The team made significant progress this week as we continued integrating automation and refining the mechanical and sensing infrastructure of both the wire insertion assembly and the vision verification system. These efforts represent an important transition from individual subsystem development toward more cohesive system functionality and automated operation.
One of the major accomplishments this week was completing the setup of the Raspberry Pi and display for the vision verification system. This integration provides a dedicated platform for image acquisition, visualization, and system control, which will support both testing and eventual deployment of the vision pipeline. Establishing this hardware foundation enables more efficient iteration and improves the usability of the verification setup.
On the mechanical side, the team designed and integrated several custom components into the wire insertion system, including a belt tensioner, belt connector, wheel carriage attachment, base stabilizers, and additional structural fixtures. These additions improved the structural stability and alignment of the system while supporting more reliable and controlled motion. Most notably, we successfully achieved automated motion of the lumen holder, enabling it to move back and forth without manual intervention. This milestone represents a key step toward fully automating the wire insertion process and validates the effectiveness of the current motorized design.
Looking ahead, the team will focus on both performance evaluation and continued system integration. We will begin documenting and analyzing system behavior by investigating potential failure modes, including measuring cycle times, voltage readings, and forces exerted on the nitinol wire. These measurements will help ensure safe operation and guide further optimization. In parallel, we will design and integrate a mechanical fixture to securely mount the Raspberry Pi and screen to the vision verification box, improving overall system organization and usability.
Additional priorities include refining the camera fixture by adding poka-yoke features to improve alignment and prevent incorrect assembly, and creating a detailed instruction set with images to document the process of inserting the loop tip and capturing verification images. On the wire insertion side, the team will continue expanding automated functionality by enabling automated lifting and spinning motion of the wheel mechanism, which is necessary for complete automation of the insertion process.
A few coordination items remain with the liaison engineers. These include sharing a standard operating procedure template, confirming the maximum allowable force on the nitinol wire to ensure safe handling, and scheduling a direct meeting with Tim and Corbotics to review progress and align on next steps.
Overall, the project remains on schedule, and the progress achieved this week represents an important advancement toward a fully integrated and automated system.
Here is Daniel working on our project assembly.
