Final Fabrication

A machine can make only exactly what it is told to make, for better or for worse. A human can use his or her judgment and creativity when making something. I think working drawings are very useful and are necessary if an object has to be made according to specifications. They allow others to create an object remotely. An animated assembly can show how an object is created from several different parts. It shows the makeup of an object.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2RWLbsQNqCYfklFQUJPelFnUENibTlEYkdvT3otMWtKLU9VcW5ZTnp2ck5EdGpYM0lxY3M&authuser=0

Maker Faire Showcase

Here is my idea for our Maker Faire Table. I think it would be nice to showcase other elements of our Intro to Design class along with the video game.

Document Progress 5.1

This week, Katie and I finished up the Coliseum. We revised the original design to have entrances and exits at the base so the character can leave after completing the maze. With Ben's help, we exported the model to Blender and then Unity. Here is our final product:

Document Progress 4.27

Today, Katie and I finished our model of the Coliseum. We were able to make the CAD model ourselves, based on a sketch we found online. We changed it to be round instead of oval to fit our maze. Now, we have imported it into Unity and are working on its texture.

Document Progress 4.15

Today, I sketched and began dimensioning the chest plate for the character. Also, Katie and I were looking for tutorials or ways to CAD the Coliseum for level 1. We found a downloadable file, but it didn't come with a tutorial and it was oval rather than circular.

https://grabcad.com/library/roman-colosseum

Maker Faire Game Design Team

I would like to do the Oversight for the design team. I want to make sure the game 'plays well' and that the parts move smoothly together. I have experience leading group projects so I think I'll be a good fit for Oversight. I will listen to and incorporate everyone's ideas and coordinate with the engineering oversight to make a final product that we'll be proud to present at Maker Faire.

Dimensioning Standards

Reflection Questions:

1. Size dimensioning shows how large a specific line or distance is, while location dimensioning shows where a point is.

2. Chain dimensioning shows the dimensions of adjacent parts in a series. Datum dimensioning shows sizes in relation to a specific point or line. This is more accurate than chain dimensioning.

3. Using a dimensioned drawing makes it absolutely clear how an object is physically constructed. It is easier to visualize or use than a written description. Also, since dimensioned drawings follow a set of standards, they can be understood by everyone.

Game Research

I don't really play many video games beyond a few Wii games that we have. I chose to research one of these, Lego Indiana Jones.

This game recreates the adventures of the original Indiana Jones movies. It's divided into 3 stories -- Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and the Last Crusade. Each story has many chapters where you (as any of the characters in the section) have to explore your area, collect coins, battle enemies, and find a way to the next level. Once you beat all the levels, you can replay them using any characters you like and try to collect hidden treasures.

The game was developed as a complement to the Indiana Jones movies, and it was modeled after an previous similar game, Lego Star Wars. It was developed by Travellers Tales for Lego.

I think this game is really fun to play -- the levels can sometimes be challenging but are never too complex. There is a good mix of story and action, and there are many extras throughout the game. There are over 60 characters, some with special talents.

Screenshots from the Lego website:

Reverse Engineering Reflection

This week, we reverse engineered an Automoblox toy car and analyzed it visually, functionally, and structurally. We found that visually, the car has a simple and sleek design. It is composed of mostly curved lines to give it a smooth and clean aesthetic appeal. There are only 3 colors used -- blue, silver, and wood -- with the blue emphasizing the wheels. The car is symmetric and has a minimalist design.

Functionally, the car's parts work towards the purpose of entertaining children. The parts are designed to allow smooth movement and easy assembly. In the black box model, we listed the parts and their uses (the inputs and outputs) so that we could understand the purpose of each piece.

In general, engineers use reverse engineering to better understand products and how they work. This knowledge can be used to improve a design, make similar products, or fix problems. Reverse engineering means analyzing the product as a whole and then examining each part to determine function and aesthetics.

If I could improve the Automoblox design, I would change the car to allow turning. Right now, it only travels in a straight line and that limits its use as a toy.

CAD Model Update

So far, I've completed the Passenger Base (with a lot of help!) and I'm working on the Passenger Section of the Automoblox. For me, making the star and constraining the shapes was challenging for me. The easiest part for me was working with the dimensions and placing objects in their correct spots. I still want to know how to create irregular shapes (like the star) properly. Also, I wasn't able to find what the shell thickness is or how to adjust it.

The Passenger Base

The Passenger Section (in progress)

Shelter: Geometric Constraints

To maximize the strength of our model shelter, Austin and I used equilateral triangles and squares, resulting in 60 and 90 degree angles in our structure. After brainstorming a few ideas, we chose a triangular prism shape for our shelter. Our total surface area was 36.9 square inches; this measurement would be scaled up depending on the requirements of the real shelter. We estimated that the shelter, when scaled, will hold about 4 people, presumably in a disaster situation.

The shelter is designed to stay intact, not necessarily to bear weight. We 'tested' our model by throwing it around outside, and it was basically undamaged despite all the abuse. Later, as we took apart our model, we found that the inner layer could support a textbook.

We considered "form follows function" in our shelter in that our first priority was to make a sturdy model. We didn't worry too much about the aesthetics.

Inventor Question

I wanted to know what constraints do on Inventor and how to use them. From the Autodesk website, I found that constraints prevent objects from changing as you add or move parts. I also found a tutorial that explains how to use constraints:
https://sites.google.com/a/eng.ucsd.edu/mae3/cad/inventor-animation-tutorial/inventor-constraints

There are two main categories of constraints -- assembly and motion. Assembly is used for joining pieces together, and within it there are 4 types of constraints:

• Mate: attach flat surfaces
• Angle: attach surfaces at an angle
• Tangent: attach a round surface to a flat or round surface
• Insert: put a round object into another round object

The motion constraints are more complicated and are only used for moving parts.

Form Follows Function: Tissue Box

For this project, I decided to revise a really simple object - the tissue box. One problem I have is that tissues get stuck at the bottom and can't reach up to the top. Then you're forced to reach into the box and spread germs all over it.

My new design is a tissue box that dispenses from the bottom through a slot in the side. This way, the next tissue is always ready and you never have to reach in. Also, I designed a clear slot on the side of the box so that you can see how many tissues you have left.

To continue improving this design, I would make the box refillable in order to minimize waste. Also, I would like to design tissues made from recycled paper.

Puzzle Cube Reflection

The puzzle cube project was a lot of fun. I enjoyed designing, drawing, and building my pieces and I loved watching others try and solve it. It's important to model an idea before making a final prototype so that you can find any mistakes or changes that need to be made.

I really liked the design of my cube. I think it was challenging enough to make people think but not so hard that nobody could solve it. One thing I would change, though, is the actual construction of my cube. One of the pieces is slightly crooked and it doesn't fit in well with the rest.

Puzzle Cube Data

My completed puzzle.

I'm really happy with it, except for one crooked piece that doesn't quite fit in. 

I timed nine people solving my puzzle; five completed it and four gave up after 15 minutes. I calculated the statistics for all attempts as well as just the successful attempts. Of the successful tries, the average time to solve my cube was 5 minutes and 19 seconds, with a standard deviation of about 3 and a half minutes. 

Puzzle Cube Process

Brainstorming: There were SO many more possible combinations than I had expected, and it took me a long time to draw as many as I could. I started out drawing the isometric view incorrectly for the 3- and 4-block combinations but I learned the right way for the later pieces. Also, it became easier when I realized only some of the possibilities could fit in a 3x3 cube.

3- and 4-block combinations, with some mistakes

5- and 6-block combinations

6-block combinations

'Cake Layers': After the brainstorming, I came up with two possible designs for the cube.

Design 1

Design 2

Choice of Design: Overall, I liked my first design better because more parts interlocked and I thought it was a little more challenging. I thought the pieces for the second design were a bit simple.

Multiview Sketches: Here are the sketches of each piece of my final cube design.

The multiview sketches for cube 1 parts

Assembly of Partner's Piece: I constructed one of Austin's parts according to his multiview sketches and isometric drawing.

Austin's puzzle piece

CAD - Inventor: I built each of my parts on Inventor with the proper dimensions and assembled them into a cube. 

Puzzle parts on Inventor

Assembled cube on Inventor

Cube Lengths

Here is a graph of the lengths (in inches) of each of the cubes for the puzzle. The mean length is 0.754 in and the median length is 0.753 in. The mode is 0.745 in. The range is 0.056 in and the standard deviation is 0.011 in.