PERSONAL Accomplishments
- Finalized Gantry Design (4hr): My main goal for this week was to finalize decisions for each detail of our gantry system so part ordering could occur. One large question mark during last week was the pickup/movement mechanism for the chess pieces. Through my research, I decided to pivot from an above-board system to a below-board system. This decision will allow the board to look cleaner since all machinery will be hidden away. It also eliminates the need for a z-axis step motor as no vertical extension/retraction is necessary. I have decided to use electromagnets to move the chess pieces, as they provide a seamless and precise method for piece manipulation, even with a physical board acting as a barrier. The final decision was board sizing (which will be discussed in detail below).
- Board Sizing Decision-Making (1hr): I worked with Tarek and Liam to determine the sizing of our chessboard. This decision included considerations for the error of Liam’s gaze detection model and the materials needed to produce the gantry system at each size. We settled on the dimensions seen below:
This design also includes a piece graveyard, which handles the cases where the user’s piece is taken. The placement of the pieces is optimized to handle potential edge cases such as promotion (where a player can replace a pawn with a queen, rook, knight, or bishop). - Part Research and Ordering (2hr): Based on the decisions discussed above, I researched the parts necessary to assemble our gantry system. This includes pieces such as linear rails, timing belts, motor drivers, etc. I attempted to order pieces that worked well for our design specifications but also offered the flexibility to pivot in certain ways (i.e. changing the board size or switching back to above-ground gantry). All necessary pieces were ordered and will be assembled upon delivery.
- Mandatory Lab Meetings (4hr): During our lab sessions, we got valuable feedback during meetings with the teaching staff. One useful piece of advice was to get to MVP as soon as possible. As such, I changed my priorities to create a somewhat functional gantry (move from A to B) before spring break. The lab meetings also allowed our team to discuss key integration points between our three major sections.
- Design Presentation Work (3hr): I spent time laying out the outline and plan for completing our design presentation. My responsibility was to create an implementation guide for our hardware system, including block diagrams and a proposed design. I also helped to focus on testing plans and the use case requirements for our project. Some of these details will be finished tomorrow before the deadline.
Progress
My progress is slightly behind schedule for our new accelerated design plan. I plan to put in extra time to get the gantry system assembled and carry out baseline testing as the pieces come in. However, I am very much dependent on the delivery times at this point.
Next Week Tasks & Goals
- Assemble pieces as they come in and begin calibrating and testing the system.
- Devise the circuitry needed to control the motors and electromagnet so I am prepared when they arrive.
- Decide material and thickness for our chess board to allow for proper electromagnet testing.