Preparing Snow Cones Using a Robot Arm
During my time at Ingenuity Labs, I helped create a cell capable of making a snow cone for guests at the RAIS 2024 conference
Project at a glance
- Helped build a robot cell that prepared and served snow cones automatically.
- Designed the cell layout and a physical ordering interface for red or blue cones.
- Connected user input to a ROS 2 sequence that served roughly 50 conference guests.
Using a UR5e six-DOF manipulator, we used open-loop position control—moving the arm through predefined waypoints—to make snow cones. The sequence turns on the ice machine, positions an empty cup, waits for it to fill, dispenses syrup, and presents the finished cone to the customer. The cell served approximately 50 people.
I designed the cell in SolidWorks for visualization and animation:
Back side view
Front side view
Isometric View
I also designed the physical ordering unit. A user selects a red or blue snow cone and presses “GO” to begin the cycle. A keyboard beneath the interface maps each physical button to a keystroke, which a ROS 2 script monitors. If the user enters a valid sequence—for example, “Red” followed by “Go”—and the robot is available, the preparation cycle begins.
PC View
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- Collaborated with a design team of more than 10 students and qualified for the World Championship.