156B Week 8

Progress Since Week 7

Hardware

• Need to use different tubing for vacuum suction

• When the UTM comes down onto the toolheads, not all the magnets are connected

• Can’t integrate with software on FarmBot WebApp

  • Need to disconnect the R Pi

• Attempted attachment of GearBox onto motors but was unable to successfully implement

  • The new gearbox/motors we ordered had one of the gears press fit onto the shaft

    • Could not be removed

  • Disassembly for reuse not entirely possible, but original part is too large to fit within our configuration

  • Would require cutting existing FarmBot cables to integrate

• Holding torque vs. Operational torque

  • Calculations were made early on before the full design of UTM plate adapter.

• Positional Testing vs Functional Testing

  • Water Pressure w/ solenoid was tested

  • Since we do have the new motors - we would have to cut the wires of FarmBot motors and solder

    • Before we do this we should confirm actual viability of our positioning system

  • Just have independent sketch for spooling and unspooling for positioning

    • Test positioning standalone

    • Using the original cross gantry slide plate with dowel to simulate the end effector

    • Without the WebApp it is difficult to integrate the functionality of different operations

  • Functioning testing separately

  • Hit strongly on positioning and functionality separately

• Positioning testing

  • Can’t just call an individual motor

  • When you put in a coordinate, all the motors move

    • Certain combination will allow us to show spooling and unspooling behavior

  • In the latest G00 code, the encoders are disabled

  • Can we just build off the sequential motor code but in concurrent movement?

    • Separate positioning into a separate sketch from functionality

• Functionality Testing

  • Hitting strongly and working well

    • Watering works with solenoid valve

      • A few leaks due to tolerancing

        • Solenoid On is closed (water off)

        • Solenoid Off is open (water on)

    • vacuum/seeding works

    • Need to test camera

• Started Documentation

  • Workflow of assembly

  • Google Drive > Final Documentation > Outlining what the user manual might look like

    • What sections should there be?

    • Step by Step instruction will take a while

    • If we have it all written in one document it’s not hard to paste onto our website

      • Put all coding and wiring info in there

      • Formatting later on

Hardware Plans for Next week

• Position testing

• Cementing - quik mix

  • Buckets (paint bucket?), quick mix, PVC (?) (diam. Of width of extrusion)

    • L brackets for stability

      • Narrow L brackets - holes that can fit with nut bars and extrusion

CAD

• Designed and assembled UTM-fixture in CAD

• Updated UTM System Assembly configuration - Robert

CAD - Goals for next week

• UTM plate - CAD and GD&T - Euric

• L-brackets - CAD and GD&T - Kaela

• Spools - CAD and GD&T - Sam

Software

• Continued development of firmware

  • 4 motors can be controlled independently, but currently receiving incorrect inputs

  • Issue lies in the G00 handler

  • Began building onto old Arduino positioning sketch, to be represented in firmware later

Software - Goals for next week

• Build upon independent arduino sketch for accurate movement

  • Factor in spool radius variation and helical winding

• Attempt integration of arduino logic into firmware

Software - Goals for the next AFS Team in future quarters

• Integrate independent positioning code into G00_handler in firmware

• Create web-app to receive commands instead of through serial

• Create a new FarmOS to allow use of the existing FarmBot web app

Materials Purchased this week

• 15:1 Gearbox

Materials to Buy (decreasing priority)

1. Seeds

2. Quick Mix

3. Paint Buckets

4. L Brackets

Current Concerns (decreasing priority)

• Separating Functionality from Positioning testing

  • Not possible to integrate both without the FarmBot web app

  • Will be creating our own Arduino sketch to control positioning

• Positioning testing will be done with pseudo UTM

  • Operational Torque is not strong enough to carry the new UTM assembly design we’ve made

  • Calculations made during Individual Component Analysis for torque and UTM weight didn’t account for the weight that would be traditionally carried by the gantry/lead screw

Feedback from Meeting with Instructor

• Very important to focus on the user manual

  • Specify and identify each part

  • Be more clear than the FarmBot website

• What is our biggest concern? There is a lot of simultaneous progress going on

  • Biggest Concern Timeline

    • Accuracy Testing

    • WebApp integration and GUI

• Is the issue regarding excessive rotational freedom in the pulleys and winches resolved?

  • Yes, constrained with zip ties. Not perfect, but will suffice.

  • Do you think it is necessary to fabricate your own parts to replace the ring?

    • Don’t want to do any customization of parts.

• Is the issue regarding cable management resolved?

  • Yes, sink/faucet spring to suspend the hose and other heavy component cables.

Feedback from Meeting with Sponsor

• User manual - disassembly and the photo may be helpful only if we have time

  • Written step by step instructions may be quicker

  • Or use CAD images instead of taking it apart piece by piece

• If you cut the tubes - for suction - can we get rid of the slack

  • Shortest distance between the nozzle and filter & filter and connect

  • Need better fitting tube at connections

• How do you feel about getting us to a point where we can utilize the FarmBot WebApp

  • Not comfortable because we don’t know how to refine the backend of the WebApp

  • Make our own App/GUI

    • Focus on using G-code to test movement

• Fine if for this project if we cannot successfully implement the FarmBot WebApp

  • Work around it

  • Acknowledge the difficulties we encountered

• Rick from FarmBot

  • Not familiar with our project

  • His report through FarmBot may be more familiar with it

  • Nick’s contact interfaces with the community, Rick is backend software

• If there is another solution - like different soil or rocks - vs concrete - use that

  • Save time and effort

• In Alignment with benchmarks :)

Main Things to Focus on (decreasing priority)

• (1) Movement/Positioning

• (1) Functionality

• (1) Documentation

• (2) Stabilization with Concrete (only if we have time)

• (3) Cable Management

Upcoming Goals

Weeks 6-8

• Test positioning accuracy with 4 stepper motors and current code

  • Construction tape or mesh for grid

  • Continue testing and reiterating code

Weeks 9-10

• Motorize end effectors for functionality

• Electronic Cable management (tentative - pending progress on positional accuracy testing)

  • Find and attach device to neatly manage power cables for the vacuum and camera upon UTM

  • Tensioned Cable Reel or similar solution

• CAD of custom parts and documentation

• Ensure that component level designs work before we begin and finalize documentation

Budget Remaining: $1495.24