9/28: This week, I am focusing on choosing a solution. My alternate solutions are up and running, but the developmental process must go on. I am working on refining my idea matrix, in which I compare the alternate solutions with respect to the specifications. Once I have figured out which solution measures up best against my specs, I have to put together a seleciton/rejection report. My design brief and specs and limits are still being refined as criticisms come in from my mentor. I will work on keeping up mentor contacts as I need to fulfill the requirement before the end of the marking period.
10/1: It is the end of the week. One of the things I have posted this week was my calendar. Besides that, I have made a mentor contact, and I have touched up my solutions. The next step for me is to get my rationale posted. I have done the developmental work, including an idea matrix, but I just have to put that into words and make a final selection.
10/6: Today, I posted my research, which was done over the summer but needed much refining. The next imminent assignment is the model, which will be due near the end of the month. For the rest of the week, I will focus on preparing a method for building the model. I will do some working drawings and determine exactly how it will look.
10/8: I got started with developmental work, which needs to start being done as the due date for the model draws nearer. Drawings from multiple views must be drawn, and this is what I will be working on next week too.
ReplyDelete10/12: I continued with the developmental work. I have done orthographic drawings of three sides plus an isometric drawing. The orthographic is labeled and dimensioned. I plan to continue with developmental work leading up to the design of my model.
ReplyDelete10/15: Today I evaluated the buoyancy of my alternate solutions for the hull. To do so, I found displacement of the capped pvc pipe i was using. The result turned out to be an astronomical amount of displacement, and it would simply be unrealistic to expect it to sink. As a result, I must revamp my solutions and adjust the developmental drawings.
ReplyDelete10/20: Today, I made my solution significantly smaller by cutting a half a foot off each dimension and reducing the pvc diameter. The resulting displacement was much more manageable. I adjusted my CAD drawings accordingly and I am now getting prepared to make my model.
ReplyDelete10/22: I brought in the 5 inch PVC pipe that I need to make a 3:1 scale model of the hull of my ROV. Today, I did the cutting, which entailed making 8 pieces 8 inches long and 4 pieces 6 inches long.
ReplyDelete10/25: I continued with the making of my model. I modeled the side-outlet 90's that composes the corners of my hull by using clay. Then I made the hull stable by taping up the joints.
ReplyDelete10/28: Today I finished up my developmental work which is due at the end of this week. To do so, I separated out the pieces of my isometric drawing to make an exploded view of the hull of my ROV. I am preparing this week to give my formal progress update.
ReplyDelete11/1: We started formal progress updates today. I did not present, but I listened intently as my peers presented their progress. I will continue to refine my presentation until the day I present.
ReplyDelete11/8: I presented my formal progress update today. Overall, I believe it went well. Mentor contacts were also due today, so I printed out the emails I had received from each of my mentors thus far and handed them in to the instructors.
ReplyDelete11/12: At the end of this week, I have been continuing to refine my developmental work. Specifically, I have been adding detail to my exploded drawing.
ReplyDelete11/16: I am still doing the developmental work, but now I have moved on to making my materials, supplies, tools, and parts list on excel, and will be continuing with this for the rest of the week.
ReplyDelete11/19: Today I finished up my lists on excel. When I come back on Monday I will have to figure out how to get the lists from excel onto my blog.
ReplyDelete11/22: I figured out how to export my lists from excel to my blog, and so I finished off my developmental work today. This week is Thanksgiving so we have a short week; it is good I tied up the loose end today.
ReplyDelete11/30: Preparing for the construction phase of the project, I refined my procedure for the building of my ROV. By the end of this week I should have finalized a method for producing my ROV.
ReplyDelete12/3: As planned, I have finalized the building procedure for my ROV. I will begin to collect bid prices for parts so the instructors can take them to the next board meeting. This way, all parts will be accounted for.
ReplyDelete12/7: Today, I started the press release that will be due later in the month. This entails presenting my project and efforts from the perspective of one of the class instructors.
ReplyDelete12/10: I have been continuing with the press release this week. I have gotten up to the paragraph presenting the work done pertaining to STEMM. I will continue with the release until it is finished next week.
ReplyDelete12/22: This past week I have finished the press release and have handed it in. The next thing to look towards is building. One of my colleagues have ordered the parts, and we are just waiting for them to arrive. I will be constructing the ROV simultaneously while working on the midternm STEMM project.
ReplyDelete1/4: This week I am in the construction process. I had to tweak the measurements of my ROV because, now that our materials have arrived, the measurements can be more precise with respect to buoyancy. I weighed the PVC we just got in to refine my buoyancy calculations.
ReplyDelete1/7: Today, I cut the PVC for my ROV. Now that all of the pieces are cut and laid out, I am awaiting the shipment of the side-outlet 90's to put the ROV together.
ReplyDelete1/11: The side-outlet 90's have arrived, and I have acquired the sheet of perforated aluminum. Today I cut the aluminum to size and am getting ready to put together the final ROV.
ReplyDelete1/14: As the marking period comes to a close, it is once again that time to prepare for the FPU. Today, I handed in the outline and mentor contacts. Earlier this week, I had put together a prototype of my ROV, so I do have some construction work to present next week.
ReplyDelete2/1: Today, I got back the developmental and construction work I had given Ms. Green. I must make corrections on certain technical drawings, as well as reorganize my plan of procedures and construction steps.
ReplyDelete2/3: I continued making changes to my developmental and construction work. First, I had made changes to the parts list, but I still must make final corrections to my technical drawings, including my isometric, orthographic, and exploded.
ReplyDelete2/8: Today, I worked mostly on my orthographic drawing, because it had appeared to be too simplistic and did not include the level of detail it needed. This included placing the elbow joints of my hull in their appropriate locations.
ReplyDelete2/10: My goal for today and the rest of this week is to put together a plan for combining the subsystems of the ROV. I need to think out how the robotic arm and other electronics and equipment will be attached to the hull.
ReplyDelete2/15: Today I finished laying out the plan of procedures for putting together the finished hull, including the subsystems that need to be attached to the ROV. My goal is to now sort out the buoyancy issue and try to reach a target mass for the hull.
ReplyDelete2/17: I did some work in the systems lab on my hull. My main goal was to implement some of the plans I had for attaching, specifically, the motors to the corners of the hull. Some of my ideas need to be refined in the coming weeks.
ReplyDelete2/22: I started work on formatting the poster for my exhibit today. The poster will include background information as well as some parameters for the solution. Design brief, specs, and limits will be included as well. The poster will be produced using Microsoft Powerpoint.
ReplyDelete2/24: Today, the class was mostly empty due to the trip to the Met. I used the quiet time to refine some of my CAD drawings and send an email to one of my mentors. When my group is fully together again next week we will meet to udate each other on our progress.
ReplyDelete3/2: Today, my group got together to discuss the upcoming due date of the final product. Testing stages need to take place, so the subsystems must be mounted on the hull before that can happen. Matt will go to the welding shop to get his claw materials together, and then I can start epoxying the hull.
ReplyDelete3/4: Today, I worked with zipties to lay out a plan for affixing the gearbox and motors to the hull. Matt will have to drill holes in his aluminum casing to be able to ziptie it to the platform.
ReplyDelete3/9: I started weighing the materials that we have together today so that I can get an estimate on the amount of ballast I will need to keep my hull stable. This is an important figure that will have to be determined in the coming days.
ReplyDelete3/14: I met with my team to discuss our plans for the week, giving that the deadline on our final solution is fast approaching. We need to get the solution together so that we can begin testing and refining the design.
ReplyDelete3/16: Today, I got an exact weight on my hull and some of the other subsystems and components. I will be using this number to allocate the ballast and buoyancy. Once the ballast is in the hull, I can seal it and begin attaching subsystems.
ReplyDelete