Progress Report 04.14.2023

Team Members:

1. Cyril Bou-Harb

2. Kays Laouar

3. Matter Remley

Phase 1 Description:

Our project aims to help the Umass Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Clubs improve upon their process of raising and lowering wrestling mats using the existing hoisting system found in the Recreation Center.

The first phase of our project will focus on designing a prototype that will accomplish several goals.  Firstly, we will build a wooden structure and pulley system that loosely emulates the existing mat hoisting system in the Recreation Center.  This can be done with cheap scrap wood, Popsicle sticks, glue and simple hand tools.  Secondly, we will need to attach a servo motor to the pulley system and operate this motor via Arduino or Makerboard in order to raise and lower pieces of scrap wood, representing the wrestling mats.  Thirdly, we need to integrate the Arduino/Makerboard with a Bluetooth application that allows for remote activation of the servo motor.  Our prototyping phase will focus heavily on the Makerboard/Arduino integration and programming aspects (second and third points above), whereas the mechanical aspect will not be emphasized (first point above), and will simply act as a proof of concept for the Bluetooth application and Makerboard/Arduino integration.  

Upon completing this first phase we will review the time and resources that we have left.  If we feel restricted, we will focus on continuing to refine this prototype, integrating sensors to allow for alternative means of activating the motor as well as detection of possible collisions between the wrestling mats.  If time and resources allow, we will move into the second phase of our project.

Phase 2 Description:

The proposed second phase of our project would focus on integrating our Bluetooth application and Makerboard/Arduino with another student project currently being pursued by a mechanical engineering student at the Umass Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.  This student is working on replacing the hand crank that currently operates the existing hoisting system in the Recreation Center with a drill.  This drill allows one to raise and lower the mats by pushing the trigger on the drill, which provides rotation to the internal gears of the pulley system (video below).  The second phase of our project would aim to integrate our Bluetooth Makerboard/Arduino application with this drill.  A similar project I found on YouTube (video below) effectively controlled and activated a drill utilizing Arduino in tangent with an L298N motor controller which can be found for $7 on Amazon.

List of definitively needed hardware:

• Makerboard (obtained)

• Scrap wood or even cardboard.  Popsicle sticks could achieve the same effect. (needs to be obtained)

• Glue or screws (needs to be obtained)

• Servo Motor (obtained)

• 2-6 small pulleys (needs to be obtained)

List of possibly needed hardware:

• A drill (I have one at home)

• An L298N motor controller ($7 Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Qunqi-Controller-Module-Stepper-Arduino/dp/B014KMHSW6)

• Arduino if we find it is not possible to accomplish the second phase of the project using Makerboard.  Nothing as of now has indicated this. (needs to be obtained)