Conclusions and Areas of Improvement

Ultimately we were able to reach our initial objectives of creating a lightweight, maneuverable, and simple mechanism that could be utilized to reach and grab objects. The build quality of our entire product was kept to very tight tolerances, and in turn produced a high quality product that could demonstrate a consistent extending and grabbing motion. We were able to grab household items such as a computer mouse, water cup, and key ring. Our client, Javier, was impressed with the overall design and was able to pick up keys off of the floor while we actuated the switches. 

Since deflection was the biggest problem that we encountered, we think that a telescoping rod or cabinet rail that connect the gripping head to the arm brace would help solve our deflection problems. It would provide vertical support in all stages of extension and retraction, which would greatly lighten the load on the servo that drives the scissor mechanism. Additionally, this would allow us to add extra links to increase the operational length of our gripping mechanism. We could also alter the geometry of the gripper claws to have a more versatile gripper for different types of objects. Finally, we would replace our current straps with Velcro straps to make our product more suitable for Javier. Overall, while there is plenty of room for improvement, we are proud of the end product we were able to create.