Group A Evolution of Designs

Final AEV Design

Alex’s design:

In Design 1, the engineer focused on maximizing the speed of the AEV while using as little materials as possible. The engineer decided to use a cross piece for the base instead of the t-shaped base. This allowed for the propellers and motors to be placed on side-wings rather than the back of the design. The flaps beneath the propellers are designed to increase the lift on the propellers and increase the aerodynamics of the AEV. The battery is placed safely away from the motors and opposite of the automatic control system to even out the weight distribution.

 

Item	Count	Budget Unit Cost	Total Budget Cost
Arduino	1	$100,000	$100,000
Electric Motors	2	$9,900	$19,980
Count Sensor	2	$2,000	$4,000
Count Sensor Connector	2	$2,000	$4,000
Trapezoid	2	$1,000	$2,000
Motor Clamps	2	$590	$1180
Cross Shape	1	$2,000	$2,000
Wheels	2	$7,500	$15,000
Large wheel nut	2	$2,000	$4,000
Large wheel bolt	2	$2,000	$2,000
Propellers	2	$450	$900
Angle Brackets	2	$840	$1680
		Total	$156,740

Minji’s design:

Design 2 provides stability when moving along the tracks. This design has the arduino and the battery placed in the center of the AEV to evenly distribute the weight. This allows the vehicle to be more safe. The budget and the list of materials are listed in Table A below, and as it’s displayed in the table, the vehicle can be built using parts from the standard AEV box. Rather than placing the battery under the sensor, the design has the battery placed under the propellers for even weight distribution toward the back. The total cost of this design’s parts was calculated to be $156,740 (see Table A). The weight of this design was determined to be about one pound.

 

Table A. Bill of Materials – Design 2

Item	Count	Budget Unit Cost	Total Budget Cost
Arduino	1	$100,000	$100,000
Electric Motors	2	$9,900	$19,980
Count Sensor	2	$2,000	$4,000
Count Sensor Connector	2	$2,000	$4,000
2” x 6” Rectangle	1	$2,000	$2,000
Motor Clamps	2	$590	$1180
T-Shape Arm	1	$3,000	$3,000
Wheels	2	$7,500	$15,000
Large wheel nut	2	$2,000	$4,000
Large wheel bolt	2	$2,000	$2,000
Propellers	2	$450	$900
Angle Brackets	2	$840	$1680
		Total	$157,740

Kyle’s design:

In Design 3, stability, amount of material, and the ability to move forward and backward equally well are the primarily targeted categories. The battery and Arduino board are vertically mounted along the arm to provide a uniform weight distribution, in hopes to maximize stability and minimize material. Propellers are placed at opposite ends and facing away from one another to allow symmetric movement in either direction. Using this design, all parts can be acquired from the standard AEV box of materials (Table C). The approximate weight of Design 3 is 1 lb.

Table C. Bill of Materials – Design 3

Item	Count	Budget Unit Cost	Total Budget Cost
Arduino	1	$100,000	$100,000
Electric Motors	2	$9,900	$19,980
Count Sensor	2	$2,000	$4,000
Count Sensor Connector	2	$2,000	$4,000
2” x 6” Rectangle	1	$2,000	$2,000
Motor Clamps	2	$590	$1180
T-Shape Arm	1	$3,000	$3,000
Wheels	2	$7,500	$15,000
Large wheel nut	2	$2,000	$4,000
Large wheel bolt	2	$2,000	$2,000
Propellers	2	$450	$900
Angle Brackets	2	$840	$1680
		Total	$157,740

In Design 4, the amount of material and the efficiency were prioritized. The engineer wanted to use as little material as possible and have a smaller, more aerodynamic AEV. A cross piece was used because of its minimal surface area. The arduino is placed on top, while the battery is placed underneath to keep uniform weight distribution. The AEV was designed with the intent to use the least amount of material to keep the AEV from getting too bulky, as well as to be able to build the AEV faster and better. This also helps with the cost of the design, as seen from above costs, this design by far has the lowest cost. The total estimated cost of this design is $155,060 (Table D). The weight of this AEV design was approximated to be 14 ounces.

 

Table D: Bill of Materials – Design 4

Item	Count	Budget Unit Cost	Total Budget Cost
Arduino	1	$100,000	$100,000
Electric Motors	2	$9,900	$19,980
Count Sensor	2	$2,000	$4,000
Count Sensor Connector	2	$2,000	$4,000
2” x 6” Rectangle	1	$2,000	$2,000
Motor Clamps	2	$590	$1180
T-Shape Arm	1	$3,000	$3,000
Wheels	2	$7,500	$15,000
Large wheel nut	2	$2,000	$4,000
Large wheel bolt	2	$2,000	$2,000
Propellers	2	$450	$900
		Total	$155,060

 

Team AEV Sketch (Design 5) – Final Design

The engineers used Design 4’s use of material with the layout of Design 2, which improved the safety of the overall design. The group design also included the orientation of the control system and battery as shown in Design 3. The group also tried to implement Design 1’s concept of increasing lift on the propellers to improve the aerodynamics. The estimated cost of this design was calculated to be $157,740 (Table E). The estimated weight of this design is one pound.

Table E: Bill of Materials – Design 5

Item	Count	Budget Unit Cost	Total Budget Cost
Arduino	1	$100,000	$100,000
Electric Motors	2	$9,900	$19,980
Count Sensor	2	$2,000	$4,000
Count Sensor Connector	2	$2,000	$4,000
2” x 6” Rectangle	1	$2,000	$2,000
Motor Clamps	2	$590	$1180
T-Shape Arm	1	$3,000	$3,000
Wheels	2	$7,500	$15,000
Large wheel nut	2	$2,000	$4,000
Large wheel bolt	2	$2,000	$2,000
Propellers	2	$450	$900
Angle Brackets	2	$840	$1680
		Total	$155,740