and I will review it next week. This week, I also worked with my lab partner on designing the new iteration of the fog screen device. We decided to use a different material for the structure. Plywood was not a good option because it was weak and easily absorbed water. We decided to replace it with acrylic. I searched for options on Amazon and found a good one. My lab partners and I will continue working on the design of the fog screen device next week. We think that we will be able to finish the design early next week. When we finish the design, we will start building the device. We will laser-cut the parts for the fog screen device and assemble them. We will also print some 3D parts holding the device’s components. We designed a shelf-like structure that holds the fog machine, fog screen device, battery, and projector in place.

For this week I continued making improvements to the introduction of the research paper. My lab partner and I reviewed the annotations left by our mentor and made the necessary changes. We will start working on the abstract next week. Moreover, I searched for possible materials for building the fog machine. We decided to use plywood for the structure. I found some options online and will discuss them with my lab partner this week. I also worked on the code. I added a new function that will run the fog machine automatically. I will test it this week and make any necessary changes.

This week I continued working on the introduction section of the research paper with my lab partner. We are now going to improve it. I also worked on the code for the fog screen machine’s controller. I tested that the code worked as expected. I found some issues that I will solve by next week. Moreover, my lab partner and I are going to 3D print a new case for the controller. The case will be a bit larger and will be better suited for the controller’s components. We also picked up the new fans for the fog screen machine. We tested all six fans and they worked as expected.

On week three I started by completing the code for the fog screen machine’s controller. I made a class for serial communication between the Fetch robot and the Arduino board. I tested the code and it worked as expected. I worked on the introduction section of the research paper with my lab partners. We are now going to improve it. Moreover, my lab partner and I are going to 3D print a new case for the controller. The case will be a bit larger and will be better suited for the controller’s components.

This week, I continued working on the remote controller for the fog screen machine. My lab partners and I designed a case to house the Arduino board and the relay module. We used a 3D printer to build the case. We also designed a circuit board to connect the Arduino board to the relay module and some LEDs. I had to 3D print five prototypes of the case before we got the right dimensions. Afterwards, I soldered the DMX cable to the relay module and the Arduino board. I also edited the C++ and Arduino program to fix a connection problem. I also wrote a section of our research paper on the case design and the circuit board. I attended the UR2PHD summer class. This week, we discussed the importance of research and how to write a research paper. I also started working on my research paper for the class. I meet with my advisor on Friday to discuss the progress of my research paper.

During my first week of the CRA-WP DREU summer program, I continued working on a fog screen device project. I began this project during the spring semester with the goal of developing a fog screen for robots to communicate through spatial augmented reality (AR) in environments lacking conventional projectable surfaces.