Engineer Whose Robotic Arm Could Help Keep People Safe in Dangerous Environments celebrates with top A level results

A Cardiff Sixth Form College student from Nigeria who is celebrating his A Level results today gaining an A in Mathematics, A in Chemistry and a B in Physics has developed an innovative robotic arm designed to mimic human hand movements which can potentially operate in hazardous environments.

Emmanuel Ilegar, who is a boarder at Cardiff Sixth Form College in Cambridge has secured a place at the University of Manchester to study Electrical Engineering.  He developed a passion for robotics, culminating in the design and construction of his sophisticated robotic arm that mirrors the movement of a human hand through a glove fitted with sensors.

The project began shortly after he arrived at Cardiff Sixth Form College and discovered the range of practical engineering opportunities available to students.

“In my previous school there weren’t many opportunities to build practical engineering projects,” said Emmanuel. “When I arrived at Cardiff and saw projects that previous students had created, I wanted to challenge myself and build something ambitious.”

After researching robotic systems used in industry, Emmanuel became fascinated by the potential for robotic arms to carry out tasks in environments that may be dangerous for humans.

“I liked the idea of creating something that could eventually be used in situations where it would be unsafe to send a person,” he explained. “If a robotic arm can mirror a human operator’s movements, it opens up possibilities in manufacturing, hazardous environments and many other industries.”

Despite having no previous coding experience, Emmanuel taught himself programming using C++ and Arduino technology. Working with a fellow student, he used open-source designs as a starting point before adapting and refining the model to create a functioning prototype.

The project involved designing components digitally, 3D-printing the arm, installing motors, wiring and flex sensors, and developing software that enabled the robotic fingers to respond to movements made by the user wearing a sensor-equipped glove