This week I worked on developing my project more, and answered a check list of questions regarding my final project.
Project Development Checklist
Q: What does it do?
A: My project is a medieval shield with built in electromagnets which is designed to entrap an enemies sword as it makes contact with the shield, allowing its user to attack without repurcussions.
Q: Who's done what beforehand?
A: The Opendot Team at the fab lab in Milan has created a Tic-Tac-Toe machine which uses electromagents to move a metal piece. Additionally, Jason Goodman, my instructor for Fab Academy 2025 created an electromagnet field sensor. Plenty of other people have used electromagnets to move things around, but I believe I am one of the only ones using them to trap something.
Q: What did you design?
A: I designed two pieces, a front board and a back board, which are intended to hold the magnets in between them. I have also designed a holder for the circuit board, and the battery pack.
Q: What sources did you use?
A: I used a lot of help from ChatGPT for the coding and wiring, but the majority of my sources have been from my instructors who drew diagrams and helped me understand the principles of magentics.
Q: What materials and components were used?
A: I am using a PCB Milled circuit board, transistors, resistors, laser cut wood, CNC milled wood, door electromagnets, 3d printed holders and components.
Q: Where did they come from?
A: The PCB was milled at the lab, and most of the components were sourced from our lab or purchased from Amazon.
Q: How much did they cost?
A: As far as the components sourced from the lab, I am unsure as to the exact cost of materials used. However, for the parts that were ordered from Amazon and other various sources, that being the electromagnets and the transitors, totalled to roughly 165$.
Q: What parts and systems were made?
A: I made a PCB circuit board, a 3D printed holder for the circuit board, and a 3D printed holder for the battery pack. I also made a laser cut a front board, and CNC milled a backboard to hold the electromagnets in place.
Q: What processes were used?
A: PCB Milling, 3D Printing, Comupter Controlled Cutting, Soldering, 3D and 2D design.
Q: What questions were answered?
A: I answered a lot of questions regarding the wiring and coding of the circuit board, such as what kind of transistors should I use and how do I wire them. I also answered questions regarding the materials used and their properties, like what kind of voltage will my magnets need, and what kind of current do they draw?
Q: What questions still need to be answered?
A: I still need to determine how I'm going to activate the magnets, currently my plan is to use a button but that may change. I also need to determine how I'm going to attach the magnets to the shield, but I currently plan to use hotglue.
Q: How will it be evaluated?
A: Hopefully based on its capacity to trap a metal object.
Q: What tasks have been completed?
A: I've milled and soldered the circuit board. I've extended the wires on the electromagnets. I've laser cut the front board. I have created one flyback diode to use.
Q: What tasks remain?
A: I still need to attach all the magnets to the board and give them flyback diodes, as well as CNC mill a backboard
Q: What has worked?
A: Unfathomably, almost everything. I am a lucky son of a gun. The only thing I've had struggles with is actually soldering the board, as i've had difficulty getting the resistors to cooperate.
Q: What questions need to be resolved?
A: I still need to know how well the battery will be able to send power out to my circuit board and the electromagnets.
Q: What will happen when?
A: When I press the on button input, the board will hopefully send an output to the magnets to turn them on.
Q: What have you learned?
A: I've learned a whole lot more about magnetism and how transistors work, as well as how to mill PCB's and CNC mill wood. All in all, 95% of the things I learned over the course of this project have been brand new to me.