Senior Design Team Develops Robot for Automotive Industry
Wiring harnesses are essential for controlling the electrical components of an automobile and transmitting power to every part of the vehicle. The bundled sets of wires and cables are responsible for airbags, ABS brakes, climate control, and the engine. Their assembly is one of the most labor-intensive and complex aspects of manufacturing.
Being able to automate the process would help the auto industry with labor shortages, rising production volumes, cost efficiency, and quality control. An interdisciplinary senior design (ISD) team at the University of Tennessee was tasked with that challenge over the last year. The team worked with Nissan Group of North America to try and develop a robot that could fully automate the wiring harness process.
“This is a project that hasn’t been done before. There have been similar projects that have been attempted by different companies, but they’re not all the way complete,” said Dylan Woods, an electrical engineering major. “So, trying to work on a project where there’s no solution and we’re trying to basically develop something new has been a really great experience.”
The wiring fabrication process for automobiles includes seven steps and the UT senior design team focused on two main steps—terminal insertion and wire routing.
‘Basically, it’s making sure the end of the wire goes into the correct connector in the harness and then getting that through the correct path from point A to point B,” said Nathan LaCognata, a mechanical engineering major.
The team started by creating a software program that provides the robot with the information about where the connectors are located and where the wires need to go. Then, the program autogenerates a path for the robot.
“Both ends of the wires have to be inserted into two specific connectors, but there’s a general path the wire has to follow to make the subsequent taping of the harness easier. The program knows the location of the connectors and the pegs, and it’ll use that knowledge to generate an optimal path,” said Ethan Eisenhauer, a mechanical engineering major. “That’s the software piece, and then it’s about trying to integrate it so the hardware (robot) can do it.”
Unique experiences
Throughout the nearly nine-month process, UT’s senior design team held bi-weekly meetings with Aaron Hall, an engineer at Nissan based in Smyrna, Tennessee.
“At Nissan, engaging with student teams from the University of Tennessee on real-world challenges through ISD projects offers significant benefits,” Hall said. “It brings fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to our projects, helps us build a talent pipeline by identifying and nurturing potential future employees, and enhances our brand visibility and reputation within the academic community.”
As the team worked through all the steps required to automate the wiring harness process, Joston Saengsawang came to appreciate the valuable skills he was learning that went beyond basic engineering.
“One thing I’ve taken away from this is balancing the technical and building aspect with the more administrative aspects like doing the presentations and writing papers,” said Saengsawang, a mechanical engineering major. “And then being able to work as a team with multiple disciplines. I think it’s nice to be able to have your hands in everything and be able to learn as much as you can.”
The ISD program includes students from the Tickle College of Engineering and Haslam College of Business, who work closely with an industry liaison and faculty coaches from business and engineering to design and build authentic products.
“The experience that we’re getting is something you can’t get anywhere else within UT,” LaCognata said. “The ISD program is rigorous, but it prepares you so well for post grad. Being able to work with such an established large global company like Nissan is amazing.”
Visions for the future
The UT team was excited to show others how their robot performed at the Senior Design Showcase on campus. They took pride in developing a prototype that will likely give Nissan a blueprint for automating the wiring harness process.
“Our work is the start of a multi-year project for Nissan. Once we prove that this process can be automated, Nissan will refine and adapt our system to meet their needs,” Eisenhauer said. “The goal will shift from proving that it’s possible to doing it as fast as possible.”
For LaCognata, the ability to work with Nissan on his senior design project was especially meaningful. He’s loved cars since he was a child and was very happy to work on an automotive advancement project.
“It has been really cool for me to develop something that hasn’t been done before,” LaCognata said. “It’s hard to truly comprehend the impact right now. But when we get done with this, I’m going to look back and say, ‘wow, I can’t believe I got to help lay the groundwork for that system.’”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, [email protected])