MECHANICAL SYSTEMS DESIGN

Understanding electric motor fundamentals; designing to
maximize output power/efficiency

 

CRAWLER PROJECT: GEARASSIC PARK

  • Group project
  • Materials: Lego set with gears and motor, rubber bands
  • Goal: Design a crawler to rescue a dinosaur egg (sand-filled balloon) from the depths of a volcano (steep ramp)
  • Calculated power and torque curves to maximize output power and efficiency for designed crawler
  • Developed and assembled several prototypes of crawler and tested each on the ramp
  • Crawler traveled down ramp, retrieved egg, reversed direction, and traveled back up
 

MEGAXANTHO

  • Group project
  • Materials: aircraft plywood, plastic, steel shafts, timing belts, shaft couplers, gearbox, battery
  • Goal: Design a crawler using some type of linkage for movement; navigate through the terrains of Gibbons Grove
  • Calculated coupler curves for Jansen linkage; modified lengths of links based on data found
  • Developed model of linkage in Solidworks
  • Lasercut model out of aircraft plywood
  • Motor was driven by timing belts positioned on both drive shafts (1 shaft per set of two legs)
  • Coupled each pair of legs with shaft coupler, allowing for easy manipulation of adjusting gait cycle