User:Runinskinnies/Project 1

Project Preference
''Your class was given a list of projects to choose from. Please list the three projects you want to work on, from highest to lowest.''

Problem Statement
For this project my group and I will be working on the Design phase. Our project is the the bionic tripod.

Project Plan
During the next four weeks, we will be working on and creating a design for the bionic tripod. Our tasks for this assignment will include:

Figure out how to incorporate ideas into plausible designs

Brainstorm possible designs to solve problems

Read previous group's design

Determine how to power the device

Range of motion for all moving parts

List needed materials

Research how to control 4 motors with one computer

Most efficient materials

Determine total cost

Identify constraints

Determine functionality

Week 1 Narrative
During week one our group was assigned tasks on what we should complete before we meet again this week. I went ahead and said I would read the information submitted from the previous group who worked on this project three years ago. During the first meeting I contributed numerous ideas to how we should construct the design of this process, while at the same time improving on the previous group's design. While discussing ideas with the group we seemed to agree on how it would possibly work on a rough design. I read the information to understand how the group constructed their bionic tripod. I discovered that to make make the arm more efficient we would have to make the arm move in a more fluid motion and determine what are the principles needed to make this work. I contributed to the idea of how we should construct the arm and to how it should be set up. Their was a little input about materials needed and possible cost factor.

Week 2 Narrative
This week our group will meet both Tuesday and Thursday and will continue to discuss and work on the design of of the project. I was given the task of determining the design and actually creating multiple designs. After creating multiple between now and Thursday, the group will determine what grabber design will best accommodate the bionic tripod. From Tuesday to Saturday, I can up with a couple of possible designs for the project. (check notebook for those drawings) I was able to construct a few different combinations but I am still unable to figure out how to make the grabber work in correspondence with the arm of the tripod. The basis of the design with start of having three fingers that are individually controlled by an Arduino. Each finger will be ran by a motor from the Arduino; it will allow the the fingers to open and close. To ensure that all fingers will be able to grab upon something, there is some kind of cord to create some kind of tension EITHER WRAPPED AROUND THE FINGERS OR LACED THROUGH EACH FINGER. When the grabber is operated the motors will have to open up the fingers and create tension on the cord. As the switch is flipped into the opposite direction the motors will go the opposite direction releasing the tension as the fingers close to obtain a grip of an object.

ADD MORE AFTER MEETING

Week 3 Narrative
This week our group met on Tuesday and Thursday. During this past weekend, I began to create more detailed sketches from my existing rough sketches. The sketches created gave my group a better view and understanding of how I thought the design of the claw or gripper was supposed to look. The arm is supposed to be a triangular prism base structure. By using this structure I thought that using making the beams hollow, you could run the cords through them creating a cover. This will also help  to connect each claw to the motor. I did this stuff as an extra to finish up and fix a few thing that were in our meeting Tuesday. This week I was assigned the the task of determining what the potential cost factors would be depending on the materials needed to construct this project. In order to do so, I asked my group what materials we may need to construct it. Some of the materials we know we will need are:

1)at least three Arduinos

2)some kind of flexible wires to control the claws

3)at least three gears

4)rubber coated plastic

After determining these were some of the items needed for the construction, I began researching and comparing the costs of these items. I also went in to the storage/supply room and noticed there was three metal rods that could possibly be used for the trusses in the arm to connect each beam creating a triangular prism. These trusses would create enough support to support the structure of the arm.

Week 4 Narrative
This week our group met for the final two times while working on this project. We have finalized the design of how the bionic tripod should and operate.