Recycle-Bot
ENGS 76 - Machine Engineering
For this project, I worked in a team of four to design and fabricate a robot -- composed of wood and recycled RC car components -- that collects recyclables from a game field. The game field is an 8 ft. by 8 ft. medium density fiberboard, and the walls of the field are 10 inches tall. Our team sectioned the robot into three: chassis, arm, an gripper. I mostly worked on the chassis, which included designing a strong foundation (e.g. shape, material) and configuring the robot's transportation movement as well as its main energy source.
PARAMETERS
- Size: bot must fit within a 1-foot cube
- Functionality: bot must be capable of moving and gathering four kinds of recyclables (e.g. steel cans, aluminum cans, clear plastic
bottles, and green plastic bottles)
- Structure: bot cannot leave parts or materials on the field
- Safety: bot must not be judged to be at risk of causing harm
- Energy Source(s): one or two batteries supplied, change in height of machine's center-of-gravity, potential energy stored in flexible components available
- Radio receiver/transmitter: operated by only one BEC motor controller
completed a tutorial on proper use and electrical connections for the receiver
- Materials: machine must be constructed entirely of materials within the part kit supplied
- Fabrication: machine may be fabricated using any machine tool in the Thayer Machine shop
SKILLS DEVELOPED
- Brainstorming
- Evaluation: design alternatives
- Sketches
- Solid Modeling
- Drawings: CAD Design
- Mock-ups
- Fabrication
- Demonstration
- Technical Writing
- Project Development
- Documentation: preserved my ideas and work in a design notebook throughout the process
REFLECTION
This project required extensive research and design work that helped me in future course projects. Below are images and videos of the recycle-bot as well as a pdf of some pages in my design notebook
