The most significant risk that could jeopardize the success of the project is still the launcher mechanism. We still cannot be entirely sure how well it will launch until a prototype is built. We are working on finalizing a base that will hold the DC motors and tilt it 45º and creating an attachment between the wheels and the motors for spinning. Once these are put together, we already found a library that works with C and Python for the motor control code to launch the tennis ball.
The main change we have made this week is how we plan to assemble the launcher. We realized that an entirely 3D printed design would not be feasible. It is too expensive at around 65 cents per gram, and it cannot print over 175g, which our base weight significantly surpassed. Instead, we will only be printing the more precise components like the gear mechanisms and the attachment between the wheels and DC motors, and we will be using PVC pipes and sheets for the outer housing and base lid. This will confidently allow for a stronger foundation at a cheaper price compared to PLA 3D printed material and a guaranteed (and wider if needed) diameter. Other than the material change, we still plan to use the same lid rotation for the actual design, just no longer fully 3D printed. As stated earlier, it is much cheaper to use PVC over PLA 3D printing, which gives us much more flexibility in purchasing other products in case situations similar to this occur down the road.
There are no changes in our schedule. We just need to try complete building the launcher mechanism as soon as possible for the interim demo and integrate other components in (draft CV and motor control code).