This is a list of ideas for student projects, both for Bachelor and Master students. This list represents some ideas that align with my research interests and that I believe are feasible for completion. However, this list is not exhaustive and it can be a starting point for discussion of other projects. If you have any idea that you think might be appealing for me, please don’t hestitate to contact me so that we discuss it.

As you can see, each project comes with a list of requirements. You should see this more as a list of technologies that you will need to work with during this project, not as knowledge that you are expected to have at the beginning of the project. Experience is definitelly welcome, but motivation and interest is much more important.

Regarding motivation, I like to work with self-motivated students, and I have published a manifesto, describing what expectations I have from you and how I would like to work. Please read it, and if you think you are aligned with this way of working, please talk to me.

Bachelor

Pose estimation of a robotic arm using a depth camera

Description

Pose estimation is a common task in robotics, where the goal is to determine the position and orientation of a robot or an object in space. Depth cameras are widely used for this purpose, as they provide depth information that can be used to estimate the pose of objects. We have a depth camera available in our laboratory, and we would like to use it to estimate the pose of two robotic arms and calculate the transformation between them. The goal of this project is to implement a pose estimation algorithm that can estimate the pose of the robotic arm using the depth camera data.

Requirements

• Robotics
• C++
• Linux
• ROS2
• Image processing

Surface Electromyography acquisition system using NI cRIO

Description

Surface Electromyography (sEMG) is a technique used to measure the electrical activity of muscles. It is widely used in rehabilitation, sports science, and human-computer interaction. The goal of this project is to design and implement a sEMG acquisition system using the National Instruments cRIO platform. The system should be able to acquire sEMG signals from multiple channels, process the signals in real-time, and display the results on a user interface. The system should be able to publish the processed signals to a ROS topic, so that they can be used by other ROS nodes.

Requirements

• Electronics
• LabVIEW
• Signal processing
• ROS2

Lego sorter

Description

Lego bricks are a popular toy for children and adults alike, and they come in a variety of colors and shapes. Sorting Lego bricks can be a tedious task, especially when there are many different colors and shapes involved. A Lego sorter can automate this process, making it easier and faster to sort the bricks.

The goal of this project is to design and implement a Lego sorter, which will be able to sort Lego bricks based on their color. The sorter should be able to detect the color of the bricks and then sort them into different bins. As a second step, the sorter should be able to detect the shape of the bricks and sort them accordingly.

Requirements

• Automation
• Electronics
• Image processing

Smart greenhouse

Description

A smart greenhouse is a controlled environment that allows for the optimal growth of plants. It can be equipped with sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, light, and soil moisture, and can automatically adjust these parameters to create the best conditions for plant growth.

The goal of this project is to design and implement a smart greenhouse that can monitor and control the environment for optimal plant growth. The greenhouse should be able to detect the temperature, humidity, light, and soil moisture, and adjust these parameters accordingly. The greenhouse should also be able to send notifications to the user when the conditions are not optimal. Ideally, the greenhouse should be able to connect to a Home Assistant system, so that the user can monitor and control the greenhouse remotely.

Requirements

• Electronics
• Sensors
• Arduino
• Home Assistant

Master

Intention based control of a robotic arm

Description

Intention based control is a technique that allows a robot to understand the intentions of a human operator and to adapt its behavior accordingly. This can be useful in situations where the robot needs to work together with a human operator, such as in a collaborative robotics application. During previous research projects, we developed a system that can detect the intention of a human operator based on human arm kinematics and surface electromyography. The goal of this project is to apply the technique on a newly acquired torque controlled robot arm (Franka Emika Panda) and to demonstrate the capabilities of the system in a collaborative robotics application.

Requirements

• Robotics
• C++
• Linux
• ROS2