The task for this week required the students to brainstorm the design for AEV based on their creativity. For the first 10 minutes, each group member was given a chance to sketch and represent their design of the AEV in the orthographic view. The sketches were done in the orthographic view to allow for the other members to easily imagine the structure of AEV design. After presenting and describing the criteria of their own sketches to other group members, the group decided on which design should be used for the AEV project. For the next 15 minutes, the group then discussed what other criteria should be considered in designing the AEV with the chosen sketch as a basic structure. Other criteria that was being considered was the most efficient position of the motor and the materials for the AEV structure.
The group used the remaining time to complete the task from previous week in lab 2. The group was able to make the AEV move from one point to one point in a correct direction and then test the AEV on the track which was not done in previous week due to an error in coding.
The first member’s design had the structure of an upper body of shark for the first half of AEV part only. The other half of the AEV part starting at the arm of the wheel was designed as an exposed space where any load can be placed easily and a space for the electric motor. The structure of the upper body shark has a hollow part where the Arduino should be placed. The purpose of placing the Arduino in the hollow part enables it to be covered by the materials of the structure which ensures that the Arduino will not fall off from the AEV. For this design, the number of motors used was two and both were placed at the back of the AEV. Just like a real structure of shark, the design has fins on both of the sides and also at the top and bottom of the AEV. The fins at the AEV sides act as a wing just like the structure of an aeroplane which could improve the movement of the AEV. The main materials used for this design is plastic and it will be produced by a 3D printer. Also, using plastic as the main materials might not affect the stability of the AEV on the trail other than the fact that it is affordable and light.
The second member’s design has a structure similar to the base AEV used in week 2 only with a shuttle shaped front to attempt to help with aerodynamics. The less air resistance that the AEV has to face the more efficient it will be. The materials should be as light as possible while being able to hold up against the air resistance, such materials are cellophane paper and plastic.
The third member’s design has the structure of the airplane design which is based on AEV used in second week. The front body has streamlined shape to reduce the air resistance. Also it has two propellers at the back to advance efficiently. To be light and have fast speed, the materials should be light as possible such as plastic and cellophane papers.
The fourth member’s design has the structure of an airplane as well, as it was constructed with a very aerodynamic front in order to reduce the air resistance. The back of the structure contains the propellers, as well as the l-shaped bracket with the wheels on the top on the back. This was done to ensure that the weight distribution wasn’t too far off because the front structure used to make the design more aerodynamic accounts for some decent weight. Despite possibly having an additional frontal piece that may add some weight, I believe that through the use of certain materials, and the aerodynamic design of the structure that the overall design will turn out successful.
| Task | Teammate(s) | Start Date | End Date | Time Expected |
| Progress Report 3 | All | 2/10/17 | 2/17/17 | 3 hours |
| Create Arduino code to calculate distance traveled and energy efficiency | All | 2/10 | 2/17/17 | 6 hours(be prepared to surpass this) |
| Update portfolio | All | 2/10/17 | 2/17/17 | 3 hours(Each) |
Team Meeting Notes
Date: 07 – Feb – 2017
Time: 3:00 pm (Face to Face)
Members Present: All
Topics Discussed:
-To do list
-Members Specialties
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Objective: Continue to specialize the group into specific areas of strength while keeping quality and efficiency in mind.
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To do/Action Items:
-Create a To do list
-Talk about how everyone felt with their roles in the group
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Decisions:
– The specialties that were previously assigned seem to work, however Shane should help more with writing in order to assist with efficiency, while keeping ideas that he knows more about more accurate.
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Reflections:
– Specialties seem to be working so far within the group, however there are still areas where improvements can be made to make the report better overall and be able to be completed in a more timely manner.