Week 7 Progress

    During the previous weeks, we focused on the minute details of the project design. We had only started working on the small parts like the arms. More progress was done in creating the tangible product during this week's session. We constructed the main framework for the animatronic device, as seen in Figure 1 below. We also worked on the electric circuitry, though it was on a much slower pace since the items required were not found in the Innovation Studio.

Objective:

• Construct the body
• Work on electric circuitry

Figure 1: Comparison Between the
Animatronic Framework and a Person

Framework Is Constructed

     After much work on the PVC pipes, the main component of our design is completed. The animatronic device's "spine" spans about 5 feet 5 inches. When comparing it with an actual human, the size seems just about correctly proportional, as revealed in the image to the left. All that is left of this creation is to put clothes on it and fill up the body to look like a real person. The finer details, such as the hands, must also be worked on.

Electric Circuitry

     Getting the piston to work with the electric circuitry we have now is the main issue to solve. The piston would work perfectly with air, but the Innovation Studio does not provide that power at an easily accessible location, so we have to use different means to power our device. Our plan is attempting to make the piston work by soldering solenoid to connect with the breadboard and Arduino. Air from compressor goes through the solenoid to the piston to power it. A general plan of the circuiting of the Arduino with the solenoid circuit.

Figure 2: Schematic of Solenoid Circuit