This week we worked as a group to design and automate a whole machine, so let's see the progress step by step.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Our group is made up of three members, and we all have one thing in common: living with cats. For this reason the first ideas concerned our little roommates, including: a machine that throws ping-pong balls, a game where the cat has to catch moles coming out of holes, and many others. Then we focused on personal well-being, thinking of creating an automated Zen garden first, then a series of puppets that applauded and rejoiced on command. One of the best things about this assignment is that you can go from one topic to another, even if our group is made up of only three brains. After hours and hours of wandering we have come to a conclusion: we will build a claw machine.
Step 2: Research
Since neither of us has ever built a machine, we did some research in order to plan and organize all the things we had to do. First thing first we watched some previous projects (like this one), just to have an overview of the machine. Understanding how to build it and which tools and materials we needed was essential to start designing it. After we started making an approximate list of parts we needed to build/print or eventually buy.
Step 3: List of ingredients
To build our magical machine we'll need a huge amount of things, so it's better to divide them in categories.
BUT FIST, LET ME DO SOME PLANNING! 🛸
| Day | Scheduled to do | Effectively done |
|---|---|---|
| 7 april | Brainstorming and planning. Deciding which machine to do. | Brainstorming, planning and decided to do a candy claw machine. |
| 8 april | Research on machines to look for inspiration List of components and materials | Research on machines to look for inspiration |
| 11 april | List of techniques to use for each component Research of components online and modelling of the remaining ones List of components and materials | Research of components online and modelling of the remaining ones List of techniques to use for each component Starting assembly of design file |
| 12 april | Assembly of design file Build the structure Finding all the necessary components in the lab | Assembly of design file Build the structure (cut and assembly the aluminium profiles) Grouped the components in the lab |
| 13 april | Print and laser the components Start to make the motors move/programming | Lasered the walls and the internal dividers 3d printed the pulleys and the bearing holders First attempts in making the motors move |
| 14 april | Print and laser the components Start to make the motors move/programming | Understanding all the problems and printed again pulleys and the bearing holders Relasered the walls |
| 15 april | Assembly Programming Documenting | Assembly Programming Documenting |
| 16 april | Programming Documenting | Programming Documenting |
| 17 april | EASTER | FOOD |
| 18 april | Programming | Programming and a little bit of rest |
| 19 april | Assembling all the components and filming the video Documenting Testing the machine | Assembling all the components and filming the video Documenting Testing the machine |
| 20 april | Video | Video |
STRUCTURE
ENGINES
AXIS
GRIPPER
JOYSTICK
OTHER
Step 4: To do list
At this point we have to understand what we can already find online, and download it, and what we have to design from scratch, and print/laser/mill it. What we can find online coincides with those things we can find in our lab.
Step 5: 3D model
Now that we have all that we need, we can start to model our project on Fusion 360, so that it will be easier to build it in real life and we can also understand better dimensions and encumbrance of the single pieces. struttura As you can see in this image, we will have an external structure made of metal profiles, with a bottom area where we will hide the battery, arduino and all the cables. IMMAGINI FUSION
Step 6: Building the structure
>First thing we have to do is to cut our profiles and tubulars. Laser walls and internal dividers
Step 7: Problems and solutions