Project development

What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?

The most important and principle tasks have been completed: mechanical and electronical design, digital fabrication, programming and implementation. Everything was working nicely and only a couple of improving tasks remain: change the magnets to a more powerful ones and improve the programming logic. As it fits, always will move X first and Y second, as a possible improvement can be to move the token always on track, taking turns as the track does and not simply move from one coordinate to another.

What has worked?

Almost everything as it should be. The magnets where a little bit weak and where loosing the token, everything else was more than beautiful.

What hasn't?

The weakness of the magnets had some negative drawback on the project, but this one can be easily fixed by changing to stronger magnets, or using thinner acryl for the top part.

What questions need to be resolved?

One huge improvement would be to be able to move the two steppers at the same time and different speeds. This improvement would allow the token to take turns and not simply go from one coordinate to another.

What will happen when?

For now, the project is more than satisfactory, but in the future (and with hopefully much better programming skills) I really would like to improve the tokens movement.

What have your learned?

Over the past 6 months I have learned many tips and tricks from the digital fabrication field. I have improved many aspects of getting close and personal with digital fabrication machinery and not only. I never thought I would get to know how a microcontroller works, not talking about programming one. All these, and beyond, where introduced to me and I have familiarized myself with these important skills to be able to fulfill successfully my duty as a fablab manager.