Summer Research

The following is research compiled over the summer of 2011, in order to prepare for the project. The ideas illustrated in this research DO NOT necessarily represent the project at the present. For example, most of the information here is now irrelevant to our present project, mentors have been added, and goals have been changed. However, as brainstorming is an important idea of the design process, the work has been added.

SUMMER RESEARCH

MY PROJECT

My senior project is VEXRobotics, a challenge that allows the student to design and create a robot from purchased parts.

TEAM MEMBERS

The team consists of Olivia I and Tess M.

BACKGROUND

Robotics has roots back as far as 350 B.C., with the construction of a mechanical bird by Greek mathematician, Archytas. Since that day, man has been fascinated with creating lifelike mechanisms out of varied parts and through multifarious procedures. A modern proponent in the race to advanced robotics, VEXRobotics is one of the most well-known robotics design kit manufacturers. Started in 2005, VEXRobotics supplies hundreds of students as well as adults with kits centered around a “brain” of sorts, which is a microcontroller. VEXRobots are unique in the way that they can be constructed to solve many problems and complete many different challenges. For our senior project, we would be using a standard VEXRobotics kit, which contains a microcontroller, remote control, various sensors, three electric motors, a servo, wheels, gears, and structural parts. For enhanced performance, we added additional sensors (advanced motion sensors) as well as a camera. These parts all require individual assembly and advanced understanding of robotics to construct.

WHY VEXROBOTICS?

“In addition to just having a great time and building amazing robots, through their participation in the VEX Robotics Competition and their work within their team, students will learn many academic and life skills.”

-VEXRobotics.com

DESIGN BRIEF: LAND

Our land VEXRobot is designed to allow scientists to collect field specimen, such as sea grass, without damaging the specimen in the process. A design developed originally by those preceding us, the main attachment to the standard robotic kit they developed is the advanced claw kit. This kit contains the materials needed to create a robotic arm, which can grab and sever plant stems. It consists of a simple machine and razor blades inside a rigid claw. To make this robot our own, an additional provision was made to the robot’s design- a place to store the collected specimen, in order to increase collection productivity. This provision is in the form of a small box on the side of the robot. This small box could be used to store collected plant specimen. This will change the robot’s efficiency greatly- before, only the VEXRobot could collect one specimen at a time. Now, multiple specimen collections would increase the efficiency of the robot. Also added to our robot would be tank treads, allowing the robot to maneuver over a larger variety of terrains. To aid in scientific research, the inspiration behind our overall design, an advanced camera would be added to the top of the robot. This would provide a live video feed to a nearby monitor, which would be instrumental in observing wildlife unobstructed by human contact. Thanks to the generosity of the Board of Education, a more advanced motor was purchased to be attached to our robot, allowing better mobility.

DESIGN BRIEF: WATER

Our water VEXRobot would be similar to the land robot in many ways. The design would be similar, except the camera would not be necessary to complete the challenges presented. Instead, an outer covering of foam would be placed on the VEXRobot to allow for floatation. The robotic claw would help in many of the challenges, and would be placed to the side of the robot. To power our robot in the water, an underwater propeller motor, with propellers provided by Ms. Green, will be wired in to the robot’s system. This would allow our robot to have a wide range of water mobility to assist in many challenges.

SPECIFICATIONS

The robot’s specifications are that it must be created entirely from individually assembled pieces. It must be able to separately complete a land challenge, as well as a water challenge. The VEXRobot must be designed with a sole purpose in mind; it must be designed to fit a certain need. The VEXRobot must also have at least one addition on it which makes it unique to our team of engineers.

LIMITATIONS

The only limitation that we were informed of was that the VEXRobot must be within an appropriate cost range, as determined from the supply list and cost rationale.

MENTORS

An important part of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology’s Senior Capstone Design Challenge is the mentorship program. In this project, students are to work with someone who is currently working or studying in the field appropriate to the project. A minimum of one mentor per student is required, and the student’s teachers must approve the mentor. At the permission of Mr. Alfonse and Mrs. McDonald, my senior project mentor is a Marine Engineering student, Robert Rubiano. Mr. Rubiano’s future education in the field of advanced marine engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will provide for professional advice and guidance, should the need arise. His aptitude in the field of Naval Architecture, one of his other selected majors, will also help aid in the success of the project. Information about mentor contact has been placed on file, as well as a communication agreement in which Mr. Rubiano agreed to help with technical and mechanical support for the project.

SIMULATED SITUATIONS

To test my VEXRobot, I will be constructing a pile of sediment with “seagrass” planted in it. The “seagrass” could be any type of plant positioned in the dirt. The sediment would have to be steady enough to support the VEX, and be preferably consisting of mainly sand. The goal of this test would be to have the robot successfully climb the pile of sediment with minimal erosion caused. It would have to cut the stalk of the “seagrass” without uprooting it. If both of these objectives were complete, the simulation would be a success.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders in this situation are scientists as well as animals natural to dune life.

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