For this week's assignment I modeled the possible final project from the assignment in week 1. This project proposal is an interactive energy generator. If you rotate the handle, the generator gives you feedback on how many energy you generated and what you can do with it. Using different computer-aided design (CAD) programs I modeled three parts of this generator:
model (draw, render, animate, simulate, ...) a possible final project, and post it on your class page
To generate energy with the interactive energy generator you have to spin the handlebar. The handlebar will be connected to a generator. To model this I used Antimony, an experimental CAD tool. I just started experimenting in Antimony and I tried out the different features of the program. In Antimony shapes are defined by mathematical expressions and you can make relations between those shapes: adding, subtracted etc. Below you can see a screen shot of the graph window of Antimony, in which you see the values I used for the mathematical expressions. In the viewer window you see can the shapes.
The housing of the generator is designed in three phases: first an outline, than a three-dimensional shape of the outline and finally some adjustments. For each phase I used a different CAD program: LibreCAD for the outline, FreeCAD to turn it 3D and Inventor for the adjustments. I could have done it all in Inventor, but wanted to try different types of CAD software.
I started the design the housing in LibreCAD. With LibreCAD I made an outline of the housing:
dxf file
I turned the outline into a three dimensional shape using FreeCAD. You can click and turn the three dimensional shape:
First of all I imported the shape from the housing from FreeCAD and made some adjustments: made the shape hollow, made holes for the shaft and wiring, and smoothed the edge.
For the feedback display I designed this image with Inkscape:
To assemble all parts I used Inventor. I couldn't import the image I wanted to use for the display, so the display is blank. Finally I assembled the parts. I assigned different materials to the different parts, aluminum for the handlebar, steel for the shaft and wood for the housing.
