All of the parts came in this week (both DC bike motors, battery, and wheels). I was able to start building the launcher mechanism and finalized the design/placement of components such that it would fit and work smoothly once the base is made. I also helped John look over the draft of the Oak-D Pro CV code, which is still the same and just needs to be actually tested. I also helped Miles work with a library that is compatible with C and Python for the motor control code, which is straightforward and should be implemented quickly once the launcher comes together.
I would say my progress is a little behind. The 3D printed base is still not here, and it may not be made since it is too expensive (65 cents per gram) and the 3D printers cannot print anything over 175g (the weight of our base is significantly above this due to our 10″ diameter). As an alternative for the base that will house the DC motors and tilt it 45º, I decided to opt into using wide PVC pipes and sheets instead. This is not only cheaper, but it can guarantee us structural integrity that we were unsure of with 3D printing PLA material. I also discovered that the wheels cannot directly connect to the DC motors’ shafts, which means they cannot spin yet. To fix this issue, I helped Miles 3D print a model that acts as an attachment between the motor and wheels. Once the base is made and the wheel attachments are received, alongside the motor control code already at hand, I believe that the launcher can easily be finalized. I can then test the launched distance and tune the DC motors to the correct RPM, torque, and power to generate the exact exit speed and energy.
Next week, I hope to have the launcher mechanism finished. I hope to have the DC motors attached to the base, wheels connected on and spinning, and the tennis ball being able to actually launch it around 20 feet for the interim demo.