User:Kris Moreno/ProjectWeek2

Project Preference
Power Wheel, Mech, Electromagnetic Accelerator.

Problem Statement
We will be working on the autonomous power wheel project. The goal of this project is to have a power wheel steer and accelerate itself.

Project Plan
Make the power wheel autonomous.

Week 1 Narrative
During the first week, majority of my time was spent getting familiar with Soft Edge Computer Aided Design software. Once I learned the basics, I was able to create a model of the device to connect the motor to the pedal. To do this, I had to research typical dimensions of nuts and threaded lead screws. After that, I looked for ways to convert the .par file into an acceptable maker bot file, usually a .stl file. There are several programs available online that are able to do this conversion, allowing us to use the 3D printer to make the part.



Next steps would be to print this prototype and modify it accordingly so that the nut fits securely, it moves freely, and its able to depress the pedal fully. After that, we need to order the motor, do a few test runs, and then mount it to the power wheel. Coding the Arduino and Monster Power Shield will come after the mounting phase. During the coding phase, we'll need to fine tune the timing and duration of the motor to make it as responsive as possible. We also want the motor to run for the shortest duration possible to conserve energy and increase reliability / longevity. Lastly, We'll need to find a portable power source. A car battery would work well for the steering motor and the acceleration motor since its 12v and has under 30 amps (The max the Monster Motor Shield can Handle). Another, preferable option is a graphene power source. This can be manufactured with graphite oxide and lasers and would recharge very quickly and last much longer than traditional batteries.

Week 2 Narrative
This week I worked on refining the 3d Computer Aided Design we came up with. Before we are able to order a motor, we needed to have a solid design finished that will work with the motor. A lot of modifications were done to the original design, specifically to the pedal facing end and the cut-out for the nut. The front end had several chamfers removed and replaced with 1 large chamfer followed by an additional piece that protruded from the center in a conical fashion. This was adjusted 0.01mm at a time until it lined up just right with the chamfer. The nut housing had its bottom "floor" area lowered. This allowed for the nut to be more centered and remain stationary when the bolt is screwed through. It also gave the nut a tight fit so it will only turn with the piece and not spin around inside. The screw holes for the one side were moved further away from the edge to make sure they don't break due to thin material. The other side was sealed, making the piece easier to construct and more durable. I also drew a 2D drawing of the piece to put down measurements so that assembly and recreation will be easier. The 2D drawing also gave us a basis to compare the measurements of the power wheel to.

Week 3 Narrative
This week I made the final touches on the 3D model for the pedal part. This included redoing the cutout for the nut so that it doesn't extrude through the entire piece. I had to delete it, create a new plane, then a new rectangle, lined it up directly with the center (the first one was off-centered) and using the measurements I gathered from another hexnut off the internet (and comparing them to the measurements Anthony and I took), I made the new cutout an appropriate size. It seems much smaller than I would intuitively guessed, so one possible concern is that the hole may be too small. The good news is that by using this new method of cutting out the hole, the only thing I (Or a future team) would have to do is re-enable the sketch (Click the checkbox at the bottom of the tree in softworks) and click the rectangle that pops up. A box will appear on top with dimensions for the height and width; just input the new dimensions in the box and it changes the size of the hole automatically while still keeping it center with the lead screw hole. This method makes it much easier and quicker to make critical design changes and allows us to use a wide variety of motors with this part. I made a new 2D Drawing based off of these modifications and measurements.



Since the measurements I put in are slightly larger than the dimensions of a hexnut, I decided to keep pushing the project forward by making the 3d printer file. This involved converting the Computer Aided Design file to a .stl file and opening that file in makerware. The version of makerware installed on the computers in the engineering lab was outdated so I took the time to download a newer version of makerware. One of the benefits listed in the new update was improved conveyor optimization which could reduce the time it takes to print the file. After importing the .stl file into makerware, I had to save it for the replicator2 model and as a .x3g file. By default it saves as a .thing filetype so I had to redo the process after catching this error. Next it was time to grab an SD card (I grabbed the SD card with the #1 written on it) and transfer the file to the SD card. When I went to the 3D printer, someone was already using it. They had 9 hours left until their part was complete so I didn't have a chance to print it this week. The SD card is sitting next to the 3D printer though so the next time It's available I can print the file. I also did some research on alternatives for a battery/mobile power source and have 2 in mind. More updates will follow next with for the power source if the car battery doesn't work out.

Week 4 Narrative
This week I worked on rewiring up the motor since the wire became detached from the motor.

After the motor was re-soldered to the wire, I wrote a bunch of code for it. Did a few test using a 5v source and a 9V source. Need actual motor to write more accurate code but thought of a few other possible things to add to the code.



Lastly I worked on the CDIO report. Like a ton of work. See the CDIO report for the code that I wrote.