PERSONAL Accomplishments
- Assembling Gantry System (15+ hr): The entirety of my time this week was set aside to assemble the gantry system.
As the image shows, the bones of the gantry system are all assembled. This involved a lot of measurements, layout, precise angles, and assembly with screws, nuts, and sockets. The middle bar can move freely left and right due to the wheels on the 3D-printed assembly holding it up. The trolley system in the middle was also 3D printed and carries the electromagnet for our design. It can move freely up and down, allowing motion in both the X- and Y-directions. Lots of small adjustments had to be made throughout the assembly to ensure the bars were not pinched or angled in a way that limited movement. Due to some issues with the timing belt, we have to wait for another to be delivered before finishing the entire pulley system. Once that arrives (hopefully Monday), we can finish the entire system and begin testing with Tarek’s Arduino code. This was an exciting piece of progress! It was very fulfilling to see the design begin to come to life, and I am excited to watch it perform during our initial testing.
2. Mandatory Lab Sessions (4hr): During our class sessions this week, we had an opportunity to explore the ethical implications of our capstone project. This was a very helpful exercise to map out our stakeholders, determine risks, and manage the tensions that could form over time. I believe this was extremely valuable insight, especially during the red teaming exercise which identified some of the key user values that we may be ignoring.
Progress
This week, I felt that I made significant progress and met a major goal for our design. However, we just missed the goal of having a demo of the basic movements for the gantry system. As such, I still feel slightly behind. I plan to work more on Sunday and Monday to polish the design and test the movement with Tarek. This will put us back on track and allow us to present a basic demo to Professor Kim in our Wednesday meeting.
Next Week Tasks & Goals
- Test basic movements (from point A to point B) for consistent accuracy
- Determine circuit/logic for roller switches that calibrate the gantry system
- Continue working on the design for our chessboard and pieces