Krystal Klear
~Project 4~
Overview
Our team was tasked with designing and creating a simple, easy-to-use device for one of the clients - a visually impaired person or a person with second degree multiple sclerosis - helping them navigate the world around them without impeding other daily activities.
Our clients are amazing people as we had the chance to get to know them through a Zoom call in-class. The thought of being able to help improve their everyday living for either of them was truly an honour.
And so, our team has decided to go full out.
Krystal Klear Arm Prototype
What I have learned
Below are some takeaways I have learned throughout this project...
Personal Takeaways
Throughout the project, I learned the following:
-
how to fabricate parts using a 3D printer and laser cutter
-
how to use a 3D printer on my own
-
how to use a laser cutter on my own
-
how to wire electrical components
-
improved my 3D modelling skills in Inventor
-
how to do some code in C++
-
developed my collaboration skills as our team combined all of our skills to integrate electrical components, coding, and modelling into one big prototype
-
refined my communication and leadership skills by ensuring our team was all on the same page and knew what task needed to be accomplished
-
and improved my presentation and professionalism skills as our team had to present a 5-minute pitch and elaborate our design and demonstrate how everything worked
Skills Developed
-
Inventor
-
PrusaSlicer
-
C++
-
Fusion 360
-
Fabrication
-
Leadership
-
Collaboration
-
Presentation
-
Professionalism
-
Communication
-
Patience
_edited.jpg){kind=small}
Challenges I faced were:
-
time
-
the most difficult challenge our team faced as we just finished the prototype in time
-
-
tolerances
-
many of our prints did not fit into certain cut-outs. A lot of time was required to file and sand components
-
-
failed prints
-
many of our 3D prints failed, causing us to reprint most of them, wasting precious time
-
-
availability of resource
-
3D printers
-
Laser cutters
-
-
Broken gear
-
worm gear broke
-
had no way to replace it
-
Challenges Faced
The Team through Krystal Klear
Design Process
Below is the design and coding process of our container design...
Objectives, Constraints, Functions, and Initial Prototype
As always, our team devised list of objectives, constraints, functions, and an initial problem statement to help us guide our goals in the right direction.
Choosing Design to Pursue
Decision matrix of all the possible designs for how the arm will operate.
Top three choices:
-
Fixed arm and mirror (no movement)
-
Pulley System
-
Motorized Arm
Ultimately, our team decided to choose the third option, motorized arm for the following reasons:
-
We had the potential of doing more that fixing the arm and mirror
-
Incorporating a pulley system was difficult and our designs did not reduce the amount of torque
-
Motorized arm allows client to have sense of independence as buttons are required to activate motors
-
Easy to implement
Initial prototypes + Sketches
Click on the image or the arrow to see more ...
Challenges + Design Improvements
Motor in hand
Dimensions of motor
Worm and Worm Gear
The DC motor used for the project was tiny, which could not support the weight of the arm if placed on the 1cm output shaft. To ensure that the maximum torque was being outputted by the DC motor, a worm and worm gear was used.
Click on the arrows to see more of the design changes...
Code + Schematic
Click on the photos to learn more...
Final Results
Post interview team photo
Presentation Slideshow
Fully finished Krystal Klear Arm
Here is the final product of Krystal Klear Arm. It comprises mainly of 3D printed parts, laser cut pieces, two servo motors, a DC motor, screws, nuts, a lot of glue, a wooden plank, ball bearings, an Arduino, and most importantly, a mirror.
This video is a short compilation video of our team building the Krystal Klear Arm
Positive Learning Outcomes
Biggest takeaways after this project was team communication and collaboration. Every member has contributed a major role. Without each other, this project would have not come to light. In addition, as a coordinator, planning team meetings was crucial to finishing the project. Constantly discussing in the team group chat has improved my communication skills, ensuring everyone was on page.
Skills Applied
-
Inventor
-
PrusaSlicer
-
C++
-
Fusion 360
_edited.jpg){kind=small}
Failures/ Ways I can Improve
One of the biggest mistakes I learned was waiting until the last moment to test our prototype. It led to many parts breaking, risking our progress and success. From this experiences, I have learned to make sure to test all of the components as early as possible, ensuring that future projects are successful
Thoughts
I had such an amazing time working with Braeden Marchant, Ross Anderson, and Eli Smith. I learned a lot with them while building the Krystal Klear Arm. Unfortunately, this is the fourth and final project I did in first year general engineering, and I hope to continue on this engineering path and learn so much more.
Miscellaneous
If you are interested in seeing our team's finalized design report or milestones we have overcame, click the button...