The following entries are brief outlines of our meeting notes from each lab session:
Week 1 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 1:
01/12/2018 12:45-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
We took inventory of our AEV kits as a group. We also set up a group messaging app to help with intragroup communication. Necessary documents were signed (Kit Label, Kit Checklist, and Student Responsibility). We thought of a few things we could design, test, and modify for our AEV project. Some ideas included testing efficiency of materials (Will) and propellers (Darcy) and designing a brake system (Mitchell).
Upcoming tasks:
Create a website as a group.
For this update, we need to:
• Set up drop-down menus.
• Set up the Company-landing page.
• Set up Division (team) pages within the Company Page
• Division page should show approach to MCR.
• Create team pages with student information (contact information, pictures, and roles.
Specific Roles are to be decided.
** Abhi Malisetty was not in class.
Week 2 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 2:
01/19/2018 12:45-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
The main objectives of the second day of meeting together as a group in class were the following: (1) become familiar with the automatic control system hardware components, (2) setup the AEV software, (3) program the basic function calls for controlling the AEV, (4) upload programs on the Arduino and test these programs, and (5) become familiar with troubleshooting techniques. While Will started the setup of the AEV software, the rest of the team started to become familiar with the hardware components. Darcy and Abhi started to work on the glossary of the “Basic Function Calls” table while Mitch and Will assembled the AEV motor mount. After completing both tasks, Will was able to display his screen on our desktops in order for us to assist him in creating the test program for the Arduino and the motor.
Progress Report:
The team ended the day with some technical issues that resulted in a lot of lost time. The program would not upload and the wires connecting the motors to the Arduino board were detached. These two problems required a good deal of troubleshooting and extra time. The team is currently behind schedule and will look to get back on track in Week 3.
Therefore, we can not answer the progress report question yet. This deliverable will be included in next week’s team meeting minutes.
The “Basic Function Calls” tab gives you access to the glossary of programming terms we will be using in this project. Please refer to this when any question arises about terminology in our documentation of the coding aspects of our project.
Upcoming tasks:
- Complete Testing of Motors
- Exercise 2 – External Sensors Testing
- Become familiar with the external sensor hardware components.
- Become familiar with troubleshooting techniques.
- Program function calls for using external sensors with AEV control.
- Creative Design Session
- Exploring the Design Analysis Tool
Week 3 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 3:
01/26/2018 12:45-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics: In order to get back on schedule group J focused on successfully downloading the basic programming code from the computer to the Arduino. Another main topic of the meeting was addressing the multiple problems with the Arduino board and its connections. Most of the meeting was spend re-wiring connections and troubleshooting the faulty Arduino.
Progress Report:
Unfortunately, this meeting was spent trying to fix the malfunctioning Arduino, but the final conclusion was that a new Arduino board was needed. A new board will be procured for the next week of lab. It was determined that the basic code was correct, but the Arduino itself could not accept the code from the laptop. Next week, the group should be able to get back on track by completing reflectance testing and the creative design lab with the help of a new Arduino.
Upcoming tasks:
- Creative Design Thinking
- External Sensor Testing
Week 4 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 4:
02/02/2018 12:45-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics: The focus on today’s meeting was to test our external sensors and to run our first program with the stock AEV that we built. Mitch and Will worked to successfully upload the program while Darcy and Abhi constructed the stock AEV and helped replace the faulty motor connection on the Arduino board.
Progress Report: Today we completed the external sensor testing. We started the day with a new Arduino board, because our last one was faulty. The testing was successful and it was confirmed that the external sensors work. Next, the first program was run with the stock AEV. We ran into a few problems during testing: only one motor would run when the start button was pressed. With the help of Chris, it was determined that the new Arduino board had a faulty motor chip, and after replacing it, the program ran smoothly.
Upcoming tasks:
- Creative Design Session
- Exploring the Design Analysis Tool
Additional Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 5:
02/07/2018 12:45-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics: Today the group met in order to determine roles for the progress report and to work on the creative design lab.
Progress Report: It was determined that Will would upload the code and write about future goals, Mitch would work on crunching and interpreting the past data, Darcy would write a summary and discuss takeaways from the previous four weeks of lab, and Abhi would write about the future plans for the group. Additionally, it was decided that our group would have a focus of efficiency with our creative AEV designs.
Upcoming tasks:
- Type progress report #1
- Exploring the Design Analysis Tool
- Complete Team AEV sketch from Creative Design
Week 5 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 5:
02/09/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
The focus of today’s meeting in lab was to finish Lab 4 and start on the Advanced R&D. Mitch was tasked with taking the team minutes throughout the lab, Will continued his work with the programming of the Arduino, and Darcy and Abhi continued construction and testing of the AEV.
Tasks Completed:
- Tested Lab 4 program and downloaded data from Arduino to MATLAB program.
- Produced a plot of Power versus Time.
- Produced a plot of Power versus Distance.
- Updated Team Website
- Tested AEV on classroom track.
- Test 1: AEV did not move on the track from starting position.
- Test 2: AEV did not move on the track from starting position.
- Went back to the program and adjusted power.
- Also added screws to the AEV to stabilize the arm.
- Reconsidered which propellers we were using and switched model type.
- Test 3: AEV moved down the track at a good pace.
- Test 4: AEV moved down the track at a good pace with decent distance (3-4 meters).
Progress Report:
Before testing on the track, we had to replace the Arduino to download the program for track testing. We have had a considerable amount of technical difficulties with the Arduino, with this being the fourth Arduino being used on our AEV. The technical difficulties have slowed down our progression in the project, so we decided to meet after class in the lab and work on the next design.
Upcoming Tasks:
- Complete Advanced R&D
- Complete Grant Proposal
- Prepare 60-90 second Grant Presentation
- Prepare for Committee Meeting 1
Week 6 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 6:
02/09/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
In class, we viewed the presentations of all the grant proposals as well as presenting our own. After the presentations were finished, we started to test our new AEV design on the classroom track. At the end of class, the team members went to their own departmental meetings as a part of Committee Meeting 1.
Tasks Completed:
- Presented Grant Proposal
- Attended Committee Meeting 1
- Tested new AEV design on the classroom track.
- Results showed improved efficiency (see plots on website)
- Tested new AEV design with new commands in the program.
- AEV properly responded to changes made.
- Determined that our focus in Advanced R&D will be:
- Coasting versus Breaking (Power Breaking)
- Ran new AEV design multiple times with different inputs to test the efficiency of different braking and coasting methods.
Progress Report:
- Today’s testing of the new design proved to be very effective. We could see the effectiveness of our change in design through the MATLAB plots produced by the data taken from our test runs today. With less material, the power consumption of our design was decreased and the distance traveled increased.
Upcoming Tasks:
- Continue Advanced R&D
- Complete Concept Screening and Scoring
Week 7 Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 7:
02/23/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
In class, we started Advanced R&D Research and Development. We first ran the test procedure (Coasting versus Power Braking) to compare the results of the two methods. We are required to complete two labs in the Advanced Research and Development Phase that correspond to our company topic: Efficiency.
Tasks Completed:
- Three Trials of Coasting
- Three Trials of Power Braking
- Weighed the AEV for Future Reference
- Mass: 238 grams (0.524lbs)
- Analyzed Data from Test Runs
Progress Report:
Provide the following values:
- Mean of and standard deviation of braking distance for coasting and power braking.
- Braking distance = total distance – forward distance
- Provide the mean value of power usage for both methods.
- (OPTIONAL) include same data for other code using different motor speed
- Note the average distance required the AEV needs to stop before the gate for each method.
- Based on standard deviation and a margin of 3 inches on each side, what % of runs would land within the margin?
- Draw conclusions about the two methods using calculated data.
Questions Discussed during Lab:
- Why does the AEV’s power consumption spike at the beginning of each run? Does this have to do with the first “reverse” command to switch the polarity?
- Do we want to have anything laser cut or change our materials to minimize mass?
Upcoming Tasks:
- Progress Report 2
- Website Update 3
- Oral R&D Presentations
Additional Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 8:
03/07/2018 12:40-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics: Today the group met in order to determine roles for the progress report and to discuss findings from the Advanced Research and Development Labs, as well as where we are going, as a team, from here.
Progress Report: It was determined that Will would upload the code and write about future goals, Mitch would work on crunching and interpreting the past data, Darcy would write a summary and discuss takeaways from the previous four weeks of the lab, and Abhi would write about the future plans for the group.
Upcoming tasks:
- Type progress report #2
- Analyze statistics from Energy Analysis Lab
- Analyze statistics from Power Breaking vs. Coasting Lab.
Week 9A Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 9A:
03/09/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
Today marked the start of the first Performance Test. We continued to test our AEV, modifying the code as we went to discern any variability in our data and visible results.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test Trial Runs
- Switched battery to test variability.
- Tested on the actual track with incline/declines.
Upcoming Tasks:
- Performance Test 1
- Comprehensive Design Review Draft
Data Collected During Lab:
First Battery Tested: 7.88V
Second Battery Tested: 8.39V
Week 9B Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 9B:
03/19/2018 12:40pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
In Lab 9b, Will revamped the code for the AEV to include checks while on the track. We continued testing for data collection based on the requirements of the first performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test Trial Runs
- Tested enhanced code on the track.
- Modified code due to slight differences between battery and track conditions.
Upcoming Tasks:
- Performance Test 1 (Due next Lab Period)
- Comprehensive Design Review Draft
Data Collected During Lab:
- Third Battery Tested: 8.44V
Week 9C Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 9C:
03/21/2018 12:40pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before completing the first performance test. We then began to work on updating the code for performance test two.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 1
Upcoming Tasks:
- CDR Draft
- Performance Test 2
Data Collected During Lab:
- Fourth Battery Tested: 8.33V
Week 10A Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 10A:
03/22/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 308
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the second performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 2 Testing
- CDR Preparation and Role Assignment
Upcoming Tasks:
- CDR Draft
- Performance Test 2
Data Collected During Lab:
- Fifth Battery Tested: 8.32V
Week 10B Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 10B:
03/26/2018 12:40pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the second performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 2 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Performance Test 2
Data Collected During Lab:
- Fifth Battery Tested: 8.38V
Week 10C Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 10C:
03/28/2018 12:40pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the second performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 2 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Committee Meeting 2
- Progress Report 3
Data Collected During Lab:
- Sixth Battery Tested: 8.50V
Week 11A Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 11A:
03/30/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
Before completing the second committee meeting, Group J was able to attempt their final run for the second performance test. Fortunately, the AEV completed the run smoothly. Additionally, the Group was able to complete additional efficiency testing for different codes, in an attempt to optimize cost and energy efficiency.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 2 Testing/Trials
- Committee Meeting #2
Upcoming Tasks:
- Performance Test 3 (Final Test)
- Progress Report 3
Data Collected During Lab:
- Seventh Battery Tested: 8.43V
Week 11B Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 11B:
04/02/2018 12:35pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 308
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the third and final performance test. We then confirmed our roles for the completion of the third and final progress report due this Wednesday.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 3 Testing/Trials
- Progress Report 3 Roles and Responsibilities
Upcoming Tasks:
- Progress Report 3 (Due Next Lab Period)
Data Collected During Lab:
- Eighth Battery Tested: 8.42V
Week 11C Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 11C:
04/04/2018 12:35pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 308
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the third and final performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 3 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Critical Design Review Final Submission
- Final Performance Test
Data Collected During Lab:
- Eighth Battery Tested: 8.45V
Week 12A Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 12A:
04/09/2018 12:35pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 308
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the third and final performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 3 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Critical Design Review Final Submission
- Oral Presentation Draft Submission
- Final Performance Test
Data Collected During Lab:
- Ninth Battery Tested: 8.48V
Week 12B Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 12B:
04/11/2018 12:35pm-1:35pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 308
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the third and final performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 3 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Critical Design Review Final Submission
- Final Performance Test
Data Collected During Lab:
- Tenth Battery Tested: 8.45V
Week 12C Team Meeting Minutes
Meeting 12C:
04/13/2018 12:45pm-2:05pm
Attendees: Darcy Cavanagh, Mitchell Bergman, Will Frasher, Abhi Malisetty
Location: Hitchcock 224
Topics:
After testing our newest battery for its voltage value, we completed a few runs and adjusted a few parameters in our code before attempting the third and final performance test.
Tasks Completed:
- Performance Test 3 Testing/Trials
Upcoming Tasks:
- Critical Design Review Final Submission
- Final Oral Presentation
Data Collected During Lab:
- Tenth Battery Tested: 8.43V