Status Report - 11/24

Today starts the first day of work of the second marking period!  I am still doing documentation on all of my work and recently finished a proposal for the dune buggy parts from VEX Robotics.  Once the parts arrive, we should begin building the real project.

Vex Robotics

The image above shows all the parts that would be available for the dune buggy construction.  VEX Robotics specializes in wireless robotics, which would be perfect for our project.

Status Report - 11/12

Today is the last day of the marking period!  I was able to finish my presentation for the 1st Marking Period about the dune buggy.  I was happy to have been able to say everything I wanted to my class and answer any questions on the floor.  Today, I also put up images of my models and provided explantions for them. 

Scoop Model - Explanation

The photographs depicted in figures 1B, 2B, and 3B all show the model for the scoop design in the dune buggy.  The #1 represents the actual scoop which will take sediment samples and the #2 represents the gear system for the scoop.  The gear system is vitally important to this design to ensure that the actual system works when created.  The a worm gera is used because it allows the scoop to come down slowly.  However, the act of gearing down has a beneficial trade off: strength.  The scoop will be able to return to its resting position after the sample is taken and will be able to hold the weight of the sediment.  The scoop design is also important because a sharp edge must be used.  A sharp edge on the scoop will allow it to glide easily into the sand when the robot is moving.  In addition, the holding part of the claw is tapered so that when it is in theresting position, it can hold the sand until it returns to the operator.

The scale of the model is:
1 inch = 1.5 inches

Claw Model - Explanation

Figures 1A, 2A, and 3A all refer to the model design for the done buggy's claw.  #1 All refer to the area where the claw is able to grasp onto plant samples and #2 refers to the gear system that can be used when the actual system is created.  As seen in the figures, the inside of the claw possesses small groves or "teeth" which are going to help hold onto the samples the robot collects.  However, they will be small enough so as to not damage the sample beyond analysis.  As seen in the gear system, the design will include 2 idle gears so that the two halves of the claw close and open at the exact same time.  In addition, the gears must be meshed so that the claw opens and closes directly along the center of the robot.  If the gears are not aligned, the claw may open and close incorrectly.

The scale of the model is:
1 inch = 1.5 inches