HIVE_Lab_Research.exe

HIVE_LAB_RESEARCH.EXE

> robot non-verbal communication via light and color

Undergraduate research at the HIVE Lab, University of Richmond. The core question: can a robot signal its internal state — attention, hesitation, readiness — to a nearby human without saying a word, using only light and color?

create3_nonverbal_comms / waveform_lib.py sinusoidal

amber = attention cyan = idle

what it does

[OK]

Built a waveform library — Triangle, Sinusoidal, Modulated, and Rectangle wave classes — that drives NeoPixel LED animations on iRobot Create 3 robots.

[OK]

Animations are controlled over ROS2 topic-based interfaces, so a robot's light behavior can be triggered by its actual task state in real time.

[OK]

Integrated NeoPixel LED control with CircuitPython on an Adafruit Sparkle Motion Mini board, including non-blocking serial reads over usb_cdc.

[OK]

Assisted on multi-robot coordination algorithms aimed at humans and robots working safely in close proximity.

stack

iRobot Create 3 + ROS2 (Python) for robot control and topic-based messaging
NeoPixel LED strips driven via CircuitPython on Adafruit Sparkle Motion Mini
Zenoh, Linux, NumPy for the coordination/communication layer
Rhino8 for 3D modeling of test fixtures
SSH-based access to lab hardware for iteration and debugging

field notes

Wrote a research wrap-up document for future lab members covering the full project arc, setup guides, and known issues.
Timeline: Jan 2024 – Nov 2025, as part of the Dept. of Computer Science at the University of Richmond.

repo

github.com/the-hive-lab/create3_nonverbal_comms view source →