Physical Mockup

               The physical mockup was created for the purpose of determining if a 3D model of the prototype was possible as well as to see how effective the robot could be at accomplishing all the tasks. The physical mockup was created using a variety of materials including cardboard, paper, BIC pens, and duct tape. The entire chassis of the mockup, including the base, back, and top, was made out of cardboard and then wrapped in duct tape to provide structural support. The wheels were also made out of cardboard and the BIC pens were used as axels for the wheels. A servo motor was modeled out of paper, wrapped in duct tape, and then attached at the top of the robot. The forklift was also modeled out of cardboard and wrapped in duct tape to ensure structural support. The forklift mockup was able to move by cutting a slot in the back plate of the lift mechanism and attaching two pins into the forklift from behind the plate. The pins locked the forklift in place horizontally but allowed it move vertically and imitate the motion of a forklift. A mockup proteus was created out of paper and placed on the base of the chassis to imitate where the actual proteus would be.

             When this mockup was created, the team realized that several improvements could be made for the creation of the actual robot. One such improvement was the removal of the front two wheels in favor of a singular skid, which was then changed to two skids. The addition of two skids was a much cheaper option than the addition of two wheels. Another improvement that was made to the design onto the actual robot was the addition of the handle of a spoon onto the forklift. The handle extended out sideways from the forklift for the purpose of easily toggling the lava lever. The last improvement that was made was the shaving down of the prongs of the forklift. This was done because the original size of the prongs were too large and would not have allowed the robot to go underneath the core and grab it.