Project Management

Lab Presentation Presenter Schedule

DateLab PresentationPresenter
2/5/2026Sensors & motor control lab presentationMehar
2/12/2026Progress Review 1Ayush
2/26/2026Progress Review 2Saketh
3/19/2026Progress Review 3Teja
4/2/2026Progress Review 4Akshit
9/9/2026Progress Review 7Teja
9/23/2026Progress Review 8Akshit
10/7/2026Progress Review 9Saketh
10/28/2026Progress Review 10Mehar
11/11/2026Progress Review 11Ayush

Issues Log

NumberInitiatedResolvedParticipantsDescriptionOptionsResolutionJustification
12/10/20262/20/2026mgoenkaThe FrankaPy control box is not connecting to the Control PC.1. Reset the software on the control box and control PC.
2. Get a new control box for the Franka.		Factory reset the Franka software and manually configured the network settings to make all connections work.
22/11/20262/23/2026akshitr, tkantham The Xtion Pro Live camera requires Ubuntu 10.10 to work.1. Adapt the code
2. Switch to a camera with similar characteristics.		We adapted the code for Ubuntu 22.04 and it worked.
32/25/2026asharan2Collision aware dual arm simulation is not working.1. Create logs and debug.
2. Compare with the single arm configs.

Gannt Charts

Spring 2026

Risk Management

Risk Requirements Type Mitigation
Limited access to and/or budget for relevant medical items M.N.5 Resources 1. Obtain expired items from UPMC
2. Obtain items w/ similar packaging or form-factor that are within budget
Team member(s) cannot meet schedule N/A Schedule 1. Front-load schedule
2. Allow for dynamic task reassignment
Existing air source is not adequate for grasping medical items M.F.3, M.F.5 Technical, Design 1. Consult SNAAK team and discuss options
2. Downscope items that will be used in SVD
Custom end-effector(s) break M.F.3, M.F.5, M.F.10 Technical, Schedule 1. Procure spare parts in initial order
2. Maximize 3D printed components to maximize repairability
System struggles to detect RFID labels around liquids and metals M.F.4, M.F.6, M.F.7 Technical 1. Isolate problematic items in a separate shelf
2. Obtain on-metal and on-liquid RFID labels
Franka arm in NSH B512 does not work M.F.3, M.F.5, M.F.10 Technical, Logistical Short term:
1. Request to use arms in REL lab for testing
2. Use one working arm and swap end-effectors as needed

Long term:
1. Switch back to using Prof. Ichnowski’s xArm 7s
Learning-based grasp planner (Dex-Net) cannot be set up or is incompatible w/ camera M.F.3, M.F.5 Technical 1. Perform camera trade study w/ Dex-Net in mind
2. Develop non-learning-based grasp planner in parallel for SVD and then revisit using learning-based methods for FVD
ROS2 Compatibility M.F.3, M.F.5, M.F.10 Technical 1. Switch to different ROS2 repository without FrankaPy
2. Switch to ROS1/FrankaPy repository
Compute constraints from running all processes and ML models on a single PC M.F.1, M.F.4, M.P.2, M.P.5 Technical, Resources 1. Check model inference times early on target GPU.
2. Distribute processes across several PCs through ROS
3. Minimize ML model usage by sharing it across multiple processes
API integration bottlenecks caused by poor documentation for the RFID testing software, delaying the inventory database synchronization. M.F.10, M.N.3 Technical, Software 1. Get access to a similar RFID reader and test accordingly
2. Make custom low-level Python integration script instead of using Impinj’s API
Learning-based grasp planning cannot meet requirements M.F.2, M.F.3, M.P.1, D.P.1, D.P.3 Technical 1. Perform trade study on learning-based grasping techniques
2. Reduce item scope (e.g. cluttered piles → dense organized stacks/boxes)
Insufficient compute for ML training N/A Resources 1. Reserve budget for cloud compute
2. Talk to sponsors and/or MRSD faculty for access to additional compute resources
Difficulty in setting up mobile base hardware TBD Technical, Resources 1. Experiment with multiple platforms early
2. Talk to sponsors for hardware resources and technical expertise
Development on new platform will lead to unexpected delays TBD Technical, Logistical 1. Minimize scope of functions for new platform (i.e. use waypoints on existing map instead of SLAM)
RFID triangulation performance doesn’t meet localization requirement M.F.7, M.P.6 Technical 1. Perform localization through localized shelf scans via mobile base.

Spring Test Plan Schedule

ID Date Description Tests Requirements
P1 02/12/2026 Progress Review 1:
  • Detection of RFID Labels.
  • Pick and Place Pneumatic Subsystem Testing.
  • Design, Procurement and Fabrication of Labelling hardware system.
 T1 M.F.4
P2 02/26/2026 Progress Review 2:
  • System Hardware Completion: This includes a working gripper system, all sensors mounted and calibrated.
  • Demo Simulation
 T2, T3, T4
P3 03/19/2026 Progress Review 3:
  • Demo pick and placement of items.
  • Demo pickup of labels.
 T5, T6, T7 M.F.5, M.F.8, M.F.12
P4 04/02/2026 Progress Review 4:
  • Demo Tracking System.
  • Demo Labelling Subsystem.
 T8, T9 M.F.1, M.F.6, M.F.9, M.F.10
S5 04/16/2026 SVD:
  • Demo Final integrated system.
 T10 M.F.11
S6 04/23/2026 SVD Encore T10 M.F.11

Fall Test Plan Schedule

ID Date Description Tests Requirements
P7 09/09/2026 Progress Review 7:
  • SVD Recreation
 T1 M.F.1-6, M.F.8-13, M.P.1-5
P8 09/23/2026 Progress Review 8:
  • Mobile RFID hardware testing
  • Dex-Net performance evaluation testing
 T2, T3 M.F.2-4, M.P.1, M.P.5, D.P.1-2
P9 10/07/2026 Progress Review 9:
  • Mobile base capability testing
    • Mapping
    • Localisation
    • Navigation
  • Advanced grasp planning proof of concept
 T4, T5, T6, T7 M.F.2-3, M.F.14-17, M.P.1, D.P.1-2
P10 10/28/2026 Progress Review 10:
  • Tracking system MVP
  • Grasp Planning MVP
 T8, T9 M.F.2-3, M.P.1, D.P.1-2
P11 11/11/2026 Progress Review 11:
  • Mock FVD
 T10 All mandatory requirements
F12 11/16/2026 FVD:
  • Demo Final integrated system.
 All mandatory requirements
F13 11/23/2026 FVD Encore All mandatory requirements