Developing a Gantry Robot with Pre-calculated pure S-curve Motion Profiles for Delicate Egg Handling: Utilizing ESP32, FreeRTOS, and AS5600 Encoders

Abstract

The poultry industry faces challenges due to egg breakage during transfer. This paper describes a gantry robot specifically designed for delicate egg handling. The robot utilizes pre-calculated pure S-curve motion profiles to achieve smooth and precise movements, minimizing stress on the eggs. This approach leverages the computational efficiency of pre-calculation, making it suitable for low-power microcontrollers like the ESP32. FreeRTOS(Free Real-Time Operating System) ensures real-time task management for profile execution and data collection every 4 milliseconds from the AS5600 encoders. These encoders provide high-resolution angular position feedback, allowing for comparison with the planned S-curve profile after each movement step. This system offers advantages such as reduced egg breakage, improved transfer efficiency, and a simpler design compared to real-time control. However, limitations include limited adaptability to significant environmental changes and disturbances. Future work may investigate incorporating real-time feedback control for enhanced robustness.