Project OverviewProject Overview

HSR - Mechanical AspectsHSR - Mechanical Aspects

Pieter GagnonPieter Gagnon

Ian DanielsonIan Danielson

DescriptionDescription

Our project is to address the various Our project is to address the various challenges that InSciTe has put out. challenges that InSciTe has put out.

Although we will not participate in the Although we will not participate in the competition, we are still building the competition, we are still building the robots for the experience.robots for the experience.

Our primary focus is the mechanical Our primary focus is the mechanical aspects of the solution.aspects of the solution.

Project GoalsProject Goals

Our ultimate goal for this project Our ultimate goal for this project is to assemble as many different is to assemble as many different mechanical solutions for the mechanical solutions for the various challenges we have been various challenges we have been given. We will then document given. We will then document what we created, for future what we created, for future reference.reference.

Problem definitionProblem definition

Every year HSR puts out a set of Every year HSR puts out a set of challenges. Anyone can form a team challenges. Anyone can form a team and build a robot to solve these and build a robot to solve these challenges. They then have the option challenges. They then have the option of participating in a competition, with of participating in a competition, with potential awards and scholarships. potential awards and scholarships. The primary benefit is first-hand The primary benefit is first-hand experience with programming, and experience with programming, and mechanical design.mechanical design.

History of the problemHistory of the problem

There have been almost a decade of There have been almost a decade of annual challenges prior to this year’s. annual challenges prior to this year’s.

Extensive documentation of previous Extensive documentation of previous challenges can be found at challenges can be found at http://www.hightechkids.org/http://www.hightechkids.org/

There are a variety of teams that There are a variety of teams that participate in this, and each year new participate in this, and each year new types of solutions are created.types of solutions are created.

Related projectsRelated projects

Both of us have participated in the Both of us have participated in the actual competition in past years. actual competition in past years.

We are taking advantage of this year We are taking advantage of this year to experiment with different design to experiment with different design ideas, that we didn’t have the time ideas, that we didn’t have the time to follow up on in previous years.to follow up on in previous years.

Three Possible Three Possible SolutionsSolutions

DesignChallenge

Reuse Previousdesign

CreateNew

Design

Copy Someone

Else’sDesign

Previous DesignPrevious Design

One option for One option for completing the completing the mechanical aspect of mechanical aspect of the challenge is to re-the challenge is to re-use old designs. use old designs.

This would be beneficial, This would be beneficial, because we would know because we would know what works and what what works and what doesn’t.doesn’t.

This might be bad if we This might be bad if we miss an opportunity for miss an opportunity for improvement.improvement.

Create new designCreate new design

The second option for completing the The second option for completing the mechanical aspect of the challenge is to mechanical aspect of the challenge is to come up with a completely new designcome up with a completely new design

This could be good, because there are things This could be good, because there are things we might want to try that we haven’t we might want to try that we haven’t included in past year’s designsincluded in past year’s designs

This could be bad because it might take a This could be bad because it might take a while to get out of the mechanical design while to get out of the mechanical design stage, while we work to refine the structure stage, while we work to refine the structure of the basic robot.of the basic robot.

Copy Other’s Past Copy Other’s Past DesignsDesigns The final potential solution to our problem was The final potential solution to our problem was

to build off of someone else’s previous design.to build off of someone else’s previous design. This would be potentially good because there This would be potentially good because there

have been some very well-built robots in the have been some very well-built robots in the past, and we have records and the capabilities past, and we have records and the capabilities to duplicate them.to duplicate them.

This would be bad because it would be more of This would be bad because it would be more of an exercise, and nothing else. Copying an exercise, and nothing else. Copying someone else’s design isn’t exploring anything someone else’s design isn’t exploring anything new, and since we aren’t actually competing, new, and since we aren’t actually competing, there is little point.there is little point.

Planning and Planning and schedulingscheduling

Week 1 - Set up workstation, gather materials, familiarize ourselves Week 1 - Set up workstation, gather materials, familiarize ourselves with the challenges.with the challenges.

Week 2 - Begin brainstorming for possible approaches to challenges.Week 2 - Begin brainstorming for possible approaches to challenges. Week 3 - Begin building basic robot, using parameters set in previous Week 3 - Begin building basic robot, using parameters set in previous

discussions.discussions. Week 4 - Build attachments for specific challenge approaches.Week 4 - Build attachments for specific challenge approaches. As the end of the quarter approaches, discuss the future of the As the end of the quarter approaches, discuss the future of the

project. Continue to refine designs, or move on to a new project?project. Continue to refine designs, or move on to a new project?