User:1sfoerster/enes100/fall2013/poBristelbot-513

Team BristleBot 1

 * Sung Park
 * Sally Lee
 * Usman
 * Fatima

Problem Statement
The marketing of engineering within and without of HCC requires robots. Bristlebots are the original Hexbugs. The duration of this project consists of developing an engineering mindset to individually build a bot and keying in teamwork to finish the task. Despite such need for complex team chemistry, the purpose resides on marketing HCC Engineering by releasing massive quantities of bots into the hallway outside of CL-158 while shooting a video of their stampede.









Conceive
Market/Customer Needs
 * On the seminar day, as a group, we presented our bristlebots to attract the attention from the other HCC Engineering students by unleashing a swarm of bots with eclectic range of sizes and shapes.

Initial Target Goals
 * Having a variety of different shapes, and structures bristlebots.
 * Designing creative forms of bots with original customization.

System Performance Metrics
 * Release 15 bristelbots at once from doorway of CL-158 and video them traveling down the halls in different directions.

Project Cost and Schedule
 * Make the bots out of $1 toothbrushes from the Family Dollar Store and/or similar stores
 * If the attachments have to be added, make sure to use cheap materials

Alternatives
 * Find a less expensive robot platform that mimics the imagery of Hexbugs.
 * Find reusable materials that can be found around the house and added on the bristlebots.

Design

 * Reverse Engineering:
 * The tutorial/guideline video for the BristleBot Project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1speabcZNA


 * Alternatives:
 * Use similar design as the bot appeared in the Youtube video
 * Use larger/efficient battery that is proportional to the size of the motor
 * Add more attachments to counterbalance the weight of the motor (relatively large)


 * Individually Tested Prototypes:
 * Weight issues (One bot was too heavy to move)
 * Ineffective counterbalances (The bot was tilting over frequently)
 * Low battery life (Motor size was too big compared to its battery)
 * Lack of control (Too often the bots would move in chaotic motion; doesn't go straight)


 * The BristleBot Presentations:
 * | BristleBot(1)
 * | BristleBot(2)
 * | BristleBot(3)
 * | Bristlebot(4)

Materials

 * We used similar materials to build the individual bots; however, more materials have been used as each member required them to finish the product.
 * The materials used for BristleBot(1):
 * Three 2.5-3 in. nails
 * $1 material's motor
 * $1 material's brush
 * Double-sided foam tapes
 * Wires (from the carjack)
 * Battery Cell 2072 (Originally before it died and replaced with AA)


 * The materials used for BristleBot(2):
 * Three 2 inch nails
 * $1 material's motor
 * $1 material's brush
 * Battery cell (2016)
 * Double-sided foam tapes
 * Wires


 * The materials used for BristleBot(3):
 * Two 1.5 inch nails
 * $1 material's motor
 * $1 material's brush
 * AA battery
 * Wires
 * Double-sided foam tapes


 * The materials used for BristleBot(4):
 * Three 3 inch nails
 * Four black markers (Sharpies)
 * Red duck-tapes
 * $1 material's brush
 * $1 material's motor
 * $1 material's switch
 * AA battery

Next Steps

 * Further add attachments into the bots to improve their stability
 * Find new unique ways to move the bots in dynamic directions
 * Develop 'mind-blowing' designs; such as flying bots, remote-controllable bots, or even floating bots on the surface of water
 * Continue to conceptually develop while using inexpensive materials
 * Purchase a Hexbug and lack its material to improve the bristlebots
 * Promote new ways of developing the same bots but in an enhanced fashion
 * Influence two distinct bristlebot teams each other to spark new images for the bots