Can Anyone Here Could Help Me.....?

Question

I am a 3rd yr. COE and i want to begin making my thesis as early as now.. I plan to make Robotical Arms with the ability of changing its gear on different types with different kinds of function but my idea doesn't stops here because i am thinking of making an arms for mainly using lasers and together with it's security parameters to avoid accidents..This arm i want to make is mainly for dissecting very delicate stuffs "with" accuracy and efficiency.. of coarse, what i am thinking needs a long time of planning thats why i prefer on starting now..

Guys... Engineers and Non Engineers..
1.) What do you guys advice me as early as now.
2.) And is it possible that i could buy laser(real lasers which burns to dissect ) on the market with a affordable price or i should even make my own???

Please Help me Guys, I really want to achieve this.

Answer 1

First, you need to learn about laser cutting.

Second, you need to learn about control systems. Stepper motors are quite popular in the robotics area, as they provide a high level of accuracy when moving from one point to the next, and can complete these moves rather quickly.

Third, you will not be able to build a fully functional model. Industrial lasers used for laser cutting are about $8000 each. I would recommend building a prototype, and use everyday "pointer" lasers to demonstrate your goal. Furthermore, new stepper motors are kind of expensive, especially if you want high accuracy.

Lastly, you need to clearly define what you are trying to achieve. From your question above, I can see you have an overall vision, but in order for your thesis to be successful, you need to clearly define one aspect. You can't do everything at once, especially within your time frame, and trying to reinvent the wheel is only going to leave you frustrated and disappointed.

Answer 2

CO2 surgical lasers are commonly used these days. You should have no problem finding and purchasing a suitable laser. You should know that much surgery is still done a scalpel blade because it makes a perfect cut that heals well. Lasers work by heating each cell until it explodes from internal steam pressure. There is a third type of common surgical cutting tool, called an electrocautery ("Bovie") knife. This works using radio frequency electrical power and cauterizes bleeding capillaries as they are cut. All three types of "knife" are commonly used in every type of modern surgery. If your device is to be truly useful, I believe it should be compatible with the three most common cutting tools.

I see the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints of the arm as the most critical problem. They need to have zero free-play and yet be nearly frictionless. Any play in the joint bearings will result in accumulating error in the position accuracy. Furthermore, the arms must be light-weight so they can easily make small adjustments and yet be rigid enough so they're not excessively flexible.

You imply (but do not state) that you intend to actually build the arm you design. I think that you should reconsider this approach. You will be writing your thesis, not entering a Science Fair. You'll get no credit for building a working model that will surely consume most of your time and all of your money. I suggest you completely design the arm, including elaborate Mechanical drawings. That is what your thesis advisor will want to see. (Ask him!) After you have your degree safely in hand, you can play with the recreational aspect of actually building the thing and testing it. After you get your degree, hopefully you'll be earning enough money to be able to afford the materials you'll need to actually construct the first prototype.

If I were you, I'd get some Autodesk CAD software and start drawing! As your project matures, the design will evolve into something far more complex and complicated than you can imagine at the beginning. If you are studying to become an engineer, it is this evolutionary design process that you should nurture. Engineering is about imagination, calculation, visualization, calculation, decision making, calculation, modification, and more calculation. Building things is the work of technicians, who are a dime a dozen.