PERSONAL Accomplishments
- Ethics Assignment (4hr): The large assignment that occupied some time this week was the ethics assignment, which included professional articles and written reflections. First, I learned that technical systems/designs can carry political weight, which caused me to rethink how Check, Mate, Vision may be fitting users into a box rather than allowing freedom to express themselves through chess. The article about red teaming helped to evaluate whether our model will have any significant vulnerabilities that need to be reconsidered. Lastly, the stakeholder video helped to map out who has the most interest and influence in our design process. All of these resources came together to form an in-depth response discussing the readings for general technology, then focusing on Check, Mate, Vision to determine the ethical trade-offs for public health, safety, and welfare.
2. Designing and Printing 3D Parts (3hr): All components from external vendors have been purchased and received. However, I realized the need for some small, specific pieces in the gantry system. As such, I decided to 3D print parts to match our needs. Listed below are images of two such pieces.
The first part will sit on top of the center bar (which also holds the electromagnet). The main purpose comes from the two extrusions seen on top of the piece. This will allow one pulley (and belt) to sit higher than the other so that we can have both in close proximity without interference. The second part will hold the electromagnet. The belts will also attach to the holes in the left and right side to pull the electromagnet sideways along the X-axis.
3. Gantry System Initial Assembly (3hr): As I planned out the assembly of the gantry, my priority was to ensure that our “workable area” (or the space that our electromagnet could reach) was large enough for our needs. Once I determined that workable area size, I was able to determine the necessary lengths for our V-slot rails. I visited TechSpark to get the aluminum rails cut down to the right length. Then, I began laying out and assembling some of the initial pieces for the gantry system. This helped the entire team visualize the physical space needed for our design. I will continue to work on the assembly throughout this week to complete it by the weekend.
4. Mandatory Lab Sessions (4hr): During our class sessions this week, we had valuable time to meet together and with the course staff. One particular note from our meeting with Prof. Kim was to set a deadline to have an initial demo by next Saturday. This will help to push along the progress of our project, and it will put us ahead of the initial demo deadline listed on the course page. I was also able to plan out certain design specifications with Liam and Tarek, including the details of how Liam’s gaze detection will work for the demo.
Progress
For various reasons, I was unable to complete the gantry system assembly by this week. However, after our conversation with Prof. Kim, I feel that having the assembly done by this week will still keep me on schedule. In order to make that happen, I plan to set aside time on Tuesday and Thursday to assemble the parts of the gantry. I am currently waiting for my parts to finish 3D printing, which delays certain aspects of the assembly. I expect to receive these parts early in the week. Thus, I am still in a good position to finish by the weekend.
Next Week Tasks & Goals
- Assemble entire gantry system outside of the box (must finish by Saturday!)
- Test basic movements (from point A to point B) for consistent accuracy
- Continue working on the design for our chessboard and pieces.