Pianobot

This student engineering team was created to help make automation a skill easily applied to various projects. Ironically, many of my subsequent major projects have focused on automation! Pianobot served as an introductory project to automation, with no specific goal other than to allow us to experiment and innovate.

This project introduced me to many fundamental mechatronics principles, such as motors, microcontrollers, and drive systems. It was also my first experience as part of a multidisciplinary team, where I focused on a specific portion of the project. This required clear and effective documentation of system inputs and outputs to ensure proper integration with other subteams.

My role within this project focused on the mechanical and electromechanical aspects. My two largest contributions were:

• experimental testing to quantify sound levels based on the force applied on a key, the speed the key is displaced, and the location of the force relative to the key. This testing helped in understanding how these parameters influenced the quality and volume of the sound produced by the piano.

• developing a new drive system for the robot's hands allowing it to move the span of the piano more quickly and accurately. This improvement enhanced the robot's ability to play the piano with greater accuracy and speed, ultimately contributing to better performance.