VR Assembly line Simulation (Work in Progress)
I'm developing a VR simulation of a robot arm for a research project investigating human-robot interaction in assembly line environments. This VR experience allows users to interact with a robotic arm in a virtual assembly line setting. The goal is to gather data on how users perform tasks, collaborate with the robot, and navigate the virtual workspace. the robot arm can receive commands through ROS
Here's a glimpse of the VR experience:
Benefits for Research:
Provides a safe and controlled environment to study human-robot interaction.
Allows researchers to test various scenarios and robot behaviors.
Offers valuable data for improving robot design and programming for collaborative tasks.
Potential for Real-World Application:
This VR simulation utilizes ROS (Robot Operating System) to control the virtual robot arm. With further development, it has the potential to be synchronized with a real robot arm that also understands ROS commands. This could allow researchers to directly test their findings from the VR simulation on real robotic systems.
Tech Stack:
Unity
ROS
Blender
Work in Progress:
This VR simulation is under active development. I've made significant progress on core functionalities:
ROS Integration: The virtual robot arm can now receive ROS commands, enabling control and potential synchronization with real robotic systems.
Pick and Place Functionality: The robot arm can pick up designated objects and place them at specified locations within the virtual environment.
Conveyor Belt Movement: The assembly line comes alive with a functioning conveyor belt that automatically moves objects placed upon it.
Enhanced User Interaction:
Teleportation allows users to navigate the virtual space by selecting specific points to instantly move to.
Object manipulation allows users to directly pick up designated objects within the VR environment.
Future Plans:
The project continues to evolve, with exciting features planned to further enhance the research capabilities and user experience:
Advanced Robot Control: I'm working on implementing inverse kinematics, allowing for more natural and intuitive control of the robot arm by users within the VR environment.
Sensor Integration: The next phase involves integrating simulated sensors for the robot arm, providing valuable data on factors like object proximity and grasping force. This will create a more realistic interaction experience for users.
Enhanced Data Collection: Developing robust data collection tools within the VR simulation is a priority. This will allow researchers to capture user performance metrics, collaboration patterns, and other crucial data points for their study.
Real-World Robot Synchronization : Exploring the possibility of synchronizing the VR simulation with a real robot arm using ROS remains a long-term objective.
