Group 078-10: Mechanical Creeper

We finalized the building of the circuit using the Arduino Uno kits. We also started the building the inner side of the box which is the electrical component of the box. We ordered gas tanks and incorporated it into the box. The gas tanks will be will be filled by using a bicycle pump or a compressor. For testing we made use of the bicycle pump but we are also considering using a compressor. We used rubber tubes to connect the gas tanks to the solenoids to allow good efficient flow of air throughout the system.  The tubes will serve as a channel to link the solenoids to the linear actuators, causing air from the tanks to be  discharged into the linear actuators. Once enough pressure goes into the linear actuators, they increase in length sim ultaneously. Keep in mind that the big linear actuators are attached to the skeletal frame because they have a greater increase in length compared to the small linear actuator. The small linear actuator is connected to the top slab of th...

We finalized the building of the circuits and wrote the code of instructions to guide the different parts of the project on what and when to carry out their specific actions. Since, we could not also purchase the motion sensor in earlier weeks the, we placed an order for it and incorporated it into the project at the of the week outside of class hours.  A hole was drilled into the skeletal arm to pave a way to fix the linear actuator which will aid the movement of the arm out of the box.  Here is a picture of our circuit: MECHANISM: The motion sensor will sense any foreign activity like the movement of any individual outside the box and send signals to the panel to circuit which will disperse the information the other parts of the project. 

We began building the circuits using the Arduino kits and also looked for ways to harness electricity into the circuits. The circuits was not completely built because we did not have enough knowledge on how to build the circuits. So, we continued our research and sought help from the co-op on duty. We needed the circuits to serve as a medium for power distribution into the separate components of the project design. The pneumatic cylinder and linear movement actuator was our first target. The diagram about shows how the circuits are to be connected and how power is being harnessed from two 9 volts batteries.  Furthermore, below is a video we watched on how to make a simple circuit using a breadboard and a Arduino Uno kits.

Although we did not turn out to be as productive as we initially planned, but we still engaged in some research to broaden out knowledge about making circuits using Arduino kits before diving into the electrical components of the project. Furthermore, we finalized the construction of the box by cutting the right piece for the top slab and attaching it using hinges to the framework of the box. The box was constructed with just one entire slab rather than two pieces which will enable the skeletal arm to protrude from the middle as suggested by one of the team members. Apart from getting one aspect of the project done as stated earlier, we were also able to get the skeletal frame that will be put into the box figured out. Alongside, we placed the order for the skeletal arm, linear actuators,  and speakers that will be incorporated into the project design as it comes to a wrap.                         ...

      In this week, the team began building the framework of the box to be used to house the electrical component of the box which includes the arduino component, the skeletal arm attached to an actuator valve, the LEDs, the running wires. Using the tools provided at the innovation studio, we designed a 21 x 21 squared inch base for the box and cut out four 21 x  36 squared inch pieces of wood for the sides of the box. We incorporated wood glue for this process and screwed the pieces together as well for a more compact base framework.      After the construction of the base framework, the team realized that it took us more time as planned to construct the base. The sides of the box could not be attached to the base for this reason. So, the team had to meet outside classes to start off the side attachments. T echnical Problems Faced:      The team found out that only the wood glue could not suffice in holding the b...

In this week, the team begins designing the prototypes. The pictures above show the team members in the process of constructing the prototype box.      In this week, the team started off by creating the first two prototype boxes for the mechanical creeper, a 21 x 21 x 15 inch cube plywood box and a 20 x 20 x 20 centimeter cube prototype box made from carton. The team selected the sizes of the boxes based on estimation of the size of the prototype mechanical arm to be produced in the subsequent weeks. The prototype depicts what the actual box will look like and what form it will take for the electrical components of the box to be housed properly.      Furthermore, the team deliberated on what side of the box to be left opened for the arm to protrude. There have been two major ideas so far; 1) The top side of the box should be designed in way to facilitate the protrusion of the arm with the top slab parted into two and opens sideways from the ...

The team continued its research and brainstorming process during this week. We discussed various distinct designs for our project and the possible challenges that the team might face in the building process. Also, we discussed how best to design an ideal prototype that will fit all constraints of the project as well as perform the required task. A decision was reached to design small scale prototypes of the design ideas the team has at the moment and evaluate their effectiveness as well as which of them fully fits our project goal.

Deliverables  Blog Set Up Brainstorming of general plan and ideas for the project Scheduling group meeting sessions to meet outside of class Rough Sketch of the project Detailed project overview of the project In this week, the team brainstormed ideas with regards to the final project deliverable and tasks related to attaining the set goal. The team scheduled group meeting sessions outside class hours which would take place in the Innovation Studio, the Hagerty Library collaborative study rooms, as well as North Hall. The figure above shows early sketches of the possible final outcome of the mechanical creeper. The team continued to build upon these sketches to brainstorm possible ideas for the mechanical creeper and its function and mechanism. Materials needed - Scrap woods - Arduino Kits - Speakers - Colored Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) - Sensors - Bolts and screws - 3-D printed parts - Rubber parts - Mechanical skeletal creeper