- This week, I continued working on the hardware portion of the project, as well as started writing the programs to control the hardware components. These tasks were accomplished as a team with my teammate, Ryan. I first ordered inserts for the load cells, so that we would be able to attach them to the stand using M4 bolts. This involved drilling in the inserts, placing the load cell above them, the attaching the bolts. Now the top of the stand contains the load cells and hooks. In regards to the load cells, we calibrated them so that they would display weights in pounds. Additionally, I helped with testing our motor, successfully being able to control the speed and position of the NEMA 17 motor. We attached the motor to the stand, and have started testing whether our use case requirements, specifically the weight requirement of 25 lbs on each hook, would be achievable. Upon further testing, we realized that our first motor driver did work, and have since begun using it to control the motor as it has a higher maximum current rating. Our entire team tested wireless transmission between two Arduino boards, and were successfully able to communicate between them.
- My schedule is currently on track with the Gantt chart we created in previous weeks. According to the Gantt chart, I should be assembling the rack with the electronic components. I have tested individual components, and am now ready to write the programs which will control the hardware components.
- Next week, I will continue working on ensuring that the rack can withstand the required weight as described by our use case requirements. This will involve adding a second motor to the stand, as only one motor, was not powerful enough. In addition to this, I will write code for transmitting data between the web application and stand. This code will define what data is transmitted when a user attempts to check-in or check-out an item. Overall, the upcoming week will be dedicated integrating between different system components and further testing.
Carnegie Mellon ECE Capstone, Spring 2024 | Doreen Valmyr, Ryan Lin, Surafel Tsadik