Semester 6 and 7: CERN Technical Studentship
For my thesis, I developed an automated test system to validate the hardware of the WIC2. This system utilized two different testers: one based on the NI PXI system for assessing the electrical characteristics of the in-house produced PCBs, and another based on the Siemens S7-1500 PLC series for validating the wiring and functionality of the WIC2 crates. Additionally, I produced a manual and a programming guideline to facilitate future upgrades or changes if necessary.
During my internship, I focused on validating the Warm Magnet Interlock Controller 2 (WIC2). This interlock controller is present in nearly every CERN accelerator and is responsible for protecting the warm magnets from overheating. The validation of this second-generation system emphasized reliability, availability, and radiation tolerance. To achieve this, I created various stress test setups, which included two radiation test campaigns conducted at the CHARM facility (a radioactive test facility at CERN).
Semester 5: Project MoMa (Mobile Manipulator)
For my internship at NHL-Stenden, I made a MoMa (mobile manipulator) that can be used in the future for projects and minors of different disciplines. For this, I used an Omron LD-90 (AMR) and a TM5M-900 (cobot). I designed and made the construction between the AMR and the cobot. I also documented and made a website and ROS2 (Robot Operating System) framework. I then made a demo program to show the capabilities of the MoMa by making a coffee order system. In this example, the user can order a coffee, tea, chocolate milk, etc. The MoMa will then get the desired drink from the machine and deliver it to the user-defined location.
Semester 4 2nd half: Robotics IDP (InterDisciplinary project)
Making a robot for healthcare together with the ICT and Mechanical Engineering disciplines.
The intention was that the robot could be instructed to take a list of medicines, pick the corresponding boxes from a warehouse, and put them in the correct bin. This is done by a robot because of human error when picking the right medicine boxes, which means that patients can receive the wrong medicine with deadly consequences. All of this must be completely autonomous, which is why we use a Jetson Nano for AI control and an Intel Realsense D435i 3D camera so that we can map the entire space and navigate within it with a point cloud. The camera must also be able to scan a GS1 code on the medicine box to check whether it is the correct one. The robotic arm that picks up the medicine box must also be able to measure the weight up to 1 kg with an accuracy of 5 grams. The robot must send all data to a telemetry website that also shows the 3D map of the environment.
Semester 4 1st half: Embedded systems
Designing and building a music launchpad synthesizer that wirelessly connects to a 2.5-octave piano keyboard.
The microcontroller used in the keyboard is a PSoC 5LP, which calculates the note and corresponding velocity through an array of buttons. The keyboard operates on a 3S LiPo battery and features a user interface displayed on a 128x64 OLED screen. This interface also includes a debug menu to test and troubleshoot any issues. Data is transmitted serially via an XBee module to the launchpad synthesizer, which contains a second XBee module. The launchpad synthesizer also utilizes a PSoC 5LP, which receives data from the keyboard through the XBee module, as well as data from the launchpad itself using a button matrix and input from synthesizers via potentiometers. Additionally, the launchpad synthesizer is equipped with a 128x64 OLED screen that features a debug menu. All data received by the launchpad synthesizer is converted into a MIDI packet, which is then sent to a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi generates and plays the corresponding sound based on the MIDI information.