Final Project Journal

My final project is called “Around Me, The Rotating Globe.” It is a small interactive system where the user has two main options: 

1. The user can select a country on the globe, and the LED corresponding to that country will blink to highlight its location. 

2. The user can rotate the globe either to the left or to the right. 

Since my childhood, I have always been passionate about geography and fascinated by the position of different countries on the globe. I was amazed to discover how many small countries exist whether in the East or West, North or South, inside continents or isolated in the middle of oceans. 

My main inspiration for this project came from Google Earth, which allows us to see the entire planet in 3D with clear details of every country in the world. It gave me the idea to build a physical version of a globe that people can interact with, rather than only exploring it on a screen. 

To design my project I moved to Fusion 360, a powerful and user-friendly CAD software. It allowed me to design and build the digital model of my project using its many tools and menus. After finishing the design, I used the GrabCad website to bring back the different electronic components to integrate them into the design.

LASER CUTTING STEPS: DIFFERENTS PARTS

3D PRINTING STEPS: 

Small clarification about the 3D printed parts: 

To hold the stepper motor in place, I needed a custom support. I also had to create a connection between the stepper motor and the rotating part of the globe, similar to a bicycle mechanism . For this, I searched on Thingiverse.com and found three useful pieces that I used in my design. 

To design and prepare my project I used Fritzing, which allows creating and simulating electronic circuits before building them in real life. Here are the main stages I followed: 

Steps to build the circuit on Fritzing :

1. I logged into Fritzing and selected the electronic circuits section 

2. From the component search bar, I selected the following parts: 

   • •  Arduino Uno,

     • breadboard,

     • 5 Pushbuttons,

     • 5Leds,

     • stepper motor,

     • and motor driver. 

Input / Output components  :

For the input components, I used an 5 pushbuttons, the user can select a country or if he want to turn right or left.

For the output components, I used Stepper Motor, 5 leds and LCD Screen : the stepper motor turn 360 degre left or right, the 5 Leds turn on when the user select them  by using the pushbuttons, and The LCD screen displays text or numbers based on the commands it receives. 

My project uses two separate power sources to ensure stable and reliable operation. I used a 9V adapter to power the Arduino board, which provides sufficient voltage for its proper functioning. For the stepper motor, I used a 12V adapter since the motor is rated for 12V. This ensures that the motor receives stable voltage and enough current to operate correctly, maintaining torque without overheating. 

Part 1 : Library Inclusion

In the first part, we include the libraries that the project needs:

• Wire.h: enables I2C communication.
  
  

• LiquidCrystal_I2C.h: allows us to control the LCD screen (writing text, clearing it, cursor positioning).
  
  

• Stepper.h: allows us to control the stepper motor.

Part 2 : Variable Declaration and Pin Assignment 

In this section, we declare the variables and assign the Arduino pins for buttons, LEDs, and the motor.

• We define the number of steps per revolution for the stepper motor.
  
  

• We create variables for each button (left, right, down, select).
  
  

• We set the pins in Arduino for the LEDs that indicate the country selection.

Part 3 : Setup Function 

In this part, we initialize all components when the Arduino starts:

• Initialize the LCD (lcd.init() and lcd.backlight()).
  
  

• Set the button pins as INPUT_PULLUP so they can detect presses correctly.
  
  

• Set the LED pins as OUTPUT so they can be turned ON or OFF.
  
  

• Configure the stepper motor with the correct steps per revolution.

Part 4 : Loop Function 

This is the main part of the program that repeats continuously:

• Display instructions on the LCD (for example: “Scroll down to choose a country” and then “Left for left, Right for right”).
  
  

• Detect button presses.
  
  

• If the user presses left or right, the motor rotates 360° in that direction and then returns to its initial position.
  
  

• If the user presses the down button, it allows scrolling through the list of countries.
  
  

• If the user presses select, it confirms the choice and executes the action.
  
  

• If the user presses select twice, it calls the reset function.

Part 5 : Rotate Stepper Function (Tried but without success)

This function makes the motor rotate:

• It takes a direction (left or right) as input.
  
  

• It rotates the motor 360° in that direction.
  
  

• After finishing, it returns the motor back to the initial position (so the globe comes back to where it started).

Part 6 : Select Country Function 

This function handles the country selection:

• The user scrolls with the down button through 5 countries (Djibouti, USA, Japan, Brazil, Australia).
  
  

• When a country is selected:
  
  

  • A LED is turned ON.
    
    

  • The LCD blinks to confirm the choice.

Part 7 : Reset Program Function 

This function resets the Arduino program:

• If the select button is pressed twice in a row, the program restarts.
  
  

• It clears the LCD, resets the motor, and brings the project back to its initial state.

While writing my code, I consulted different resources and took inspiration from the following websites:

• To code the Stepper motor

• To code the menu with Arduino et le LCD

Assembling Complete feature parts (Tried but without success)

For the push buttons, each was connected with two wires and reinforced with tape before attaching them to the structure. One wire from each button was connected to the negative rail of the breadboard, while the other wires were connected to pins 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the Arduino. The exception was the “Select” button, which was connected to pin 13. 

Demo Video : 

My final project was designed with two levels of features:

• Minimum Feature 👉 Create a world map on wood with LEDs placed on five selected countries, and allow the user to light them up using the Select button from the LCD menu. 

• Complete Feature 👉 Build a 3D globe capable of rotating 360° to the left or right, while also including the LEDs placed on the countries. 

During the realization, I attempted to build the rotating globe. However, due to aesthetic and design challenges, I had to abandon this idea and focus on the simpler version. Therefore, my final demo focuses on the minimum feature, which works successfully.

Therefore, in this demo video, you will mainly see the minimum feature.

While working on this project, I received many recommendations from my classmates regarding the design, balance, and wiring. One of the most valuable suggestions came from Omar, who advised me to use a bicycle-like mechanism to rotate the globe when the motor turns. This idea helped me improve the rotation system and make it more stable.

At the same time, I also supported some of my peers like Ossama by sharing my experience with Fusion 360 designing. 

2- I had designed a circular pillar in Fusion 360 to support the weight of the globe, and I planned to 3D print it. However, the simulation showed that printing would take about 36 hours. After discussing with Hala, we decided to use either PVC or cardboard instead. In the end, I used a circular cardboard pillar. 

3- The outer slave pulley was slightly smaller compared to the ball bearing size. To fix this, I used sandpaper to adjust the pulley and make it fit correctly. 

If I had more time to work on my project, I would have added two fun features: