Week 5 - Journal

For my project, I chose to design & build a Palestinian army tank. The idea was inspired by the current circumstances in Palestine, particularly the strength and resilience of the Palestinian people & the power of resistance.

لأن أول عودة للديار في تاريخ التغريبة الفلسطينية يوم ٢٧ يناير ٢٠٢٥.. لم يكن إلا عبر فوَّهة البندقية.

The tank symbolizes the return of displaced people to North Gaza and reflects the importance of having the means to defend and protect their homeland. Through this project, I aim to represent the power of unity, the significance of resilience and the hope for freedom.

This idea goes beyond being a simple model; it serves as a symbol of pride and determination while fulfilling the requirements of this assignment. The tank performs two actions:

1. Movement: Representing the mobility and readiness of resistance.

2. Light Emission: Representing strength and hope, lighting up even in challenging times.

The inspiration for this project came from the recent news and the undeniable resilience of the people of Gaza. By creating this device, I hope to emphasize the importance of standing strong and having the tools for self-determination.

To design and prepare my Palestinian army tank project, I followed these steps systematically, ensuring alignment with the technical requirements of the assignment:

1. Analyzing the Technical Requirements

I started by carefully reviewing the assignment guidelines, noting that the device must perform two outputs simultaneously. I decided to implement:

• Movement using a hobby motor.

• Lighting using three LEDs (green, white, and red) to represent the Palestinian flag.

2. Circuit Design on TinkerCAD

I used TinkerCAD to simulate the circuit, ensuring functionality before moving to the physical implementation:

• Connected the hobby motor and LEDs in parallel to comply with the technical requirements.

• Added 330 Ohm resistors to protect the LEDs from burning out.

• Simulated the circuit with a 5V power source to validate proper lighting and motor operation.
  Once I confirmed the circuit worked in the simulation, I moved on to breadboarding.

3. Breadboard Prototyping

• I implemented the simulated circuit on a breadboard using jumper wires, ensuring connections were identical to the TinkerCAD design.

• Tested the circuit using the 5V adapter to ensure the motor spun and the LEDs lit up as expected.

4. Building the Tank Structure

• Base Construction: I started by cutting cardboard to create the tank’s base, ensuring stability for the components.

• Sides and Wheels:

  • Cut two identical side panels and attached them to the base.

  • Positioned the hobby motor on the base to power the tank’s movement.

  • Designed and cut wheels, connecting the left and right sides with wood sticks for stability and movement.

• Barrel: Crafted the barrel and securely mounted it over the wheels for a balanced look.

• Top Structure: Constructed the driver’s cabin and shooter room, ensuring proportional dimensions.

5. Iterative Testing

After each step, I connected the circuit to the power adapter to verify:

• The motor’s ability to move the tank effectively given the cardboard's dimensions and weight.

6. Final Assembly

• Mounted the LEDs on the tank’s structure, aligning their positions to represent the Palestinian flag colors.

• Connected the entire circuit to the power supply and tested the final device.

This process ensured that each part was functional and that the overall design met both the assignment requirements and my creative vision.