13. Applications and implications¶

Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered. Your project should incorporate:¶

2D and 3D design
Additive and subtractive fabrication processes
Electronics design and production
Microcontroller interfacing and programming
System integration and packaging

Where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project. Projects can be separate or joint, but need to show individual mastery of the skills, and be independently operable.

Learning outcomes¶

Define the scope of a project
Develop a project plan

Have you answered these questions?¶

Questions¶

What will it do?¶

A DIY platform that could be extended to allow autonomous driving. To learn making, programming software, physics, having fun just driving around or with AI having fun doing autonomous racing on a budget (or maybe to explore some building, deliver goods, anyone could adapt or create own version).

A 1/7 scale RC car that could be easily build inside any FabLab (because 1/8 or 1/10 scale are just too small :D).

Who’s done what beforehand??¶

Radio controll and autonomous driving isn’t a “new” thing, it has some years now. Today there are self-driving cars like Tesla Autopilot on the road. RobotRace being developed for teams to race each other without pilots. Universities competing on Formula Student Driverless. People hacking cars and racing Self Racing Cars. These are some examples of #top and expensive projects, with experienced people.

More information about Self-driving car.

At the Radio-controlled car small scale level there are also examples around the world. Like Donkey Car where communities build they cars based on opensource software and cheap rc hardware just to have fun. Amazon launched Deep Racer. Formula PI self-driving robot racing with the Raspberry Pi.

On FabAcademy found some robots and Andrés Moreno Fab2D2 robot project. Have also checked Daniele Ingrassia FabAcademy quadcopter final project: Autonomous Assembly aVOIdance Drone, concept that is to build a “open & low cost platform” to build drones. Similar to what i’m proposing to build in my final project, but with a 1/7 scale RC car.

These are some of the examples of projects that i have checked.

What will you design?¶

I will design a 1/7 scale RC car platform. This could be used to make a “simple” RC car or extended for autonomous driving or other usage. My primary goal is to have a working RC car without using traditional pineon and gear traction to drive the car, but instead use of 4 independent brushless motors with usual front steering. My second goal is to extend the car and design the first layer of sensors so that the car could detect objects around it. The third goal is to use AI to drive the car autonomously with computer vision and using the onboard sensors.

The car would be designed so that i could be build at any fablab by using minimum bolts, this requires to have the car assembled as a presskit.

Try to design a kit that can be also easily packaged and delivered for anyone to assemble.

What materials and components will be used?¶

To allow for anyone to build this car in a fablab i’m planning to use 5mm plywood for the most of the car chassis, suspension and any support/mount points for sensors or electronics.

For more detailed parts will use PLA or other similar material, planning to print also some parts of the car like for example, motor mounts.

Foam, resin and fibers will be used to create the car boddy shell.

Batteries, brushless engines, ESC will come from hobbyking, they have good deals and prices for that i need.

Where will come from?¶

The materials used are commonly available at any electronics, diy or material store. So the materials will come from usual stores that sell 3d print supplies of local stores that have plywood, resins, etc. I’m not planning to use any exotic material that is hard to find.

How much will they cost?¶

This answer is “work in progresss” and will be updated. The Bill Of Materials (BOM) is below for reference because it’s the material used on my work. For any adaptation the costs might be different, depending on the car configuration.

Material	Quantity	Price/unit	Notes
Plywood sheet 800x400x5 (mm)	1	4.00€	4.00€
PLA spool	1	19.00€	19.00€
PCB copper plate	2	1.60€	3.20€
ESC: BLHELI-S 30A	4	10.55€	42.20€
Motor: PROPDRIVE v2 28-30 1000kV / 370W	4	24.83€	99.32€
D36V50F5 - 5V 5.5A Step-Down Regulator	1	16.00€	16.00€
D24V5F3 - 3.3 500mA Step-Down Regulator	1	4.75€	4.75€
10 DOF IMU Sensor, Low Power	1	13.85€	13.85€
VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor (200cm Max)	4	12.85€	51.40€
ESP12S	1	4.92€	4.92€
SAMD21E	1	1.96€	1.96€
Hall Sensor bipolar - SS41	4	2.28€	9.12€
ESP-12S (ESP8266)	1	4.00€	4.00€
USB Connectors 5P RECEPT MICRO-B	1	0.58€	0.58€
SMD Grove Female Header	7	0.12€	0.86€
Push Button (PTS526 SMG15 SMTR2 LFS )	2	0.14€	0.28€
…	…	…	…
		Total	275.44€

What parts and systems will be made?¶

The parts of the car that are going to be made are:

Chassi with suspension, motor mounts and steering
Body shell
Power distribution board
Controller board (connecting steering servo and 4 Electronic Speed Controllers to drive 4 brushless engines)
Sensors board
Communication board (to allow connection via Wifi)

What processes will be used?¶

For the process i will be using Computer-Aided Design for 2D and 3D design. Additive process will be used to print chassis parts, subtractive to create body shell mold (Molding and casting) and laser cutting chassi from plywood (Computer-Controlled Cutting). Electronic design and production will come in to be used to create PCB that will integrate sensors (Input devices) and motor (Output devices) to make the car run. Application development will come in to allow to connect mobile phone to the car software running insire the microcrontrollers (Embedded programming).

What questions need to be answered?¶

Will it run? Can i do it ? If so, how long will it run? will it be able to detect some objects around and stop? These are some questions i have for now :)

There are tasks to be completed and some investigation to be done in terms of the chassis suspension and steering design, networking needs also to be tested during network week. Not sure yet about what kind of fiber and resing will use to create the body shell of the car.

How will it be evaluated?¶

Think that it should be evaluated along my 3 goals: Design and build a RC car that anyone can build on a fablab and runs. Have the car detecting objects around. Have the car driving autonomously.

My primary goal defines the minimum scope of work for fabacademy and allows to be evaluated for the processes learned and used but ultimately the questions to evaluate it will be:

does the car run?
can anyone make this car on fabacademy or on any fablab?

If this is the case i would be very happy.

Then the next questions to keep evaluating the project, could be:

does the car sense objects around?
can the car drive by itself from point A to B ?

At this point, if this becomes true, i will be very, every happy :)