Scott Manley's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wgGRcmxIE (Go to 13:18 for the recoil rocket)
2019 BPC School Maker Faire
Showing posts with label Electronics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electronics. Show all posts
Recoil Based Cannon
For my maker faire project I decided to work on a recoil based rocket engine model. The way a recoil based engine works is a cannon fires a round at the precise direction, and then, using Newton's Third Law, the rocket is pushed forward. I was inspired by a Kerbal Space Program video made by YouTuber Scott Manley about a joke rocket made out of four GAU-8s (the A-10 Thunderbolt II's gun) pointed downwards, that actually worked until the guns needed to cool down and the rocket came crashing back down. I expanded the idea to include a turret for pitch, yaw, and roll control. I realize that the objective of this prototype was for a more efficient rocket engine, and the discarding of stages efficiency due to each individual "stage" (bullet) being so small that the weight is discarded as thrust remains the same. I had a challenge where the "instance" command wasn't working in Blender and I had to switch to Tinkercad to fix the issue. If I were to do anything next it would be designing the firing mechanism and loading mechanism. The 3D model probably costed around $800 (including cost of 3D printer), but if you already have a printer, then around $2.
Scott Manley's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wgGRcmxIE (Go to 13:18 for the recoil rocket)
Scott Manley's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wgGRcmxIE (Go to 13:18 for the recoil rocket)
Sonar Measuring Device
I coded my Microbit to convert that pulse into the distance based on an algorithm. The Microbit displays the distance to the nearest foot on the LED display. The Microbit was being powered by a battery pack and the Microbit was powering the sonar sensor and the sonar sensor was sending back out that electricity as a pulse, but there was a problem. Computers are made of 1s and 0s, which are represented by a voltage. X voltage and below would count as 0 and Y voltage to Z voltage would count as 1 (any above and the computer might fry) (X, Y, Z are random volts where X<Y<Z), but there is a gap between X and Y because any voltage in that gap might just be a vibration so . The pulse that the sonar sensor was sending was in that gap, so the Microbit couldn’t receive it. The sonar sensor was lowering down the voltage by 2 volts to the Microbit’s gap. So I got a mobile phone charger, which emitted more volts than the Microbit which is powered by batteries, connected it to a board and had two wires, one going to the Microbit and one going to the sonar. This phone charger gave the sonar a larger input than the batteries + Microbit, so the output (pulse) would be in the Microbit’s voltage range. But the pulse was above the Microbit’s range (an area where it would get fried), so I added three diodes which decreased the voltage to the 1 area so the Microbit would pick it up.
I had a really fun time making this. I learned from my dad about the range of 1 and 0 and the gap between which is really cool and I have a newfound respect for DIYers who use spare electronics to make things. In the future, I would like to make it more precise and accurate in its distance readings. I should say I want to make it all less messy or at least 3d print a case for it, but I know I don’t care enough about neatness to do so. If someone wants to do this I would recommend using an oscilloscope or something of that sort before plugging it into the Microbit because it is easy and not fun to fry it.
Links: https://www.maxbotix.com/Ultrasonic_Sensors/MB1000.htm, https://microbit.org/code/, https://www.maxbotix.com/documents/LV-MaxSonar-EZ_Datasheet.pdf
The Mighty Hug Machine
For our project, we designed a hug machine. We designed the machine so that if someone put an object in front of it, the machine would squeeze or hug it in a matter of a couple of seconds. We were not really inspired by any other projects, but we were inspired by lonely people who did not have hugs. Hugs can help calm people down, and everybody needs a warm embrace after a hard day. We just came up with the idea, along with a couple of other ideas, and after changing our project three times, decided to go with this one.
We had some problems with the design of the machine. The most prominent challenge we had was figuring out how to get the forearms of the machine to curve inwards in order to squeeze or hug the object or person. We spent a lot of time thinking about this issue until we finally came up with a solution. Our solution was to attach poles to the machine to block the movement of the forearms while the upper arms kept moving away from each other to make the forearms curve inwards into a hugging or squeezing position.
We used YouTube to research how to animate our hug machine 3D model using Blender. Although it took time and effort, we finally learned to animate using Blender, and to successfully create an animation of what our hug machine would have looked like.
Due to the time constraints, we were unable to construct a physical machine. If we had been given more time, we would have done so. We would also have tried to advance the design of the machine so it would also work with smaller objects or people. With our machine the way it is now, any object or person we used would have to be reasonably big.
We would advise people to focus on the brainstorming, since a good idea is essential to having a good project. While you obviously should not get carried away, do not be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone. We would also advise people to get an early start and to do most of the designing at the very beginning.
Our project cost $0 since we did not build it. If we had, it would have probably cost somewhere in the $150-200 range due to the amount of wood necessary to build the body of the machine, large servo motors to move the arms, and padding for the arms to make it more comfortable and less rough.
Bibliography
Studios, Thilakanathan, director. Introduction to Basic Animation in Blender. YouTube, YouTube, 25 Aug. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZkdR1L91Ik.
The Useless Box
We made a Useless Box out of foam board, wood, and a circuit. As the name suggests, it literally does nothing. You flip the switch at the top of the box and a wooden arm will come out of the box to flip it back. Its sole "purpose" is to turn itself off. Our objective was to create a useless object that people enjoy using.
First, we had to gather the materials. It was challenging to find them, and we ended up ordering some of them in bulk on Amazon. We then cut the arm and the faces of the box out of foam poster board using X-Acto knives. We ended up replacing the top of the box and the arm with wooden pieces, because the top needed to withstand the lever being flipped up and down, and the arm needed to be heavy enough to flip the switch. After this, we connected the toggle switch, lever switch, battery pack, and motor to create the circuit. We then hot glued the bottom and all of the sides of the box but one. We assembled the circuit inside the box, then finally glued down the top and remaining side.
After browsing the internet for Maker Faire ideas, we came across a wind-powered machine called the Strandbeest. We were amazed at the Strandbeest, but, though the prospect of creating one was exciting, we decided that it was too complex to complete in the time limit we had. We continued to search and eventually found a kit to make a useless box. We researched the useless box and were immediately intrigued. We thought that creating a machine with no real "purpose" was hilarious. We settled on making a useless box but decided to increase the difficulty of the project by creating it from scratch and rather than using the kit with premade pieces.
During the process of constructing the useless box, we came across many challenges and were forced to tweak our design in order to overcome obstacles. Ensuring that the wooden arm successfully pushed the switch was one of the main issues we had. We had initially cut an arm out of a sheet of foam board. However, after cutting it out, we quickly realized that the foam was too light and weak and wouldn’t be able to push the switch. The foam arm was flimsy and relatively “soft.” Due to this, we decided to make a new arm out of wood. The wooden arm was significantly more durable and rigid than the foam board iteration, and it was able to push the switch. The one downside of using wood was that altering the size of the arm was more difficult. At one point, we had to saw off a bit of the arm in order for it to hit the switch at the right point. While sawing the arm, the wood broke. We had to glue the pieces back together and let the adhesive dry. This set our entire construction process back a day.
In the process of making the box, we learned several things. One thing we learned was how to use a drill. One of our group members sort of knew how to use a drill, but we weren’t sure if the drill was turning the right way or if it was rotating backward. We still don’t know. Another thing we learned was how to cut circles out of using an X-Acto knife, which is a lot harder than it looks. We practiced cutting several circles before cutting out the prototype for the arm. We also learned how to be innovative while assembling things. For instance, we realized our motor was positioned too close to the top of the box for the arm to flip the switch, so we hot glued a diet coke bottle cap in between the lid and the motor.
If we had more time, we would have wanted to fix the box so that the wooden arm would always flip the switch. At the BPC Maker Faire, the box only worked some of the time, and about 40% of the time you had to flip the switch back by hand. We thought we could solve this by using a battery pack with a higher voltage, because ours had only 3 volts, or by using hot glue to secure the wooden arm to the motor. However, when we tried to connect a second battery pack, which was 3 volts as well, nothing would happen when you flipped the switch. As we didn’t have any battery packs with a higher voltage, we disconnected the additional battery pack. If we had more time, we also would have liked to create a similar box where an arm takes your coin from a tray and puts it into the box.
As mentioned above, we learned quite a few things from this process and now have a better idea of how to approach this project. If you were to build a useless box, we would advise that you use a 6-volt battery pack opposed to using a 3-volt battery pack as we did. We found that the 3-volt battery pack supplied just enough power and force for the arm to hit the switch. However, after using the machine a few times, the battery would get drained and you were forced to wait a few minutes before using it again. In addition to this, we would recommend securing the wooden arm to the motor with hot glue or another adhesive. This would ensure that the arm doesn’t wiggle and get out of place, for even a slight change in the position of the arm could determine whether or whether not the arm pushes the switch.
Overall, this project cost around $11. However, do keep in mind that most of these items were bought in bulk or in sets and not singularly. It is difficult to find places which sell these items singularly and purchasing the items in sets was more time efficient. Due to this, the actual cost would be greater than $11 if you were to buy the materials in sets as we did.
Our design was loosely based off instructions we found on the Autodesk Instructables website titled Useless Machine. We didn’t follow the design exactly, as the diagrams it showed were complex and we had trouble understanding them, so Lily’s dad helped us redraw the diagram in a way which made more sense. We didn’t use the same measurements for the box as the creators said to but instead estimated what we thought would work the best. We also decided to make the top out of wood, so that when people flipped the switch back and forth it wouldn’t wear on the foam which we used for the rest of the box. Our box was relatively similar to the one in the instructions, but it wasn’t the same.
First, we had to gather the materials. It was challenging to find them, and we ended up ordering some of them in bulk on Amazon. We then cut the arm and the faces of the box out of foam poster board using X-Acto knives. We ended up replacing the top of the box and the arm with wooden pieces, because the top needed to withstand the lever being flipped up and down, and the arm needed to be heavy enough to flip the switch. After this, we connected the toggle switch, lever switch, battery pack, and motor to create the circuit. We then hot glued the bottom and all of the sides of the box but one. We assembled the circuit inside the box, then finally glued down the top and remaining side.
After browsing the internet for Maker Faire ideas, we came across a wind-powered machine called the Strandbeest. We were amazed at the Strandbeest, but, though the prospect of creating one was exciting, we decided that it was too complex to complete in the time limit we had. We continued to search and eventually found a kit to make a useless box. We researched the useless box and were immediately intrigued. We thought that creating a machine with no real "purpose" was hilarious. We settled on making a useless box but decided to increase the difficulty of the project by creating it from scratch and rather than using the kit with premade pieces.
During the process of constructing the useless box, we came across many challenges and were forced to tweak our design in order to overcome obstacles. Ensuring that the wooden arm successfully pushed the switch was one of the main issues we had. We had initially cut an arm out of a sheet of foam board. However, after cutting it out, we quickly realized that the foam was too light and weak and wouldn’t be able to push the switch. The foam arm was flimsy and relatively “soft.” Due to this, we decided to make a new arm out of wood. The wooden arm was significantly more durable and rigid than the foam board iteration, and it was able to push the switch. The one downside of using wood was that altering the size of the arm was more difficult. At one point, we had to saw off a bit of the arm in order for it to hit the switch at the right point. While sawing the arm, the wood broke. We had to glue the pieces back together and let the adhesive dry. This set our entire construction process back a day.
In the process of making the box, we learned several things. One thing we learned was how to use a drill. One of our group members sort of knew how to use a drill, but we weren’t sure if the drill was turning the right way or if it was rotating backward. We still don’t know. Another thing we learned was how to cut circles out of using an X-Acto knife, which is a lot harder than it looks. We practiced cutting several circles before cutting out the prototype for the arm. We also learned how to be innovative while assembling things. For instance, we realized our motor was positioned too close to the top of the box for the arm to flip the switch, so we hot glued a diet coke bottle cap in between the lid and the motor.
If we had more time, we would have wanted to fix the box so that the wooden arm would always flip the switch. At the BPC Maker Faire, the box only worked some of the time, and about 40% of the time you had to flip the switch back by hand. We thought we could solve this by using a battery pack with a higher voltage, because ours had only 3 volts, or by using hot glue to secure the wooden arm to the motor. However, when we tried to connect a second battery pack, which was 3 volts as well, nothing would happen when you flipped the switch. As we didn’t have any battery packs with a higher voltage, we disconnected the additional battery pack. If we had more time, we also would have liked to create a similar box where an arm takes your coin from a tray and puts it into the box.
As mentioned above, we learned quite a few things from this process and now have a better idea of how to approach this project. If you were to build a useless box, we would advise that you use a 6-volt battery pack opposed to using a 3-volt battery pack as we did. We found that the 3-volt battery pack supplied just enough power and force for the arm to hit the switch. However, after using the machine a few times, the battery would get drained and you were forced to wait a few minutes before using it again. In addition to this, we would recommend securing the wooden arm to the motor with hot glue or another adhesive. This would ensure that the arm doesn’t wiggle and get out of place, for even a slight change in the position of the arm could determine whether or whether not the arm pushes the switch.
Overall, this project cost around $11. However, do keep in mind that most of these items were bought in bulk or in sets and not singularly. It is difficult to find places which sell these items singularly and purchasing the items in sets was more time efficient. Due to this, the actual cost would be greater than $11 if you were to buy the materials in sets as we did.
Our design was loosely based off instructions we found on the Autodesk Instructables website titled Useless Machine. We didn’t follow the design exactly, as the diagrams it showed were complex and we had trouble understanding them, so Lily’s dad helped us redraw the diagram in a way which made more sense. We didn’t use the same measurements for the box as the creators said to but instead estimated what we thought would work the best. We also decided to make the top out of wood, so that when people flipped the switch back and forth it wouldn’t wear on the foam which we used for the rest of the box. Our box was relatively similar to the one in the instructions, but it wasn’t the same.
Tilda and Amelia's 2019 Maker Fair Blog Post
Our project was to make a flashlight in an Altoids tin. We wanted to learn about circuits and how they work. Our inspiration for our project was to make an accessible light source. One challenge we had was that we were new to circuits and needed to learn about them to understand our project. We learned about how circuits work. It took us a long time to figure everything out so if we did this a second time it would not take as much time. If we had more time we would try to make the flashlight, solar powered or make it easy to recharge the battery on a solar panel, so we could use a more sustainable energy source. Some advice we would give to others is to really research what you are doing before you get too far in. An estimated cost of our project if we had to buy everything except for the tools, would be about 10 dollars. This is a really cheap project that anyone can do if you have the knowledge, tools, and time. This is the tutorial we used. It did not explain how to solder the circuit so we had to get help.
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