RoboHouse Interview Trilogy, part II: Wendel Postma and Project MARCH

For the second a part of our RoboHouse Interview Trilogy: The Working Lifetime of the Robotics Engineer we communicate with Wendel Postma, chief engineer at Mission MARCH VIII. How does he resolve the conundrum of integration: getting a bunch of single-minded engineers to finally serve the wants of 1 single exoskeleton consumer? Rens van Poppel inquires.

Wendel oversees technical engineering high quality, and shares accountable for on-time supply inside finances with the opposite undertaking managers. He spends his days wandering across the Dream Hall on TU Delft Campus, encouraging his crew to discover new avenues for creating the exoskeleton. What is feasible throughout the time that we’ve? Can conflicting design options work collectively?

Bringing unhealthy information is a part of the chief engineer’s job.

There isn’t any scarcity of hobbies and actions for Chief Engineer, Wendel. Sitting nonetheless is one thing he can’t do, which is why exterior of Mission MARCH, he’s doing lots of sports activities. This yr, Wendel is ensuring the crew has 1 exoskeleton on the finish of the yr as an alternative of many alternative elements. He additionally communicates effectively throughout the crew so all of the technological advances are understood and with a category of yoga so everybody can loosen up once more. Wendel has many alternative objectives. For instance, he later needs to work within the well being trade and full an Ironman. Supply: Mission MARCH web site.

In every day life, Arnhem-based Mission MARCH pilot Koen van Zeeland is an government in laying fibreglass within the Utrecht space. He was identified with a spinal twine harm in 2013. Koen is a tough employee and his cellphone is at all times ringing. But he likes to make time to have a drink together with his associates within the pub. In addition to the pub, you may also discover him on the moors, the place he likes to stroll his canine Turbo. Koen can also be tremendous sporty. In addition to figuring out 3 times per week, Koen can also be an avid bike owner with the purpose of biking up the mountains in Austria on his handbike. Supply: Mission MARCH web site.

Koen van Zeeland is the first take a look at consumer of the exoskeleton and has management over the actions he makes. Mission MARCH subsequently calls him the ‘pilot’ of the exoskeleton. Because the twenty-seventh and maybe most vital crew member, Koen is valued extremely inside Mission MARCH VIII. Supply: Mission MARCH web site.

Mission MARCH is iterative enterprise.

Most of its office drama comes from the urgency to ship not less than one vital enchancment on the present prototype. This yr’s obsessions is weight; a lighter exoskeleton would require much less energy from each pilot and motors. Self-balancing would turn out to be simpler to understand.

So as to not weaken the body of the exoskeleton, there was lots of enthusiasm to experiment with carbon fibre, which is each a lightweight and powerful materials. One thing, nevertheless, bought in the way in which: the crew struggled to discover a pilot.

My job is ensuring that in the long run we don’t have 600 separate elements, however one exoskeleton.

“Having a take a look at pilot is essential if we’re to succeed in our objectives,” Wendel says. “Our present exoskeleton is constructed to suit the actual physique form of the individual controlling it. The design is just not but adjustable to a unique physique form. So it’s essential to get the pilot concerned as shortly as attainable.”

Not having a pilot was tense for your complete crew.

Their dream of making a self-balancing exoskeleton was at risk. Wendel needed to step up: “As chief engineer it’s a must to make robust selections. Carbon fibre is powerful, however not versatile and troublesome to machine. That’s the reason we switched to aluminium, as a result of it’s simpler to change even after it’s completed.”

“It was an enormous disappointment,” Wendel says. “A few of us had already completed trainings for carbon manufacturing. Carbon elements had been already ordered. The crew felt let down. We had spent a a lot time on one thing that was now unimaginable – due to the delays brought on by having no pilot.”

“I learnt that bringing unhealthy information is a part of the chief engineer’s job. The subsequent step is to take a look at the right way to convert the engineers’ enthusiasm for carbon fibre into new options and to redeploy their private qualities.”

Wendel says the job additionally taught him to contemplate 100 issues on the identical time. And to make sacrifices. Mission MARCH includes lengthy workdays and perhaps not seeing your folks and roommates as a lot as you prefer to.

As a naturally curious individual, Wendel came upon that curiosity should be complemented by grit to make it in robotics. You usually have to go deeper and research in additional element to make an excellent choice. “It’s onerous work. Nevertheless, that can also be what makes the job a lot enjoyable. You’re employed in such a extremely motivated crew.”

That can also be what makes the job a lot enjoyable.

The carbon story ended effectively, although.

When the crew did discovered a pilot, hard-working Koen van Zeeland, the selection for aluminium as a base materials paid off. By means of a strategy of weight evaluation, elements can now be optimised for an ever lighter exoskeleton.

The Mission MARCH crew continues to develop by means of setbacks and has doubled-down on their efforts to create the world’s first self-balancing exoskeleton. In the event that they succeed, it is going to be an enormous success for this distinctive approach of operating a enterprise.

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