Welcome to the UTM Robotics Club project repository!
Here you’ll find our current and past projects, along with a Getting Started Guide for anyone interested in contributing. I'll be updating this repository weekly, so stay tuned for more!
- Robot Arm – A robotic manipulator we're desiging and constructing from scratch! Our goal is to integrate computer vision for object detection in the near future. Below I've listed an image of what our robot arm might look like!
- Roomba – Programming the Kobuki TurtleBot robots (a Roomba-like mobile robot) to perform autonomous navigation and mapping tasks with a camera and on-board odometry.
- IR Line Follower – A fully 3D-printable infrared line-following robot that we’re designing and building from scratch! Our goal is to create a simple, reproducible design that allows members to print, assemble, program, and race their own versions.
- Robot Dog – A 3D-printed quadruped robot built using open-source designs by Aaed Musa. Here's a video of ours walking! Cool Robot Dog
- Robot Arm V2 - An advanced robotic manipulator inspired by the Kuka KR5 Arc robot. This is an improved version of Robot Arm V1, featuring stepper motor actuation and a sophisticated belt transmission.
- Feel free to share any ideas you may have!
We’re always excited to welcome new contributors to our projects—honestly, we could use a few more hands! If you’re eager to learn new skills, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to make meaningful contributions and grow along the way.
For each project in progress, you’ll find:
- Our current progress estimate
- The skills involved
- Helpful resources and instructions for getting started
- A detailed overview of the project’s goals and vision
Be sure to check out each project’s folder for current files and recommended learning materials!
The Robot Arm project is a robotic manipulator constructed from 3D-printed parts designed in Fusion 360. It uses DS3240 40 Kg Servo Motors for joint actuation and will be controlled by a microcontroller.
We also plan to mount an Xbox Kinect Sensor on the end-effector to experiment with computer vision using OpenCV (or potentially ROS). Example applications include:
- Autonomous sorting of colored blocks (with no prior knowledge of their positions)
- A fully automated game of checkers played by the arm
Progress: [5%] We’ve completed the design of the robot’s base, including a custom bearing system.
What’s next? Designing the remaining joints of the arm — and then moving on to programming!
- 3D Modeling (e.g., Autodesk Fusion 360)
- Robotics Programming (e.g., inverse kinematics)
- Computer Vision (e.g., OpenCV, possibly ROS)
- Microcontroller Programming Basics (e.g., Arduino)
- The robot arm will resemble the one below, but with our own custom design and larger scale.
- We’re aiming to get smooth motion by designing custom bearings and integrating skateboard bearings into the joints.
- The software will involve robotics fundamentals, such as inverse kinematics, to control the arm.
- The end goal is to enable the robot to perform autonomous tasks such as the examples above.
- Join us during office hours! We’ll help you get started and guide you through whichever part of the project interests you most. You can also reach out to me anytime on the UTM Robotics Discord (my username is daniil) and I’ll be more than happy to help.
- If you’re starting with the design phase, learn Autodesk Fusion 360 or another parametric CAD tool. UofT students can get Fusion 360 for free from Autodesk’s website.
- Recommended tutorial series: Fusion 360 Beginner Course
Watching the first 4 videos is enough to get started, but there’s great advanced content further in the series!
- Recommended tutorial series: Fusion 360 Beginner Course
- If you’re more interested in the computer vision side, you can start experimenting right away with the Xbox Kinect Sensor and your computer.
- Recommended reading: OpenCV Introduction Guide
The Roomba project focuses on programming the Kobuki TurtleBot (a Roomba-like mobile robot) to perform a variety of autonomous tasks. Each TurtleBot is equipped with an Xbox Kinect Sensor and several onboard sensors, including wheel encoders (for odometry), bump sensors, and infrared sensors.
These robots offer a fantastic platform for exploring robotics concepts such as navigation, mapping, and autonomous decision-making. One of our main goals is to implement visual SLAM, allowing the robots to map and navigate their environment in real time.
Progress: [10%]
We’ve successfully completed the setup of the ROS libraries used to communicate with the robots (this took us a while to figure out!). The Turtlebots can now be run remotely on a Raspberry Pi.
What’s next? Developing advanced functionality such as autonomous navigation, path planning, and environment mapping using ROS frameworks and computer vision tools.
- Robotics Programming with ROS
- Computer Vision
- Create a fleet of autonomous TurtleBots capable of navigating and mapping their surroundings (we have 8 robots total!).
- Implement visual SLAM to enable real-time environment perception.
- Explore any other cool ideas!
- Join us during office hours! We’ll help you get started and guide you through whichever part of the project interests you most.
You can also reach out to me anytime on the UTM Robotics Discord — my username is daniil — and I’ll be more than happy to help. - Come experiment with the TurtleBots! We’re still gaining hands-on experience with them, so we’ll learn and troubleshoot together.
- I haven't looked into this tutorial myself, but I thought it might be useful. It explains how to use ROS to perform robot navigation! Robot Navigation with ROS
The IR Line Follower is a fun mini-project that will involve building a PID-controlled infrared line-following robot capable of tracking a black line on a surface.
We plan to design and 3D-print the robot’s chassis using Fusion 360, similar to the Robot Arm project. This project is meant to be approachable and quick to complete.
Eventually, we hope to turn this into a fun community event, where participants can build their own line-following robots and race them on a track!
Progress: [25%]
As of now, we have implemented the code for the robot.
What’s next?
- Designing the chassis in Fusion 360
- Assembling the electronics and wiring up the IR sensor array
- Tuning the PID control algorithm
- Setting up a race track for testing and competitions!
- 3D Modeling (e.g., Autodesk Fusion 360)
- Microcontroller Programming (e.g., Arduino)
- Control Systems (PID tuning and feedback loops)
- Design a neat robot capable of accurately following a black line using IR sensors.
- Implement a well-tuned PID controller to ensure smooth and responsive motion.
- Create a fun, interactive racing event where participants can test their robots and compete.
- Join us during office hours! We’ll help you get started and guide you through the design and programming process.
You can also message me anytime on the UTM Robotics Discord — my username is daniil — and I’ll be more than happy to help. - Start by learning the basics of PID control — how proportional, integral, and derivative terms affect robot movement.
- If you’re interested in designing your own robot chassis, learn Autodesk Fusion 360 or another parametric CAD tool. UofT students can get Fusion 360 for free from Autodesk’s website.
- Recommended tutorial series: Fusion 360 Beginner Course
Watching the first 4 videos is enough to get started, but there’s great advanced content further in the series!
- Recommended tutorial series: Fusion 360 Beginner Course
- Explore tutorials on IR sensors and Arduino motor control to prepare for building and testing your own line follower!