This week, I helped wire and connect our new motors to the board, along with the linear actuators. I was pretty excited because we received a bunch of new parts for the robot. I also built a new wheelbase since we had to purchase new mounts for both the linear actuators and motor mounts, which required drilling a new board.
I made new wires for the motors and moved all the electronics onto the new board.
We also got a new room to store our robot, which allowed us to attach the platform. Unfortunately, I initially purchased the wrong level shifters, the wrong item, and the wrong shaft size. However, I improvised attachments using yarn and tape. I also reversed the wheel so the shaft rested on the outer rim. Later, I got the correct shafts, but they were too long and were bending the board, so I had to carve them down.
To address the bending issue caused by the board’s weight, I added an extra support board and secured it using leftover M5 screws as a temporary fix.
At one point, I accidentally burned out the Arduino, but I replaced it with a new one. I also finished purchasing the ramp.
I rewired the entire board, separating the linear actuators (LAs) and the motors onto separate boards because the signal interference was causing issues. I also rewired the LPWM and RPWM to always be enabled, which improved the control and correction.
Although we’re currently a bit behind schedule due to delayed parts, I plan to catch up by continuing to assist Raymond and keeping track of the robot’s measurements and performance.
Next week, I plan to start on the slides for the final presentation and meticulously run the robot for results.