FALL 2017 Session 1
ELECTROMAGNETIC CANNON
In this project we’ll be using our knowledge with circuit building and laser cutting/3D printing in order to construct an electromagnetic cannon using coils, transistors, diodes, and programmed by Arduino. It would be able to launch ferromagnetic objects, so we will choose small lightweight material for safety. We would also determine power of the cannon firing by choosing the number of acceleration stages, to avoid any hazard. The power to the cannon is determined by the electromagnetic force acting on the projectile over the length of the barrel through the stages. Our goal is to demonstrate on a small-scale model a functional cannon/ “coilgun” which has real worldwide use and application.
MINI TESLA
The goal of this project is to design a two-axle remote controlled vehicle. A secondary goal is to begin the implementation of a primitive autonomous driving system that mimics real world driving conditions. An RF transceiver would receive data from a transceiver in the remote control and a micro-controller on the car would make sure that data is mapped and routed correctly to the proper components. An object avoidance and self braking system will be implemented. To automate the braking system, ultrasonic sensors will be used to determine when objects are approaching, to automate the steering system, line following technology will be implemented.
ROBO REPO
The primary function of our robot is to detect an object of a specific color, approach it, and ultimately grab it. The Robo Repo will start by rotating in place until the detection of an object with a specific color. When the desired object is detected, it will start moving towards the direction of the object. Once the distance between the robot and the object is short enough for the arm to reach out and grab, the robot will stop and grab the object. The key points to our project will be the design of our chassis, detection of an object, motor control, and distance of the object relative to the robot.
FLEX CONTROLLER
The purpose of this project is to design and build a glove - implemented controller to control an RC car using flex sensors to determine speed and an accelerometer to determine turning radius. We also used Bluetooth communication as our method of transmitting data from the glove to the RC car. The goal of this project was to move the RC car based on predefined hand gestures and to extend the functionality to allow for users to define their own preferred gesture settings in the future.
MUSICAL SYNTHESIZER
Our project expands on the GFX pedal project by building a synthesizer that is able to output more sound effects and filters, as well as analog-to-digital conversion.. It works with a Raspberry Pi to display a GUI on an attached screen, controlled by 4 rotary encoders with push buttons. The synthesizer will also require a case to be built to house all the components.
SPEECH RECOGNITION
Created a DIY Alexa on a raspberry Pi and configured it to control various modes on an LED matrix we created controlled by a separate Raspberry Pi. Also created an android application which controls LED through a bluetooth connection. The originality of this project stems from the fact that we found very little projects online that set out to have voice controlled hardware in the manner in which we achieved during this project. Voice recognition activated hardware is not a new concept that has never been done before, but we are very proud of the uniqueness in the manner in which went about doing it.