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20. Project development

Guidelines

what tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain? what has worked? what hasn’t? what questions need to be resolved? what will happen when? what have you learned? Project management: triage; documentation during development demand- vs supply-side time management; spiral development serial vs parallel tasks; system integration; finish quality

Summary

The tasks were almost completed but… the modeling of the catamaran, the tests made with the hulls in order to be completed as close as possible to the 80% eco were done; the electronic board were completed, as well as the sensors and actuators; the software is working for the several sensors and actuators but not in the same program. The starboard hull were completed.

The main features were concluded except one that is the most important, that the catamaran must be 80% eco friendly. Until now I estimate that its only about 30%. This is an issue that I would like to solve.

I learned that this project was to much ambitious, not because of is complexity or inovation but because of my knowledge about the hulls construction and the design and electronics production. I waste a lot of time testing the hulls construction and preparing the board ATmega328p: only at the fourth time I made an Arduino Board. Yes!!!

For now I want to complete the todo list during next month, July.

All the EAGLE files can be found here and here.

About the time management, I try to reserve time slots for each spiral task taking in account the arrive of amterial and the calleagues agenda in using the machines.

It was a major advantage documenting as we go into the work development, even if there a drawback when you verify that this is not the wright path…

After the first two weeks, I develop a GANTT chart with all the links between assignements and correlated with the final project.

On week 13, I redo the last final plans with same charts and compare what was done. For the final weeks I just plan the tasks and the specific schedule on the log books.

GANTT: http://fabacademy.org/2019/labs/fct/students/antonio-gomes/assignments/week01/

Same drawings and schemas at week 13: http://fabacademy.org/2019/labs/fct/students/antonio-gomes/assignments/week13/

In the future

-[ ] controlled by radio and GPS (using Opensource projects available online, like ROS and ARDUPILOT). -[ ] Integrate video. -[ ] Include the transport of a inner platform -[ ] Use cardboard to make the hulls -[ ] Include security buttons to stop the operation -[ ] Assembly a solar pannel

Todo

  • Put the software in one piece
  • Include Bluetooth
  • Test the software
  • Calibrate the sensors, in particular, the UVA.
  • Hardware Assembly in the catamaran hull
  • Make the portboard hull
  • Assembly both hulls to make the catamaran
  • Test it on water-

Copyright

Aqua final Fab Academy 2019 project, includes fabrication procedures and operation, hardware and software applied for the board at the boat to control the boat, the inflatable system (water presence inside the hulls), the safety lights and measure light intensity, UVA and air and water temperature.

António Gonçalves 19/6/2019

© Lab Aberto Fab Lab 2019 This work may be reproduced, modified, distributed, performed, and displayed for any purpose. Copyright is retained and must be preserved. The work is provided as is; no warranty is provided, and users accept all liability.

Revisiting the Planning and milestones

milestones on bold

  • 3D design
  • Choose DC motors
  • Plan the overall features drivers (ESC’s)
  • Choose the bateries and solar pannel
  • Make the hull prototype
  • Hull: make it with the rudder implemented
  • make the driver’s
  • Make the PCB microcontroller
  • Final Hulls
  • Assembly the hulls together and test flutuability
  • Assembly the dc motors, drivers and microcontroler and test them
  • Make the radio controling systems
  • Assembly the radio controler and make a dry test
  • First test on a pool
  • Make the cargo volume and attach the solar pannel
  • Assembly the energy system battery charge controller
  • Assembly all together
  • second test on a poll, testing radio controller
  • Review the project
  • third test on a harbour
  • check if it possible to implement other systems like: GPS autonomous guideance or Raspi, opencv, avoidance system.

Time management

Compare the spiral defined at week 13 and the initial GANNT chart means that the project has taken a lot of wrong turns and updated new paths along this 5 months. I add to cut/divide the bigger problems into smaller ones in order to overcame each issue in a spiral format, and in each spiral I did manage to define even smaller problems to overcame, defining slots of time for each one, to be focus in each one at a time, not all at the same time.

There was same time managment issues caused by the reception of materials at the workshop that I have to make same other tasks before and wait for the material to arrive. I also had to discuss with my calleagues the time to work in diferent machines in order for all of us to share them in order for the sucess of each project.

Off course that the assignments and the work group was also a big issue to overcame because its another time managment variables very important to take in account in order to be possible to finnish the final project.

In this process, important, very important, is to find slots of time just to be focus in one problem, not having several to solve at the same time. If you have several at the same time the outcame is more close to failure. And also, as much important and a major advantage documenting as we go into the work development, even if there a drawback when you verify that this is not the wright path…

In the end all the tasks were interconnected with the final project.

Since this:

and this here

I did this…

But planned to end the project with the electronic assembly and the second hull.