In lab one, AEV designs were drawn in orthographic, based on traditional AEV design and with the theme of a Star Wars rescue in mind. The executive summary below provides an in-depth look into the design process as well as the lab procedure.
Executive Summary
The Creative Design Thinking Lab was composed of various activities that prepped the team of engineering students in their creation of an AEV that will be functional, aesthetically pleasing, and energy-efficient. This lab was primarily based on the utilization of the team’s creative thinking and drawing orthographic models of possible AEV designs. This lab was an introduction to the AEV lab project that will be completed throughout the semester. The purpose of this lab was to introduce the team to creative design in an engineering environment. The team was also introduced to orthographic drawings and the components of the AEV Kit.
The lab was split into three phases. In the first phase, the team was tasked with drawing individual concept sketches. The team drew orthographic sketches based on models that were given in the lab documentation. In the second phase, the team voted on which of the designs would be the final design. The team decided that two of the sketches, “Airplane” and “A-Wing AEV,” were the best designs and then drew a sketch of the two combined. After this was drawn, the team looked through the parts and the parts list and started to construct a bill of sale. After this was completed, the team put all materials away and finished the lab.
The main motivations of design A, seen in figure 1, were to refine the basic design with rigid edges, two motors connected to each propeller, and is intended as a simple alternative to the more complicated Star Wars themed designs. Design B, seen in figure 2, was intended to sacrifice some functionality in favor of fitting the theme of Star Wars. The motivations for design C were also to fit the project theme, but its size and shape make for a more practical application than design B, as seen in figure 3. The motivations for design D were to simplify the basic design, and to keep an overly minimalistic theme for simple construction. These designs differed quite a bit in the categories of design style and functionality, with design C in figure 3 being the most reasonable balance between the two. The designs were made to not hinder the completion of the mission, and in most cases, 3D printed aerodynamic additions and servo brakes improve the functionality of the AEV.
Each individual design has a similar set of parts used. These include the body structure, the propulsion system, brackets and connectors. The original A-Wing design, seen in figure 2 in the appendix and the final A-Wing design in figure 5 in the appendix both use 6 angle brackets, while the other designs use 2. Each figure has a bill of materials that fully describes the parts used, seen in the appendix. The designs that optimize style over function require additional pieces to be 3D printed or bought, which may contribute to greater weight. Though designs may differ in their conformity to the project theme, all designs have electric motors that are used to spin the propellers. An arduino is necessary to program the vehicle to perform the objective of collecting the “R2-D2” toy. The final design will be affected by the ability to attain additional materials that will help the vehicle resemble something from the Star Wars universe. One additional part can be 3D printed at no charge, and the remaining parts will have to be paid for or created using a different process.
This lab gave the team ultimate knowledge in several areas. The team learned techniques for creative design thinking such as indulging in relaxing activities, reading, and asking questions. Also, the team learned some topics that can inhibit creativeness such as fear of criticism and lack of confidence. The team interacted with the AEV components to understand how they operate and the team then brainstormed ideas on how to put the design together to have the AEV run effectively. Lastly, Group I learned the basics of orthographic sketches by practicing completing some designs during the lab.