Testing the prototype is an integral part in the development process to ensure that the suction cup design properly meets the requirements provided by the Suction Cup Rubric. Specifically, the kwadropus team will test the prototype's ability to attach and detach from surfaces without user input. Additionally, using the ultrasonic sensors, the system should be able to indicate when a seal is made between the surface and the cup.

Due to space’s lack of gravity, dust on the ISS is a major obstacle, often containing various dangerous chemicals. In a 2014 article, Japanese researchers, Katsunori Anezaki and Takeshi Nakano found that the level of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) on the ISS was 3.3 parts per million. Comparatively, a 2008 survey found that among daycares and U.S households, there were only 2.0 part per million. To combat dust issues in space, astronauts spent between two to four hours cleaning every Saturday morning according to astronaut, Clayton Anderson in 2015. Additionally, because water doesn’t flow on the ISS, using water to clean the station is practically impossible, despite being a common tool on Earth. Ideally, it would be optimal to automate the cleaning process on the ISS in order to give the astronauts more time to do more crucial tasks. Moreover, artificial microgravity due to the centrifugal force on the rotating space station causes a neutral buoyant environment in which the robot will have to operate. Consequently, the autonomous robot needs to “stick” to surfaces without the use of magnetism or adhesive.

1.  Attaches and detaches to flat, smooth surface easily. 

2. Attaches and detaches to curved, smooth surface easily. 

3. Must indicate that suction cup made good contact with a surface.

4. Autonomously Driven by electromechanical/pneumatic components

5. Entire robot must not exceed 2ft in diameter.

6. Weight of robot must not exceed 10kg (22 lbs)

7. Must operate under the 72°F Temperature 

To ensure that all of the specifications are met by the prototype, the kwadropus team identified all the criteria and benchmarks that will be recorded during testing. The tested metrics are split into two groups: qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data are descriptions made during testing, while quantitative data relies on collected numbers and calculations.

The prototype's first test involves testing its ability to attach and detach to flat and rounded surfaces. In the code bellow, the Arduino will send a signal to activate and deactivate the vacuum pump and suction cup in small time intervals. For this test, the suction team used a solenoid set, two sets of sonars, and two suction cups.

Although the Kwadropus robot will be in the neutrally buoyant environment of the ISS, the suction cup will still experience forces acting against it. According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, every action will have and equal and opposite reaction force. On the ISS, the force in which the robot exerts when hitting a wall will be applied in the opposite direction toward the robot, Using the Force Equation F=ma, scenarios like this can be replicated. The whole kwadropus robot is expected to weight a maximum of 10kg, Using a 1kg weight as well as the acceleration due to gravity (9.81m/s^2), this equation can be inverted to replicate a 10kg robot traveling toward a wall a 0.981m/s^2. 

The GHS Sunction Arm Team has successfully created a completed testing plan. Throughout the process there have been several adjustments made to find the most important testing criteria. When testing is done, multipe trials will need to be run to verify the functionality of the system and point out any outliers. When the data is analyzed, adjustments can be made to improve the prototype.