This week I worked a lot more on the CAD and I got the first batch of parts printed, and I also laser cut some other parts. I have the focus mechanism mostly test-fit together which is very exciting, and I have the tilt mechanism done in CAD and I printed some parts for it. The pan mechanism will be a next week issue most likely. Tomorrow I intend to get the motors running again but this time with the mechanism parts attached. We are overall pretty on schedule, but I am feeling slightly nervous about upcoming road blocks that may arise like struggles with getting all the parts to work together as we intended. By the end of this upcoming week I hope to have all the major parts 3D printed / laser cut and the main mechanisms at least dry fit, even if the whole system isn’t all integrated physically together yet.
Kira’s Status Report for 3/14
This week my components arrived, so I spent time getting the hardware and perliminary code set up. I worked on assembling the basic system and confirming that the components power on and can be interfaced with so development can move forward. I am a little behind the original schedule due to waiting on parts and the initial hardware setup. Now that everything has arrived, I expect progress to move faster. I plan to meet with my teammate Ella tomorrow to start working on the DMX communication and motor control so we can begin testing basic functionality.
Team’s Status Report for 3/14
Currently, the most significant risks that could jeopardize the success of the project is if our LED doesn’t come in time. To manage this week, we have decided on a backup plan of neopixels since we already have them. Although they may not be as bright as we want them to be, we can combine an array of them to simulate the LED we bought until it arrives. So far, no changes to the design of the system have been made. If we do have to make any changes, we will either make sure that the things we need to purchase for it will arrive quickly, or we will use materials we currently have. No schedule changes have occurred since last week, and we still plan to work on individual components these next two-ish weeks before putting everything together. It doesn’t affect the overall schedule because we had built-in time for unexpected issues.
Chloe’s Status Report for 3/14
This week, we just received more of the parts for the project, but are still waiting on the LED. In addition, we worked on the ethics assignment for the discussion next week. I have also worked on finishing the power diagram for the light and have looked at more specs of the different parts we have to make sure we don’t fry anything. Our schedule is now on track, since the parts have been ordered and I still have some time to finish up the design. Something that may impact the schedule of the project in the future is if we don’t receive the LED soon. To prevent this from becoming a big issue, we have a backup plan of using some neopixels we already have to get the code and control working, and we will move to the LED once it arrives. Next week, I plan to have the power system fully designed and basic controls of the LED. In addition, I hope to start wiring the motors to the power supply if we have time, and to start putting together the wiring with the CAD models to make sure there isn’t any snagging of wires when the light is rotating.
Ella’s Status Report for 3/7
This week I got the motors working and did a lot of CAD for the physical design of the system. I have all of the major mechanisms roughly in the CAD and am working on how to hook everything up. I also received a lot of stuff and also placed the final order (hopefully) for items for my parts of the light as well as the controller. We are thus far on schedule! In the next week I intend to do more CAD and start 3D printing and fabricating so we can make sure all our mechanisms work as we intend.
Team Status Report for 3/7
This week we worked on writing our design report and ordering more parts needed for our light. Currently, the biggest risks we have are parts taking longer than expected to arrive. To manage these risks, we have placed an order request for almost all the critical parts needed for our light. There haven’t been any particular changes to our design since last week, but more justification was provided in our design report for why we made those decisions. Our schedule has changed a bit, since we have just finished ordering parts, we will have to spend some time after break working on the individual components before integrating them together. This will not jeopardize the success of our project because we built in a few weeks of buffer time.
Below are some considerations of how our product will meet a specific need. A was written by Chloe, B was written by Ella, and C was written by Kira.
Our miniature moving light is designed with consideration of global factors, by providing a cheap and easy to learn alternative to industry standard moving lights. Not only can our lights be used in an academic environment, but even those out of school who have an interest in learning lighting can use our lights. Also, this light can be used even by those who are experienced but want a cheaper solution, such as using them at dance parties or performances. This light removes the barrier for entry into learning about lighting for anyone interested.
Our miniature moving light is designed with cultural factors in mind by supporting the wide range of communities that use lighting as part of creative expression. Lighting is an important part of many cultural activities, including theater productions, concerts, dance performances, and community events. However, the professional lighting equipment used in these environments can be expensive and difficult for beginners to access or learn. By creating a smaller and more affordable moving light that still operates using the standard DMX control protocol, our design allows students, hobbyists, and community groups to experiment with the same lighting concepts used in professional productions. Additionally, because the system uses the same control methods that are common in the entertainment lighting industry, users who learn with our device can apply those skills in more advanced or professional settings. This helps make lighting technology more approachable to people from different backgrounds and experience levels while still maintaining compatibility with existing lighting practices used in performances and events.
Our miniature moving light is designed with environmental factors in mind by prioritizing low power consumption and minimizing material use compared to full-scale professional fixtures. Commercial moving lights are large, power-intensive devices that are designed for high-output stage environments and can require significant electrical power and large amounts of hardware. In contrast, our system uses small motors, low-power LEDs, and compact microcontrollers, which reduces the overall energy required to operate the device and makes it more practical for small spaces such as classrooms or personal workspaces. Additionally, the device is built from widely available electronic components, allowing individual parts to be replaced if needed rather than discarding the entire system, which helps reduce unnecessary material waste.
Kira’s Status Report for 3/7
This week I focused on contributing to the design report and preparing for the implementation of the microcontroller and DMX communication portions of the project. I completed significant portions of the Architecture/Principle of Operation and System Implementation sections of the design report, which describe the overall system structure, subsystem interactions, and the intended hardware and firmware approach for the device. In addition to documentation work, I finalized my research into how I plan to approach the microcontroller control system, including how the controller will interface with the DMX communication system and coordinate the device subsystems. I also ordered the microcontrollers and the other parts we’ll need to start working on the DMX I/O. The goal was to make sure we have everything ready so we can start building and testing as soon as the parts come in. Overall I’m still on schedule, next week I’m hoping to start setting up the microcontroller environment, organize the parts once they arrive, and begin working on the basic DMX code so we can start testing communication between the controller and main body system.
Chloe’s Status Report for 3/7
This week, I worked on writing various sections of the design report. I focused on the abstract, introduction, user needs, design requirements, testing, project management, related work, and summary sections. In addition, I finalized the power converter we will use based on the specs of our ordered parts and placed an order request for it. My progress is a bit behind what we initially set because we just finished ordering parts this week. I was planning on having the power system and LED system fully designed after break, which is still on track, but I will likely need to see the physical thing to be sure of what I have designed. To catch up to the project schedule, I will use the buffer time we included before we integrate parts to get each subsystem working. In addition, now that almost all our parts have been ordered, I can nail down how everything will be connected. Next week, the week after break, I plan to work on the code needed for LED control, and finish up the design of our power system once everything arrives.
Ella’s Status Report for 2/21
This week I received items for the motor/mechanism parts of the project and started investigating how they will go together physically to create the system. I started writing code and hooking up the motors and motor drivers. We are thus far on time with our project and hopefully will continue to be on time as we get closer to the break. In the upcoming week, I will continue to get the motors working with their drivers and code and continue to develop the CAD for the system.
Team Status Report for 2/21
This week, our team continued researching and ordering components for our moving light. Kira presented our design review slides, and we all completed peer reviews for other team’s designs. Ella made substantial progress on the motor subsystem after key components arrived midweek, allowing her to begin more hands-on work. Chloe began drafting our design report, using the provided template. Next week, we plan to focus on completing the design report, finalize component purchases, and Kira and Chloe will begin developing their subsystems, DMX I/O and cooling respectively, as long as the necessary components arrive on time. At the moment, the most significant risks would be the delay of parts arriving, or realizing that the parts we bought are not compatible with each other. To minimize these risks, we’ve looked carefully at the specifications of all ordered parts and only ordered what we needed to get started, that way we can make adjustments as we go if needed. This week, our design hasn’t changed much, since we’ve nailed down almost everything while preparing for our design presentation last week.