Engineering Concepts

Course Goals and Objectives

Understand and apply the engineering design process in real world applications.
Understand how technology changes over time.
Understand the career opportunities available within the design fields, and understand the education requirements for these careers.
Develop proficiency in the use of design tools and materials by working safely, intelligently, and efficiently.
Successfully communicate ideas visually, orally, and through written communication.
Begin to use your design skill set in ways that benefit others.
Create effective and dimensionally correct 3D CAD Models.
Learn how to learn: become true research and development experts.
Make decisions based on data, and justify their decisions in writing citing data that they collected.
Create technical sketches of their designs to effectively communicate visually.
Utilize the design process to develop visually pleasing solutions to problems that are within a set of constraints using a combination of art, math, science and technology.

Getting Started

When I first started taking engineering concepts, we were learning virtually due to Covid-19. My teacher gave me this kit of materials to use for our first project. Our very first assignment was to make sure we had everything that was expected within our kits and learn what each item is and what they do. This is an image of what was within our first project bag and what they are.

Project Brief

Today I learned our project will be about automation! We are going to design a rolling robot!

Project Constraints

Above is how we will progress through the project. We will use what we learn in this rolling robot for our next project as well!

Circuit Diagram

Today we learned what circuit diagrams are. They are a drawing meant to show the arrangement of the wires and their purpose is to show the components they connect.

Circuit Picture

Today we learned what circuit pictures are. They are a like a circuit diagram but they help give you a mental picture of the circuit. Their purpose is to show circuits without using symbols and instead using pictures of what is in the circuit.

Servo Based Robot #1

This servo based robot is made from a premade kit that comes with its acrylic plastic base. Although it can't be seen in this photo, there is actually a third wheel underneath the battery pack on top. Also this robot uses a different motor/servos that ours. The sensors are an Optical Interrupter Sensor and LM393 Comparator. Also the Breadboard is extremely small compared to ours.

Servo Based Robot #2

The second servo based robot has 3 wheels—one hidden behind the battery pack—and uses stepper motors. The model comes from a website that includes a schematic of the stepper motor driver. They also used a seven inch round, 1/4 inch thick expanded PVC for the base of the small model. Unfortunately, you can't see the wiring or breadboard of this robot well.

Servo Based Robot #3

My last servo robot also has three wheels. The smallest wheel is in the front of the robot unlike the other two. The base is made from an acrylic plastic base. Much like the first robot, it is made from a kit. The link also brings you to a website which includes the parts and pieces used to make the robot and how to put it together. I also like this one because it looks like a wheelchair.

Circuit Diagram

The red wire connects the servos to the Arduino 5 volt pin though the breadboard. Arduino. The black wire connects the servos to the ground pin on the Arduino. The orange and blue wire connect the servos to the Arduino pins.

Circuit Picture

The red wire connects the servos to the Arduino 5 volt pin through the breadboard. The black wire connects the servos to the breadboard, which then connects them to the ground pin on the Arduino. The yellow wire connects the servos to the Arduino pins.

20200830_201244[1].mp4

Video of My servos

The red and orange wire connects the servos to the Arduino 5 volt pin though the breadboard. The black and brown wire connects the servos to the ground pin on the Arduino. The white wire connect the servos to the Arduino pins.

My code

#include <Servo.h>

Servo myservo;

Servo myservo2;

int servoPos = 0;

void setup()//this is where you set things up

{

myservo.attach(9);

myservo2.attach(8);

}

void loop() {

//Causes servos to slow down and swithc position

for(servoPos = 0; servoPos < 180; servoPos++)

{

myservo.write(servoPos);

myservo2.write(servoPos);

delay(100);

}

20200912_170652.mp4

Robot Path

This is the path my robot will be moving around my house

My Pseudo Code Planning

Go forward for a couple seconds

Left wheel stop for less than a half a second for the turn to make 40 degree turn

Go forward for a couple seconds

Right wheel stop for less than a half a second for the turn to a full 90 angle (50 degree turn)

Go forward for a little more than one second

Right wheel stop for a second to make a 90 degree turn

20200913_141625[1].mp4

Moving Rolling Robot

My robot can move forward around my house.

Updated Circuit Picture

This is the the updated wiring of our robots in a circuit picture.

Updated Circuit Diagram

This is the the updated wiring of our robots in a circuit diagram.

Updated Code

#include <Servo.h>

Servo leftservo;

Servo rightservo;

int CW = 0;

int Stop = 90;

int CCW = 180;

void setup() //this is where you set things up

{

leftservo.attach(9);

rightservo.attach(8);

}

void loop() {

//Code; runs in a loop

//Forward

leftservo.write(CW);

rightservo.write(CCW);

//Backward

//leftservo.write(CCW);

//rightservo.write(CW);

//Right

//leftservo.write(CW);

//rightservo.write(Stop);

//Left

//leftservo.write(Stop);

//rightservo.write(CCW);

}

Sequence 01_1.mp4

My Final Robot (Part I)

To get to this final product I had to do a few changes such as:

Before, the now back, was in the front. This didn't work because the third wheel which has no servo attached or any weight on it, so it would tilt up causing a bit of offset on my robot.
Also I had to remake my wheels because at first the wheels were a bit off, but I remade them and made sure the wheels were as perfects possible
I had to put hot glue on the wheels that connect to the servo wheels because the cardboard wheels kept slipping.
I had to cut down some carboard from the front and sides of my robot because it was too tall and made it harder to access what I needed to.

Code Update

Circuit Picture of Ultrasonic Sensor Wiring

This is a circuit picture of how to wire the Arduino Uno and Ultrasonic Sensor. The wiring diagram shows that from the Trig and Echo ports, the wires should connect to a pin (Putting the pins next to each other simplifies the process). The VCC port should connect to 5V on the Arduino, and the GND should connect to the ground wire.

Ultrasonic Sensor Research

This is a document that contains the data sheet for the ultrasonic sensor. It also contains a a description of how it senses the distance of objects. The sensor emits a short ultrasonic pulse, that is reflected back by an object. This is received by the sensor and converted into an electrical signal. This link to the Arduino Project Hub website shows some basic coding on the sensor and some more basic information about how to wire the Ultrasonic Sensor.

Labeled Wires

As we move on to the next step with our robots, we decided it would be best if we labeled our wires. This is a good idea because in the next step we may have to remove some wires and move them around.

Test.mp4

Robot Coding Quiz

During today’s class, my teacher wanted to check our understanding of the code. She gave each of us individual “pseudo code” and during class we needed to make our robot complete our series of commands. Here is the pseudo code I was given:

180 degree tank turn to the left

Backwards for 5 seconds

Stop for 3 seconds

90 degree standard turn to the left

Forward for 5 seconds

For extra credit:

Do a full 360 tank turn to the right and a full tank 360 degree turn to the left

The video of my robot performing these functions is to the left.

Robot Quiz Code

My code had to be broken up to work, but here I put it all together: Google Doc

Untitled: Oct 22, 2020 5:47 PM.webm

Ultrasonic Sensor Working

In this video, you can see the Ultrasonic Sensor putting out how far away things are in cm. During the video you can see at some points, the numbers drop drastically. This is because I was waving my hand in front of it. Near the end the numbers go down slowly because I slowly moved my hand closer to the sensor.

Ultrasonic Sensor Circuit Picture

I created a circuit picture which includes the Ultrasonic Sensor wiring along with all the previous wiring. The Ultrasonic Sensor works by sending out pulses that are then picked up and reported on the screen

My code for the Ultrasonic Sensor

What is a Function and How Does it Function?

A function is a block of code that you have coded to repeat when called somewhere else in the code.

In this dropdown menu is some "Pseudo Code" that I used to describe getting ready for school.

getReadyForSchool();

function getReadyForSchool(){

wakeUp();

walkToBathroom();

bathe();

dressUp();

cleanRoom();

getComputerSetUp();

eat Breakfast();

}

function cleanRoom(){

makeBed();

pickStuffOffFloor();

}

function getComputerSetUp(){

if (ADay) {

openAPCSP();

} else {

openEng();

}

Updated code with Functions

#include <Servo.h>

Servo leftservo;

Servo rightservo;

int CW = 0;

int Stop = 90;

int CCW = 180;

int CWL = 15;

int CCWL = 175;

void setup()//this is where you set things up

{

leftservo.attach(9);

rightservo.attach(8);

}

void Stop(){

rightservo.write(Stop);

leftservo.write(Stop);

}

void Forward(){

rightservo.write(CW);

leftservo.write(CCWL);

}

void Backward(){

rightservo.write(CCW);

leftservo.write(CWL);

}

void Right(){

rightservo.write(Stop);

leftservo.write(CCWL);

}

void Left(){

rightservo.write(CW);

leftservo.write(Stop);

}

void loop() {

//Code; runs in a loop

//Actual Code

Forward();

delay(5200);

Left();

delay(300);

// FIRST TURN COMPLETE

Forward();

delay(8500);

Left();

delay(500);

Forward();

delay(4500);

Stop();

delay(9000);

// LOOP COMPLETE

}

Reconfiguring my Robot

The front of my robot now has the Ultrasonic Sensor. Also, I did some cleaning up on top of my robot because the wires were becoming one confusing clump.

Sequence 01_2.mp4

Updated Circuit Picture

Updated Circuit Diagram

Code Dropdown

#include <Servo.h>

Servo leftservo;

Servo rightservo;

int CW = 0;

int Stop = 90;

int CCW = 180;

int CWL = 15;

int CCWL = 175;

void setup() {

// put your setup code here, to run once:

leftservo.attach(9);

rightservo.attach(8);

}

void loop() {

// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:

Forward();

delay(1000);

Right();

delay(500);

Forward();

delay(1000);

Left();

delay(500);

Forward();

delay(3000);

Right();

delay(500);

Forward();

delay(1000);

Right();

delay(500);

Forward();

delay(100);

Nope();

delay(6000);

}

void Nope(){

rightservo.write(Stop);

leftservo.write(Stop);

}

void Forward(){

rightservo.write(CW);

leftservo.write(CCWL);

}

void Backward(){

rightservo.write(CCW);

leftservo.write(CWL);

}

void Right(){

rightservo.write(Stop);

leftservo.write(CCWL);

}

void Left(){

rightservo.write(CW);

leftservo.write(Stop);

}

void RightTank(){

rightservo.write(CCW);

leftservo.write(CCWL);

}

void LeftTank(){

rightservo.write(CW);

leftservo.write(CW);

}

What is a If/Else Statement

A conditional statement that will work if certain conditions are met. This can be used so you create an output, but only when needed or called upon. For example, if you want a light to come on, but only when the distance on the ultrasonic sensor reads less than and equal 10cm, you can make an if/else stating, If (distance < 10) then the Light turns on, else the light is off. You can also use functions that you have already created in the code, inside of a If/Else Statement.

Real - Life If/Else Statement

If (Bored();){

workOnHomework();

}

If else (homeworkCheck(); = true){

workOnAnimating();

}

else {

playVideoGames();

}

function workOnHomework(){

If (homeworkCheck(); = false){

whatClassHasWork();

doWorkForClass();

}

else {

workOnAnimating();

}

function (homeworkCheck();){

If (isGoogleClassroomEmpty(); = true){

homeworkCheck(); = false

}

else(isGoogleClassroomEmpty(); = false){

homeworkCheck(); = true

}

Brief

Constraints Updates

Some people in the class with choose to focus on different things than other people. We were split on whether we wanted to work on design constraints, things that would improve the craftmanship of our project and make it more functional shape-wise. Or we could work on adding the Bluetooth module that would allow for the control of our robot using our phones and connection from the Bluetooth module. I have chosen to take the path of makeing my robot more functional.

So what are some of the constraints for me?

We have to have all of our electronic computer parts enclosed
Usability Constraints
- Easy access to:
  - The “B” end of the arduino A-B Cable port.
  - Arduino 5V
  - Breadboard
- Possible removeable door
Function Constraints
- Balanced Weight/ Able to move
- Stable
- Rigid Materials
- No slipping
Aesthetic Constraints
- Not larger than a microwave
- Covering is colorful and neatly crafted
- Craftmanship
  - Clean Edges
  - Pieces and parts match up

Research

Robot #1

This robot is a good representation of what I would like to achieve with my robot. It is fully enclosed with the batteries accessible and it has 2 wheels. But a few things that differ mine are the fact that it switch and all the parts are 3D printed.

Robot #2

This robot I also like because it has 3 wheels, like mine, and all the pieces are accessible. While they aren't enclosed, I can edit the design. Another difference is they fact that the robot is able to swerve the front the wheel to move it from left to right. This would not be able to work for my robot, but I do like the design.

Robot #3

This robot I like for the design of where the electronics were and how it was balanced. Unfortunately, it uses 4 wheels and I can support at most 3. Also the electronics are not fully enclosed, but I can make a roof using the the design of this robot.

Next Steps

Next I will be making a sketch of what I want my new design to look like so I can model my final product off of it.

Prototyping

Top View Sketch:

Side View Sketch:

Final Robot Design

My Final Circuit Picture

This picture includes wiring for the Ultrasonic Sensor, Batteries, Servos and Arduino

Project Brief

This phase is where you get a brief of what the project is, the constraints, and goals.

Title

This is our title for our newest project.

Goals

This is a list that contains all of our goals for this project and questions to ask ourselves as we do it.

Constraints

This is the list of constraint we have to attend to in this project.

Entry Event: How do we convert rotational motion to linear motion?

Sequence 01 (1).mp4

Cardboard Automata

This carboard automata features a cam, which is a shift like mechanism that uses both linear and rotation motion to function. The rotational motion is the pear-like shape that is connected to the pencil that spins around. The linear motion moves by the pear pushing the flat piece of carboard up and allowing gravity to move it back down. My creative piece if the sun that is moved by the linear motion.

Research

This phase is where you take the project brief the thoroughly examine it to see what you know, and what you may need to research a little more.

Reverse Engineering: Dancing Digits

The driveshafts under the LEDs show linear motion by going up and down in a mechanical slot. The tri-cams show rotational motion by being turned around by a motor. The driveshafts are being brought up by rubbing against the cams and they go down by gravity pulling them back down.

Idea Development

This is where you take your research and put it into your ideas while also incorporating the elements of your constraints. This area is very loose and you may switch between this phase and the research phase

Hand Drawn Gear Ideas

I really like stars, so I kinda wanted to cooperate that idea into my gear. My first gear is a simple gear with just a star in the middle. It is my favorite because it is so simple and pretty. My bottom one looks like a star explosion, because of all the spikes that come out. Then the one in the middle, has a really cool, and odd, shape that has a 4 pointed star in the middle and 4 circles surrounding it.

Inkscape Skills Practice 1: Funny Face

Tools Used to Create Face:

Head, Eyes, Pupil cutouts - Circle Tool; Eyebrows, Mouth, Nose, Hair - Pen that draws both straight lines and Bezier curves.

The Bezier Curve tool allows me to draw nice curves and straight lines.

Inkscape Skills Practice 2: Creating a Gear

How to create the inside design of a gear:

Create the pattern to be repeated
Select it and go under the Edit tab, scroll over clone, and click tiled clone
Under the tab Shift, make sure Shift X = -100 for 'Per Row' and 'Per Column'
Under the tab Rotation, set Per Colum to 360/X , with x being the number of how many times you want the pattern to repeat

Inkscape: Build your first decorative gear

These gears were made on Inscape and made to resemble the ones I drew previously.

How to make a path clone

Inkscape: Build your second decorative practice gear

This gear was made on Inscape and made to practice using the path function. How to use the Path function is down below.

Create a "weird" shape for the path to copy. You can use the start/pentagon tool to make this.
Once you have your copy-able shape, Make a circle in the center of the gear. This circle should be the same size as your "weird" shape, or close to it.
Then open the path effects (Hotkey: Ctrl + &). Add the Effect, Pattern Along Path.
With your "weird" shape copied, press the button, Link to path in clipboard (The last picture in the row)
In the Pattern Copies dropdown, make sure Repeated or Repeated, stretched is selected.
Now you can use the other dropdowns to customize your gear.

Gears.mp4

Gear Practice

In this video I created the scenario where a driving gear turns a gear that moves in the same direction and one gear two times its speed.

Ms. White's Gears.MOV

Reverse Engineering: Teacher Example

The driving gear turns two different gears at the same time. But it also turns these two in two different directions. The most appealing part of the mechanism, the large spinning gears, move in opposite directions in the same place. The way they are able to do this is by moving on two different layers. The drive shaft

20210210_100714.mp4

Getting to know you cams

Creating one linear motion using cams

3D Prototyping

3D is the phase of the project where you take what you have visualized in drawing or other programs and bring it to life. This part of the project goes hand in hand with the Evaluation and Testing phase.

Sequence 01_1 (1).mp4

My Functional Prototype

Today we were required to plan our final project using the items in our kits! First, we had to decide which direction we are going. I decided to pursue "advanced" which means I will drive gears in an opposing motion as well as multiple linear motions using cams.

Finished Gear Layout: Inkscape

Layers 1 and 2

Layer 1

Layers 2

Layers with Cams

With Transparency and Cams

Layers 1 and 2

Layer 1

Layers 2

For Laser Cutting

Fully Documented STEAM Sculpture Electronic Files

The first 2 images show how the designs will be printed. The second one includes the wood with the spacers, drive shafts, and cranks ready for laser cutting. The third one is a picture of the acrylic with the holes for the slots, ultrasonic sensor, and gears. And the last photo is one with the full gear layout.

Evaluate and Testing

Evaluation and Testing is the phase of the project where you test out what you have and see if is works and if you may need to revaluate it. This goes directly with the 3D prototyping phase because this is where you take what you made there and test it.

Getting my Motor Working
This is the documentation of the circuit diagram, video of my motor working, and my functioning code.

20210416_072243.mp4

My Functioning Code

/* Control Speed of a DC Motor from serial monitor

More info: http://www.ardumotive.com/how-to-drive-a-dc-motor-with-transistor.html

Dev: Vasilakis Michalis // Date: 13/7/2015 // www.ardumotive.com */

//Transistor 'Base' pin or input pin of motor driver ic to Arduino PWM Digital Pin 3

const int motorPin = 3;

int Speed; //Variable to store Speed, by defaul 0 PWM

int flag;

void setup()

{

pinMode(motorPin, OUTPUT); //Set pin 3 as an OUTPUT

Serial.begin(9600); //Init serial communication

//Print a message:

Serial.println("Give a number from 50 to 255."); //Why minimun value 50? Because with values below 50 the motor doesn't spin ;)

Serial.println(""); //Blank line

}

void loop()

{

//Check if incoming data is available:

if (Serial.available() > 0)

{

// If it is, we'll use parseInt() to pull out only numbers:

Speed = Serial.parseInt();

flag=0;

}

//Valid range is from 50 to 255

if (Speed>=50 && Speed<=255){

//Send PWM value with analogWrite to Arduino pin 3 and print a message to serial monitor

analogWrite(motorPin, Speed);

//Print message only once

if (flag==0){

//Print PWM value

Serial.print("Motor spinning with ");

Serial.print(Speed);

Serial.println(" PWM");

flag=1;

}

delay(1000);

}

Production

Due to being out of the country for a month, I was not able to document several things with pictures, but I can document them with notes.

Building my Gearbox:

After getting my gears and acrylic, I took the time to build my gearbox with a hand crank. But to fit all the gears with the shafts, I had to sand them down because they didn't fit. But after getting them to work, the gears turned smoothly with the acrylic.

Working with the Motor:

To add the motor to the gearbox, I had to layer three of my drive gears together so it could spin the bottom and top layer. The motor was difficult to put in because the motor had to be centered to make sure it was working. So I had to use hot glue to keep it in place. Once I hot glued it in place, the drive gear now moved much better and was much more stable.

Working with the Ultrasonic Sensor:

The Ultrasonic Sensor was the hardest part of my project. I had a lot of trouble with it. At first, it worked, but not even up to the limit it was supposed to work at. The work around was to change to code to accommodate the new limit. But once I was trying to install the Ultrasonic sensor into my gearbox, I found that the wiring was very delicate, and came apart very easily.

Final Gearbox.mp4

Final Gearbox Video

This shows my final gear box that is now all built together. The video features my drive gear, drive shaft, driven gears, opposing directions, motor, enclosure, wiring, decoration.

Reflection

Final Engineering Concepts Reflection

This school year was the year of COVID.

The most challenging part of engineering this year was having to build from home and not having other people around you in the room you could easily talk to for help. I also had to go out of the country for a month in a place of limited wifi. It was hard to connect to class sometimes, but I made it through. But in the end I am most proud of the fact that I persevered and I made a beautiful project that I can look at and be proud that I made and designed it.

STEAM Reflection

Science:

This project incorporated science in the science of how the project span around

Technology:

This project used a motor to turn the gears, an ultrasonic sensor to change the speed of gears by sensing motion, and it uses an Arduino to hold all the code to make the gearbox function.

Engineering:

This entire project was made using engineering. We use the design process which includes the Project Brief, Research, Idea Development, 3D prototyping, Evaluate and Testing, and finally, Production.

Art:

We use the principles of design to design to make gears with all different types of original patterns.

Math:

The gears are all different sizes, and because of this, they are all going at different speeds. The bigger ones move rotate less times than the smaller ones in a certain time period.

Page updated

Report abuse