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17. Applications and implications, project development

Overview of week 17 assignment

  1. Individual assignment

    1. Plan a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered, answering: 

      - What will it do?
- Who’s done what beforehand?
- What sources will you use?
- What will you design?
- What materials and components will be used?
- Where will come from?
- How much will they cost?
- What parts and systems will be made?
- What processes will be used?
- What questions need to be answered?
- How will it be evaluated?

Your project should incorporate 2D and 3D design, additive and subtractive fabrication processes, electronics design and production, embedded microcontroller design, 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.

    2. Prepare drafts of your final project summary slide (presentation.png, 1920x1080) and video clip (presentation.mp4, 1080p HTML5, < ~minute, < ~25 MB), put them in your root directory, and check that they are linked in the final presentation schedule.

1. Individual assignment

A. Applications and implications

1. What will it do?

  • Moves omnidirectionally via G-code control
  • Pen plots with infinite size capability

2. Who’s done what beforehand?

Some Fab Academy projects use omni-directional wheel including pen plotter and CNC.

3. What sources will you use?

I used this website as a main reference for working with NEMA17 stepper motors, A4988 drivers, and mecanum wheels. Thank you Dejan, aka How To Mechatronics for the helpful guides!

4. What will you design?

  • Machine equipped with Mecanum wheels driven by stepper motors and Pen plotting mechanism actuated by a servo motor
  • 3D printed enclosure for PCB
  • Custom PCB to control stepper motors via Raspberry Pi Pico
  • Embedded programming for decoding G-code into motor control signals

5. What materials and components will be used?
6. Where will come from?
7. How much will they cost?

8. What parts and systems will be made?
9. What processes will be used?

  • 3D Design: Overall machine structure

  • Additive Process: 3D printed parts

    • Servo motor bracket and pen plotter arm
    • Endstop holder
    • PCB enclosure

  • Subtractive Process:

    • PCB milling
    • Frame laser-cut from 5mm acrylic and assembled with glue

  • Electronics: Custom PCB for connecting the microcontroller, motor drivers, servo motor, endstop, and 12V power supply

  • Interfacing: Processing program sends G-code via serial communication
  • Embedded Programming: Arduino code for mecanum wheel control
  • Integration: Fully assembled system with electronics mounted on the frame and enclosed housing

10. What questions need to be answered?

  • Inspect milled PCB for continuity and shorts > Done
  • Test 12V 10A using a stabilized power supply > Done
  • Verify correct mapping and movement of mecanum wheels > Done
  • Test pen plotting mechanism and alignment > Not yet
  • Confirm G-code encoding and decoding functionality > In progress
  • Check endstop operation and zeroing accuracy > Not yet

11. How will it be evaluated?

  • Large-area pen plotting via mecanum wheels
  • G-code decoding
  • Expandability for future updates like 3D printing

B. Project development

a. Final presentation materials

I tested uploading the final slide and video to the root directory, which I later update with actual files for the presentation on July 10th at 9:23 EDT...

b. Project manegement

Tasks left:

  1. Arduino code
    • Position and zeroing > will be done by Jun 5
    • AccelStepper library > will be done by Jun 5
  2. Processing code
    • G-code sender > will be done by Jun 5
  3. Pen plotting mechanism > will be done by Jun 1
  4. Enclosure > will be done by Jun 1

Please click "See the board"

C. Assembly and testing

Will be documented on Final project | Assembly and testing

2. Files

Files will be put on the final project pages.

Afterthoughts

  • There are a lot of unexpected bugs (apart from the one I milled on PCB)!
  • Maybe the most important thing I learned is how to face problems without getting too frustrated or expecting everything to go smoothly.