​PuzzleBot
Overview
Initial Project Goals
Be able to dump a 500 piece puzzle into a hopper, and create a solved jigsaw puzzle faster than a human
Modified/ Realistic Goals
Due to time and budget constraints, the complexity of the project was reduced to a manageable level. The idea of the hopper was dropped to avoid a second mechanical system for laying out the pieces and dealing with overlapping/stacked pieces. We also found it was difficult to identify the orientation of the pieces, and that another mechanical system would be required to flip them. As a result, we now expect all the pieces to be laid out, same side up. As we realized the full computational complexity of solving a jigsaw puzzle with software, we also dropped the time requirement and reduced to size of the puzzle we wanted to solve.
Our final goals are that we want to be able to lay out a small number of matching puzzle pieces, use computer vision and processing to identify a solution, and then assemble the pieces.
Budget
Over Budget
Partway through the project the budget was reached, and the system was not yet working. The team identified a potential fix, and decided as a team that it was worth the additional cost to get the system operational. The students will share the additional cost beyond the amount covered by the course.
