Customer Order Fulfillment Cell

Engineering Context

AeroParts Distribution receives small orders with different quantities and arrangements. The current program must be rewritten for every order. Your team must create a flexible program that operators can configure using variables at the beginning of the file.

What You Will Practice

• Translate order requirements into pallet coordinates
• Use functions, loops, lists, or variables to create flexible code
• Verify several production configurations
• Document an operator-friendly workflow

What You Need

• VEX CTE Workcell
• 6-Axis Arm
• Cubes
• Three customer order cards
• Python project
• Engineering notebook

Instructions

1. Review the three customer order cards and draw each required pallet layout.
2. Identify which pickup and placement actions are common to all orders.
3. Create helper functions for pickup, safe travel, and placement.
4. Create operator variables that select order type or quantity.
5. Program Order A and verify every coordinate.
6. Run Orders B and C by changing only the approved configuration values.
7. Test each order twice and compare the physical pallet to the order card.
8. Add clear comments and an operator instruction block at the top of the program.

Engineering Requirements

• Correctly complete all three customer orders
• No code changes outside the configuration section between orders
• No manual product placement
• Begin and end at Home
• Include comments for operator inputs

Constraints & Safety

• Use only the provided parts and pallet area
• Maximum cycle time is five minutes per order
• The robot may carry one part at a time
• All motions must use safe clearance heights

What You Submit

• Three order-layout diagrams
• Configurable Python program
• Six-run order verification log
• Operator quick-start instructions
• Reflection

Reflection Questions

1. Which functions made the program easier to adapt?
2. What input error could an operator make?
3. How could input validation improve the system?
4. How would a barcode scanner change the workflow?