Executive Summary:
The AEV project that the team conducted on the past few labs used several methods of research and testing to the team’s design. During the labs, the team demonstrated skills in cooperation, brainstorming ideas, decision-making, documentation as well as the overall design process. Throughout the lab, an AEV has been created in order to obtain the development in such skills. Advanced Energy Vehicle, or simply known as AEV, is an autonomous, small, electric motor-driven, track-guided vehicle that the team have the ability over what modifications needs to be made which includes the orientation of the motor and whatever changes need to be modify on the code. The final objective is to develop an AEV that is able to travel on the monorail-track system and stop at the marked gate for 7 seconds. Then, the AEV will continue travel to pickup the R2D2 at the cargo area and bring it back to the starting point. The team needs to follow all the requirements while maintaining the most efficient energy consumption.
Throughout the labs, the following aspect show the team’s findings, progress, and implementation taken based on the several weeks of testing, analyzing, and developing. The team became familiar with the syntax of the arduino code as well as the system. The reflectance sensor on the AEV is used to count the distance traveled by the AEV which crucial in order to use the data for future testing. Then, during the wind tunnel lab, the team able to determine the best propeller configuration that would produce the most efficient propeller to the AEV. The team decided to choose the 3030 pusher propeller since it has the highest advance ratio and larger diameter based on the data collected. Next, each team member created a design for the AEV that needs to be implemented over the reference AEV provided. The most important aspects that the team highlighted on the AEV design were as the following: lightweight, greater stability, as well as using least amount of power. After went through the concept of scoring matrices, the team came to a consensus to select the T-shape design as the final design. The second design includes the X-shape base and the team ran several times on the monorail track to gather data for both designs. The findings shown that design 1 (T-shape) used 71.94J after traveled with a distance of 12.5 meters. while Design 2 used 53.75J of energy after traveling for 5.5 meters. The team agreed to select Design 1 as the final design since it used the least amount of energy per meter. Upon the next lab, the team began to develop the the code using the Design 1 (T-shape) for the most optimized codes that follow the MCR operational requirements.
One of the error that team faced during the lab was when using the Arduino codes. In the code, the AEV supposedly to move forward but the AEV moves on the other direction. The team has to reverse the code in order for the AEV to move forward. This error could be potentially due to the sensor, but after checking with the instructional members, the team realized that reversing the codes will help to fix the error.Recommendation for this lab includes a proper and specific planning for the team come up with on each particular lab session. Therefore, this will allow each team members to be more concise with their decision making and teamwork skills. The team realized that communications are the important skills in order for the team to come upon with an agreement.
Based on the current group’s progress, further development needs to implemented on the code so that the AEV will be more consistent and uses the least amount of energy. This AEV project is important medium for the future engineers. It helps the team to develop teamwork skills, collecting and analyzing data through experimental research in-depth analysis of the overall design.
Project Schedule
The report in PDF form can be found below: