RC Prop Car

Here's Israel, Chase, and I's RC Prop car! It steers in the front and blow in the back. 

Programming

Programming

We started probably the most basic form of programming this week. We started off with the robopro program on our computers, an interface, an a motor. We told it to start for 3 seconds, then stop. After that advanced to switches and a lamp. On Wednesday, we made the lamp go on, until it had been on for 8 seconds or more. This is a really cool topic. 

Basic Programming

Basic Programming

Open Closed Loop System

Open Closed Loop System

Branch Functions

Basic Programming

Variable Functions

3.1.7

Delivery vehicle control

We did the activity on 3.1.7 called delivery vehicle control, where we were to create a system that would transport goods between 2 point, based on an pentameter input. Eventually with some program tweaks, we were able to activate it.

The Smokey Sorter

The Smokey Sorter

Along with our short programming section, we launched ourselves into the capstone project, Marble Sorters! I worked with Kyler Smith, Israel Dedina, David Carroll, and Chase Fischer. We worked a long time on this and eventually came up with a working model that sorted 3 marbles.

We Earned 20 Achievements.

Our Sketches

Organize it!

Brainstorm!

Enter the Matrix

Data Matrix

Design Solution

"I've Made a Few Special Modifications..."

Final Implementation

Final


Reflection
+: We successfully sorted 3 marbles
We sorted the marbles very quickly
It was efficient
-: We only were able to sort 3 marbles
Our funnel/hopper didn't work completely, had to adjust it
We were unable to drop the marbles from 6 feet
?: Make a larger funnel
Try to sort more marbles
Use more fischertecniq products
!: Attempt to use the light sorters
Make more of an upward facing hopper
Add a more definite wood/metal marble sorter

Reference:
Our prototype was based off a trash sorter, shown here: reference


--------------------------------------Product Achievements------------------------------------------

Sorting Speed (15 marbles total: at least 3 different types):
Process 15 marbles in less than 2:00minutes. 
Process 15 marbles in less than 1:45minutes.
Process 15 marbles in less than 1:30minutes.
Process 15 marbles in less than 1:15minutes.
Process 15 marbles in less than 1:00 minute.
Process 15 marbles in less than 45 seconds.
Process 15 marbles in less than 30 seconds.

Marble Delivery (may use non-fischertechnik materials to create a "hopper" to drop marbles into for "Drop" achievements):
Drop marbles from 6" above machine 
Drop marbles from 1' above machine
Drop marbles from 2' above machine

Systems (not including motor or piston used to charge your pressure vessel):
Use at least one motor

Marble Sorter

We finished our marble sorters last week and they were put to the test. We performed quite well and earned several achievements. Here's some pictures:

Flowcharting

Hey guys! This week in class, we made flow charts as a Segway into robotics and programming. Here are a few pictures of our flow charts.

Week 8 Update

This week was all about the Bridge Building Contest. We are given 3 Manilla Folders and 3 feet of tape to make a bridge that spans an 18 inch gap. Whichever bridge holds the most weight in magazines wins. Our design is 6 triangular beams that interlock together and use gravity to hold up. We were also given 10,000 Engineering bucks to bet for and against other bridges.

Week 4/Seaperch Challenge

This week we finally competed with our Seaperch robots. It was a lot of fun and hopefully we'll do it again. I've attached a model of the sumo wrestling ring that David and I designed and built using pool noodles and string.

Week 1 of Semester 2

For our first week into the new semester, we started with Seaperch on Monday. Our team (David, Jesse, Rafael, and I) put our device in the water for the first time and had great success!there was one other team with us so we decided to race around the pool a few times. We won 2:1. On Wednesday, we were introduced to the new leadership system. We were broken into group teams and each elected a manager. I am the manager this week. We took notes on leadership with the main 3 points being Direction, Alignment, and Commitment. We then did an exercise where we organized ourselves in the classroom according to a diagram of dots on the board. We then had to pass a ball around to each person but with certain constraints such as only passing to someone not directly next to you. This has been the first week in the new self feedback system and this blog is part of that. I just earned a point!

3rd Annual Cardboard Canoe Challenge

My team and I earned 15 achievements on this challenge.

The Cardboard Canoe project was a lot of fun. I paired myself with Chase Israel, and David, all previous winners from the previous year's challenge, so I had a pretty good feeling about who was gonna win. Nevertheless, I was amazed and unprepared to witness the scale of our victory, which was unanimous. I was blown away by the beautiful execution of our boat which flawlessly won every competition in our class. A wonderful experience to say the least.

 Here are the achievements we won and their justifications:





1. Define the problem and brainstorm solutions

The problem is taking cardboard and duct tape and creating a somewhat durable watercraft. These materials are not widely used in the ship industry. Most cruise ships or oil tankers are made out of steel and paint, but we are required to use cardboard and duct tape only. I hope you see what I'm getting at here. It was hard.

Solutions:
-Strong
-Fast
-Large
-High walls
-Sleek
-Well floating
-Balance
-Conserves Duct Tape
-Broad
-Water resistant
-Reinforced structure
-Good wall joints
-maneuverable
-Double walled and floored
-Completely covered in Duct tape
-Damage resistant corners
-Ability to have two people in and remain dry
-Small enough that we don't need to work on it outside of class time
-Easy to move (not too heavy)
-colorful and artistic

2. Criteria and Constraints

The main criteria we focused on was the ability to traverse the pool successfully, which we did.
The 3 main Constraints we focused on were using quality cardboard approved by our instructor, using only cardboard and duct tape to build the boat, and covering the entire canoe, inside and out, with duct tape, well.

3. Sketch Ideas

Design #1

Design #2

Design #3

4. Prototype Ideas

5. Select an Approach

Simple Matrix:

Boat 1: Flat Bottomed, V shaped in Front, High Walls, requires alot of tape (+++-)

Boat 2:Flat Bottomed, Diagonal Front board, High walls, thick walls, requires alot of tape (++++-)

Boat 3:V Bottomed, V shaped in Front, Requires double sided paddle, Fast shape, unstable(---+-)

We chose our 2nd prototype boat because it is similar to what my team used last year. It requires alot of tape, but everything else about it is great.

6. Build It!

Our Boat

7. The Fastest

Our boat took just 24.57 seconds to cross the pool, by far the best time. The runner up was 6.4 seconds behind us!

8. The Farthest

Our boat traveled 250 yards, or 10 laps, before we had to begin the other challenges. We definitely could have gone farther.

9. The Longest

We had the longest functioning boat in our entire class. It could have lasted much, much longer but at the end, we decided to fill it with about 500 pounds instead.

10. Balance Master

Both Chase and Israel stood up in our boat at the same time for quite a while!

11. Videographer

This was my job. Here's the video:


















12. Feedback

Our group collectively came up with this feedback:

1. Strong floor really supported our weight well.
2. The front and back walls were well duct taped and remained powerful even after we had sunk.
3. Our swimmers really moved quickly and dominated the other teams.
4. The side walls were weak, we should have put on more layers of cardboard, and it would have held for a little longer.
5. Our vibrant colors really added to our design.
6. We could have duct taped the boat better - this ultimately was our slow demise, we should have taken more times, maybe at a Lunch, to duct tape it better.
7. Our boat design was copied by other teams, but ours work the best.
8. We had a very hydrodynamic design for gliding through the water.
9. We had a lighter person, Chase, to go in the boat at first, but it could even hold me.
10. We mangled the original box design to create our own formation, we could have made a V – bottom.

13. How Low did you go?

Calculations: 
Water = 1.936 lbs./cubic ft.
Chase = 150 lbs.

150/1.936 = 77.47/12 = 6.5 inches

Our boat went down about 6 inches average (the front was higher up than the back).

14. Redesign

If we were to redesign our boat, the only main thing I would do is fortify the side walls and bottom with extra layers of cardboard.

Redesign

15. Make your own achievement

Our achievement was for our boat to hold 500 pounds! Chase, Israel, and I all got in the boat at the same time and it still floated. We would call this achievement the "Heavy Loader".

3rd Annual Mousecar Racetrap Challenge

A few weeks ago, my partner David and I built our mousetrap racecar and competed in the race. I enjoyed the build a lot even though I came close to snapping my fingers off a few too many times. We didn't compete very well (near last place to be specific).

However, we still managed to complete 10 achievements:

1. Brainiac

Ideas and Concepts:
-Small body
-Lightweight
-Small wheels
-Rubber wheels
-Goes straight
-Strong
-Accelerates well
-Aerodynamic
-Use as few materials as possible
-4 wheels

2. Visualize It

Sketch

3. Build It

Finished Car

4. The Price of Glory

We calculated our total cost to build the car at $17. This money was spent on 4 wheels, 2 axles, 4 bars, 3 holds, 2 blocks, one piece of string, and a mousetrap.

5. Competitor

6. Feedback

+ - It moved and held together
Change - We definitely could have used a lot less parts to make the car
? - If we used significantly less parts but the same design, would the car have gone significantly faster?
! - Make a lighter, thinner, more aerodynamic car.

7. Re-work

Reworked Car

8. Game Changer

Andrew and Federico built a car that had the required 2 axles, but only one was in use to move the car. The other was taped on top for no practical purpose. If I was in charge, I would refine the 2 axles requirement to 2 USED axles.

9. Name It

I would rename the "Brainiac" achievement to "Secretary" because that achievement requires writing, which is what many secretaries do.

10. Leave it cleaner than you found it

David and I completely disassembled the car and put all the spare parts laying around our workspace in their proper bins. We also threw all trash away in our workspace and returned tools like scissors, rulers, etc. to the front of the class.

Cardboard Canoe Race Video

Here's the video from last Wednesday. Our Boat is the awesome pink one in front. Enough said.

Redesign

Just a picture of what we could have done better on the boat.

The 3rd Annual Cardboard Canoe Challenge

Today was the big day, and we won the cardboard canoe challenge in almost everything. Great experience!

Almost done

Lookin' good

The Boat is sexy

Nice touch with the pink ducktape. Lookin' great!

Building day #2

Nice looking boat. It's coming along

Building the canoe