Applications and Implications

Individual Assignment:

- Plan a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered, answering the questions below.

What will it do?
It will be a small tetrapod (four-limbed) "spider" robot. It will connect wirelessly to an IP address that will control its movement. It's a fun project that could supplement Moonlighter's educational programs to show off what you can do with a bit of design thinking and simple robotics.


Who has done what beforehand?
The design is heavily inspired by two previously tetrapods made by MertArduino and Erik Lely. Both of them have aided in developing my project one way or another. MertArduino served as a great example in terms of electronics design, allowing me to figure out what sort of components were needed for my board. Erik Lely has given me a solid mechanical foundation. His mechanical design is present in my robot. I am redesigning various aspects of those components to work under the circumstances that I am in. In other senses I am redesiging some of his components to fit the aesthetic vision I want. Links to their work below.

MertArduino's 4-Legged Spider Robot
Erik Lely's iOlly 2DOF


What will you design?
As mentioned, I am designing my own four-legged spider robot. But I am altering the mechanisms and certain parts to suit circumstances or aesthetic design choices. Additionally designing my own board and a simple interface to connect to the IP address that will control it.


What materials and components will be used and how much will they cost?
Materials that will be used are 3D printing filament, pre-made hardware, a PCB board, micro-electronics components, and acrylic.

Microelectronics Components -
$6.99 - SB560 Diode
$8.45 - 01x02 Screw Terminal
$15.49 - 100uF Capacitor/470uF Capacitor
$6.09 - 0 Ohms Resistor (SMD)
$7.79 - 220 Ohms Resistor (SMD)
$8.49 - 330 Ohms Resistor (SMD)
$5.73 - 01x03 Vertical Pin Headers
$5.99 - Micro Slide Switches
$8.70 - 7805CV Voltage Regulator
$7.99 - R-1206 LED's (SMD)
$7.99 - Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3
$10.99 - 7.4v 800mAh Lithium Battery
$27.99 - MG90S 9G Servo Motors

3D Printing -
$19.99 - Any Bambu Labs PLA Filament
$19.99 - Any Bambu Labs PETG Filament for Support Purposes

Hardware
$8.99 - M2 Screw and Nut Assortment
$7.99 - M3 Screw and Nut Assortment
$9.98 - M2 Heat Set Inserts
$17.99 - M3, M4, M5 Heat Set Inserts
$9.59 - M3 x 20mm Standoffs

Acrylic -
FREE - 1/8 Acrylic Sheet (scraps)


Where will they come from?
We have many of these materials within our FabLab. The battery, some of the electronics. and most of the hardware required online ordering.


What parts and systems will be made?
The robots packaging, legs, the PCB, code, superficial design elements.

What processes will be used?
3D Printing, Laser Cutting, CNC Milling for the PCB, 2D and 3D Design.

What questions need to be answered?
Can it walk? Does it hold up together? Is it kinda cool looking? Can I modify pre-existing code out there to benefit me and the functions of my project? Can I modify pre-existing mechanisms/3D models in a manner that suits my circumstances but also looks good on paper and when printed? But more importantly(not really, but really), does it look cool?

How will it be evaluated?
On whether it can walk forward. That is sufficient especially given my lack of experience in robots.

What tasks have been completed?
Most of the 3D prints. Those same prints have been assmembled. Hardware holding servos in place. PCB milled and manufactured.

What tasks remain?
Finalizing pacaking by tweaking the 3D models. Additionally the code needs to be finished. 2D design element via laser cutting.

What has worked? what hasn’t?
Servos work separately. Code is still in progress so that doesnt work.

What questions need to be resolved?
Will it walk? Will the code break my legs and/or servos because my servos are 360 degrees and I have to test the orientation of the servos before I test the movement of the legs?

What will happen when?
I don't know how to answer this question. It'll hopefully walk before my presentation on June 13th.

What have you learned?
Robots be hard. And coding and PCB designs are both simpler to get into than I imagined but also extremely complex. You can complete various simple tasks and objectives with both but they both become incredibly complicated within certain contexts. I'm glad this project has given me a basic but decent foundation in both.