This week, our major progress lies in the validation of magnetic levitation. With the commercial & pre-assembled magnetic levitation kit, we are able to successfully lift the magnet (piece) and drag it along the way, proving that the movement, once the piece is on the air floating, is feasible and stable. For interference, we’ve tested and figured out that if the interference is too high (placing lots of stacked magnets close), the floating magnet will be attracted, yet with a single small magnet, it remains stable for a distance. We may want to look deeper into the safe distance and make adjustments accordingly next week.
Schedule wise, we are a bit falling behind due to the delay in receiving the x-y gantry system, as planned from last week. Yet I still read some documentations on controlling the stepper motors with CNC shield module. I will likely get the xy-gantry to move and complete some testing with controlling two stepper motors next week. We will also continue to experiment with the magnetic levitation system to devise a way to stably move pieces in between without interference.