PERSONAL Accomplishments
- Gantry system research and meetings (6hr): This week, I focused on finding viable solutions for our proposed gantry system. Many other previous capstone groups have implemented similar systems, so I took time to evaluate each group to see different approaches. One particular group (A1:AutoChargerX from F24) agreed to meet with me to discuss their gantry solution. From the research and meetings, I found the TwoTrees NEMA 17 stepper motor and corresponding motor drivers. These motors are cheap but have specifications that match our project needs. They have also been used successfully by two other capstone groups, which gives me confidence that they will work for our design. I am awaiting an update about an existing gantry solution to see if we can use its motors or if I should order our own. In the meantime, I have begun research on the pickup mechanism for our gantry.
2. Mandatory Lab Meetings (4hr): During our lab sessions this week, Liam presented our proposal presentation and we heard the ideas of other capstone students. We received great questions and feedback about our design following our presentation. It was encouraging to see that many of our peers understood the idea and use case easily. I plan to review the design for some aspects of our gantry system based on some feedback received from other students.
3. Proposal Presentation (3hr): I spent time writing out some testing plans for each subunit and the integrated design. This plan was shortened and placed into our proposal presentation. This was also a rewarding time working with Tarek and Liam to lay out our Gantt chart and define some MVP requirements that we desire by April.
Progress
My progress is currently on schedule, except for the potential ordering of our step motors. The guidance listed above will help to determine if an order will need to be placed. This could push back our initial testing slightly, but I do not expect it to delay our overall project.
Next Week Tasks & Goals
- Settle on a mechanism to pick up the chess pieces with our gantry system. This should come from my research and have some considerations of cost, functionality, and potential need for a z-axis step motor.
- Work with Tarek to decide on board dimensions and start designing our chess board and pieces to fabricate.
