Reverse Engineering Project
In order to complete the reverse engineering project, we had to take a product, disassemble it, and determine how it functions. Therefore, on the first day of our workdays, we dismantled a hamster as part of a project. After disassembling the hamster, we arranged the parts and identified each one. In order to determine each component's purpose, we first conducted research on what each portion was. After determining each item's purpose, we began to reassemble it in its original configuration to determine which components matched one another. We looked at the description of our object and learned why it was connected to the other thing and how they both worked to cause the hamster to repeat back what you say while bopping its head up and down once we discovered what each item matched with. What we discovered is that there is a tiny component within the hamster, a plastic box containing the motor and the gears, and that when you speak into the hamster, the hamster sends a message to the motherboard, which then sends a signal to the gears, which turn the head box up and down. You talk into a microphone, and the motherboard then receives a signal from the microphone sensor, changing the tone of the hamster so that it can then duplicate what you said through a signal connection inside the hamster. Before the final stage of our project, we needed to improve it, so our group decided to use the hamster's internal motor that is connected to its feet. This way, when the motor sends the signal to the head to begin bobbing up and down, the motor that is connected to the feet will cause the hamster to move forward. In the end, having its head moving up and down, our design was capable of moving forward and communicating with the user.
Content
Purpose:
The purpose of this toy hamster is to entertain children while emphasizing the importance of communication at a young age. It provides an educational opportunity for them to listen to what they are saying. In a way, this helps aid developmental skills. If we were to add feet and give it the ability to walk, it would be more entertaining for kids. The more appealing it is to kids, the more people will buy it and receive the educational opportunity that it has to offer.
Hypothesis:
If a gear system that would be able to pull a chain that prompts feet to move like a bike were to be attached to the motor in the toy hamster, the hamster would be able to walk on feet, making it unique compared to other toy hamsters.
Material Analysis (materials and properties)
Different Materials
All gears are a hard plastic / Mechanical - made by machines that heat up that plastic and place indents into the plastic - $0.30
Motor - hard metal as well as magnets and copper filament /Electrical - made by machines cut the motor into shape then fit it with electricals - $0.50
Solder board - dense ceramic / Electrical - cut from long sheet of other solder boards and fitted with solder to meet its needs - $0.50
Battery ‘box’ - hard plastic + two metal springs to conduct electricity / Electrical - heated up plastic pushed into a mold - $0.75
Wires - copper / Electrical - made through pulling copper through a plastic casing - $0.69 each
“Skin” - brown pink and white fabric / Optica - $3.00
Nose + eyes - hard plastic + soft plastic ring / Optica - pushed into a mold - $0.25
Microphone - magnetic transducer, contact plate and contact pin / Acoustical - made through creating the inside of the microphone with the contact plate and pin before a robot moved the pieces all together - $1.00
Speaker - aluminum + permanent magnet / Acoustical roughly same as above - $1.15
Stuffing / Optica - $0.30
Body box, holds motor - made out of hard plastic - mechanical - $0.15
Head pusher - thin plastic piece that fits into body box - mechanical - $0.15
Structural Analysis (how the parts are connected)
Actual Structure
Filled with stuffing to bulge out the fabric and allow for the center of gravity to remain neutral
Different pieces
The motor is held in place by a large please of plastic held inside the body of the hamster, the rotter then connects to two large gears, which when activated push up the head pusher
A copper wire attaches the motor to the solder board, where three other copper wires are soldered, one going into the microphone, one going into the speaker and one going into the battery pack.
New piece
Connected to the gears that turn the head pusher through a chain, the feet are connected to two large pieces of plastic that fill up the feet, each connected individually to a plastic rod which is connected to the low gear connected to the chain.
Functional Analysis (how the different parts work together)
Motor spins it’s rotor against` two gears, spinning them and forcing them to push against one another
This moves the head pusher device up and down, giving the illusion of the hamster nodding
Microphone + speaker + motor
The microphone picks up noise converts that noise into binary, which is then moved into the copper wire, where the signals are turned into power, which is then recognized, transferred onto a new copper wire and then is translated through the speaker to recreate sound as well as turning on the power towards another copper wire that flows into the motor, turning the motor on and activating the head pusher.
New piece
When the motor is turned, the gears connected to the motor turn as well, which begins to turn a chain that connects to a gear found directly above the battery box. This gear has two rods connected to it at a 45 degree angle, both connected to the gear on opposite ends. As the gear moves, so do the feet, and as the feet move so does the hamster
Research
The toy hamster is connected to a motor that prompts the hamster’s head to move up and down. The motor itself has magnets that are attracted to the terminals in the motor, and the gears are attached to the rotor, which is the metal rod in the middle. The new gear system to move the feet would have to be attached to the original gear system in order for them to move with the hamster head. Theoretically, the motor would have enough energy to turn both gears together.
Flow Chart:
Disassembly Process:
As we disassembled the object into its different parts, we figured out how each fundamental system within the object is connected to each other. First, we had to cut off the cloth part of the hamster and remove it to get to the actual object. We then removed the screws of the outer shell that contained the elements that allow for the hamster to function. Once the object was completely taken apart, we realized that the object is an electromechanical toy. Inside the object are gears that allow for the head to move vertically. This mechanical movement is powered by the motor. There is also a sound box that listens to what is said and repeats it back. These systems are all connected to a circuit board that processes this information and relays it back within the object. It helps transfer the information throughout the whole system – to the microphone, the speaker, the battery, and the generator – in order to get a response.
Analyzation of Object (notes and sketches)
Improvements:
To make our object better, we came up with the idea to add feet to give it the ability to walk. Potentially, if we were to attach another gear system to the same motor that would allow for the feet to move, similar to the gear/pedal system in a bicycle, then the hamster would be able to walk. The goal would be to have the hamster walk simultaneously with the head movement; with each head movement, the hamster takes a step. This could happen if the gear system for the feet were to be aligned with the gear system for the head, allowing them to move simultaneously. The gear system for the feet would be similar to that of a bicycle, with the chain connecting both gears and the pedals being the feet of the hamster.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pM0Bv3wLQo
Reflection
Some things I think I could have done better were time management and work ethic. Even though I got the assignment done I don´t think I worked with as much urgency as necessary. I was very close to finishing on time but I ended up finishing up the project at home. I am looking forward to working with my group to do even better on the next project.