https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog daily 0.75 2020-10-10 https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog/deer-cbdn9 monthly 0.5 2019-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cdc8db64d546e01b837cea4/1565723463986-NJ5MM82Q8XTV826WE8I7/deer.jpg Blog - Deer: A Study https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog/peaks-progress-bbd4w monthly 0.5 2019-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cdc8db64d546e01b837cea4/1565723141699-XEU00GMGNYFI7SZWM754/peaks.jpg Blog - Peaks: In Progress https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog/wharf-inprogress-kcl2k monthly 0.5 2019-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cdc8db64d546e01b837cea4/1565723256373-WTC7PZF61R7UR87NZUFG/wharf.jpg Blog - Wharf: In Progress https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog/behind-image-w35gr monthly 0.5 2019-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cdc8db64d546e01b837cea4/1565723327148-UBZXXT000PAA9CTT95XF/horizon.jpg Blog - Behind the Image https://www.brianbuilds.org/blog/blog-post-title-one-f4ntj monthly 0.5 2020-08-25 https://www.brianbuilds.org/home daily 1.0 2022-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1606269363795-BY9FF9A3W2YIQLSUHEPV/image-806.jpg Home - HeLLO, and welcome to my site! I’m Brian and this is Brian Builds, where I mainly just document the various things I build, and other activities I deem interesting enough to write about! It’s so friends and family can see what I’ve been up to! I enjoy watching anime, lifting weights, and designing/building things. My natural habitats include the school makerspace, rec center, and dining halls. Other hobbies include crashing bikes, getting my face sat on (in Jiu Jitsu, jeez), and napping. I like bananas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603925644350-G6JQGS3LEYJX1FG6FCQ0/20200205_162648.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603927959908-7QCGCYF0DHCA6EDXC3KS/DSC_0061.JPG Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603925633575-2BATVN0YKXA48EV2A4X2/image1.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603925644064-E1ABPGNXZUPISBIT8REC/IMG_1806.JPG Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9ad684f6-e278-4d32-8ac5-acd9c50013cf/IMG_9187_edit.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603925624018-UZ84X1XVPYWTLIO3TARZ/18623271_1533827766635600_2244641105051124448_o.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603925644541-1XRY5XIQMKU15WFGOT05/1+-+Copy.JPG Home https://www.brianbuilds.org/brians-best daily 0.75 2021-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602301871599-WSVYN63Z03W40ZPQYMWP/IMG_7129.JPG Brian's Best - project: B.A.K.I. [Breakthrough. Automated. Kannon. Instrument.] In this episode (of Dragon Ball Z), I build a functional, computer-vision Point Defense Cannon (PDC)! - MDOF turret design with USB camera feed to OpenCV/Python engine - Flywheel-based launcher mechanism for soft Nerf projectiles - Gear rotation system with disengagement ‘clutch’ mechanism - Laser-cut and 3D printed enclosure and fixtures modeled in Solidworks - Custom circuit boards designed in EAGLE and Fritzing - A hackster.io featured build!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602302559319-QX761VTRGL7JRW953ICD/IMG_6312.JPG Brian's Best - project: S.A.G.A. [Superior. Assault. Gauntlet. Apparatus.] Everything begins here. The 初号機 (first machine) of an entire project lineage. - Designed and built a gauntlet with a functioning Nerf autocannon and actuating, lighted bayonet! - Mapped forearm physiology and accounted for muscle flexion in creating strapless wearable design. - Unique worm-rack gear drive implementation for blade actuation - Innovative Control Ring design for retained use of full hand, unlike conventional handheld controls - Redundant Control / Safety systems implemented through circuit- and code-level logic - Modular design: Arduino and other components may be hot-swapped for quick repairs - (Also got me my first internship lol) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1606256580013-7H52U2LLHEIJU7DU4VXM/car+render3.JPG Brian's Best - Rice electric vehicle Five years of interdisciplinary undergrad teamwork led to some fun vroom vrooms!! (this is an absolute beast of a writeup; I won’t even try and summarize it all here haha) https://www.brianbuilds.org/regalia-1 daily 0.75 2020-11-24 https://www.brianbuilds.org/test daily 0.75 2021-07-20 https://www.brianbuilds.org/test-1 daily 0.75 2021-07-20 https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects daily 0.75 2021-11-05 https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/saga monthly 0.5 2021-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7915f8b7-d485-4c7d-a205-b6ba8cb60b12/IMG_6398_end.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. In this inaugural edition of Brian Builds, I create SAGA - a forearm-mounted, tactical () gauntlet with Nerf autocannon and actuating, lighted bayonet — And in doing so, birthed an entire project lineage and inspired the existence of this very website! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/58695f71-2586-4905-b709-8f58be11757c/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. As a lifelong Megaman.EXE fan, I’ve always been drawn to the gauntlet arm cannon aesthetic. Just being able to point your hand and pew pew has always been a dream of mine. As a kid, I had to stick my forearm into a cardboard shipping tube and play make-believe, but now knowing much more about design and fabrication, I decided to build something better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/03af6663-9688-42e3-af27-c8f33fe1b685/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. I named it the Superior Assault Gauntlet Apparatus, or S.A.G.A. for short. I tried to make it sound cool, but also stand as an acronym for something, like GUNDAM (Generation Unrestricted Network Drive Assault Module). This is the synthesis of my all my engineering skill and experience so far, and I’m really proud of how it came out. This project involves gear drives, programming, electronic circuitry, a TON of 3D visualization and modelling, and around 200 hours of work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f899b95f-2835-4ba5-8145-0d644e965d78/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. - Overview I’ve organized this writeup into the gauntlet subsystems, and tried to arrange them in somewhat chronological order: Chassis, Part 1 – preliminary frame construction Mode: SHOOT - Magazine - reverse engineered magazine process Mode: SHOOT - Autocannon – firing mechanism development Chassis, Part 2 – frame/body construction Mode: SLASH – actuating blade development Control Systems – electronic systems management Assembly – Oh yeah, it’s all coming together Extras – prototype display, sketch gallery Enjoy the build! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/40b60995-eda1-42a5-814b-5e131dd5c1a3/IMG_5170.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Test fit the CAD (Cardboard Aided Design ) model on my forearm! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602629577078-O0WCN8KEEIPWQ27TWFD3/IMG_5438.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I built some octagons in Solidworks, then tried a 3D-printed mockup to test the fit. I initially planned on having the arm hole be 93 mm along the entire gauntlet length, so the only way to secure it would be too have it clamped very tightly around my flexor and extensor muscle bellies. As you can imagine, this was very uncomfortable, and left a lot of wiggle room by my wrist. Quick mockup with magazine included for visualization. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602629780781-961S5P67N1H6GKKX7H1K/IMG_56081.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Eventually, I thought of a better way to secure the gauntlet around my wrist. I would use a two-piece cuff that would open to stick my hand through, then lock closed around my wrist after my hand had cleared the opening. (09/23/2021 Edit: More on this later in the Chassis: Part 2 section!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602629940216-MV6TF0K1W0LR3SCVW025/IMG_5725.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. A taped mockup of the wrist block pieces, and how the control handle would have fitted. (feat. calluses) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602630212221-A73R2KR6RKRY9IOJYV3O/IMG_58301.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. I merged the two rear octagons a single piece and added long M6 bolts as the ‘frame rails’ of the gauntlet. This let the gauntlet tighten around my arm but still be easy to slip on. (The bolts were salvaged from a Nissan Leaf battery!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632521610354-PJTBGB4FL3UKVBHDUVCZ/IMG_5745.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Next, I wanted my gauntlet to pew pew, and given my background modifying Nerf guns, I decided to use foam Nerf balls and flywheels to achieve this. (I’d like to point out that Mode: Shoot was completely cribbed from Evangelion ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602630375183-16CRCKTQ3USTE4197EGG/IMG_1197.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. This is Nerf’s magazine design for their spherical Rival ammunition. If I were to design a firing system that could accept these, I would need to make it fit and interface with all the complex contours seen in the orange piece. I decided that doing so wouldn’t be a good use of my time, and so… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ebae905c-d804-4d3e-ad10-899349a288f5/IMG_5727.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6ae4f10f-3219-4c02-9393-853fe527ad55/IMG_5728.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e1528c9b-56f1-435c-b5f3-03e1905c23b5/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0eaeaa1c-c3d8-4035-a1e9-80c71c12a20a/IMG_5743.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1807df00-04ca-4c0e-ba11-832a53ce7c77/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b50f3f34-7bb3-4bdf-a8e7-b1da44d66759/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%289%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631111575-ORLJG9Q7C35NJMXOVC3M/IMG_900a.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. In order to fire these balls, I opted to use a flywheel system (like a baseball pitching machine). This particular flywheel cage was one I designed in TinkerCad for another, unrelated application. The flywheels were purchased from the aftermarket company Worker. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631175850-J31CZ8TE7G63R0TK0UIN/Capture.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Another flywheel cage prototype, this time meant for the gauntlet. It has a semicircular profile because I was originally planning on using 4″ PVC pipe as the body of the gauntlet. This cage would have fit inside the pipe walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631484675-P2M3CZ8OC61VVY2EDU21/IMG_5392.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Yet another iteration had the cage fused onto one of the earlier-mentioned octagons. However, this design was not optimized for 3D printing and ended up being scrapped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631533318-T527TDI8MJ0S77SF9Z49/IMG_5775.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Next, I created a really sleek, standalone cage setup, but it didn’t fit the gauntlet’s otherwise bulky, angular aesthetic. The geometries and setup themselves were solid, though, and were incorporated into the next design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631605118-NIWUXR51O05NQPNXEQGW/IMG_6040.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. In my next attempt, I simplified the cage geometry, and made it almost Brutalist in style. I even added a miniature ported barrel to the front haha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631742416-W1CD9IPIRIM6RY3675UG/wwefw.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I embedded three motors into the cage: two to spin the flywheels, and another to turn a roller (circled in yellow) to control the rate of fire. Otherwise, the magazine would push all the balls into the flywheels at once, and I would have a shotgun instead of a machine gun. Which would actually be pretty cool… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632440658867-4GLQHW1A7BMY3L8PD71J/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. Firing video! This is with the rate of fire electronically limited to about ~50%, for both ammo conservation and the aesthetic. As in, I wanted boom-boom-boom-boom instead of BRRRRRTT. Edit 09/23/2021: Some thoughts from a now more-experienced Brian - the motor throttling was done by limiting the voltage provided to it, which dropped the current and torque values as well. This sometimes resulted in jams (not enough torque to feed rounds through with 100% consistency). In the future, I would just choose a motor geared to a lower RPM to achieve the same effect without sacrificing current + torque. Firing video with sound here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631862420-QQR91J3D6U1J47VE34UX/IMG_5836.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. The design evolved to have laser-cut wood slats as the outer skin of the gauntlet, fitting onto the flat faces of the octagons. Here is an side-by-side of an early mockup and the CAD model at that time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602631935726-7MCEFOZRTM9YNRFHQ3W2/Annotation+2019-08-01+144931.png All Projects - S.A.G.A. I split the rear octagon into pieces so I could have half the gauntlet assembled and still reach my hands inside, use tools, and wire things in. The front wrist block kind of merged with the octagon idea, and has a taper towards the front. The holes littered throughout are for screws, nuts, and wires to pass through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602632228482-BRV37V64M3BP7HCRR0HA/IMG_6052.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Once all the CAD was finished, fabrication was easy. Here is a portion assembled and test fit onto my arm. The front wrist block piece alone (in brown) took 25 hours alone to 3D print. 09/23/2021 Edit: lol at 2019 me thinking 25 hours was a lot https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602632503867-ARRY4CX7KF2H4M47B1NL/IMG_6076.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Test fit with all the laser-cut wood panels installed. Looking good! Part of engineering is knowing when best to use which tools. These panels could easily have been printed too, but this was much quicker and simpler. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7a5cc25a-9a2b-43c1-b123-2556fe92523e/IMG_6077.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Full mockup. I really love how the name plate came out. I did it by first cutting the panel out of a larger piece of wood, then carefully removing the name panel while keeping the rest of the wood in the laser cutter. I painted the panel black, then placed it back into the laser cutter, using the other piece of wood as a template to ensure the lettering would be aligned properly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602632726646-VU90D25337HLQWBVHT5S/IMG_6099.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Painted everything black and gold. This color scheme looks so sick! I even painted the internal bolts gold too, even though they would never be seen. I don’t leave any stone unturned in these types of things https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632443367636-UPCQN44R1FIQ9A3GMB9W/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. 2021 Append: I realized that I never explained the locking cuff mechanism well, so I got included some footage of it here! A hinged section unlocks and drops down, creating space for my hand to pass through! The power and bayonet buttons are also hidden on one of these inside faces, as kind of a 2-stage unlock/activation process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632443795481-7ICR6Q12UOFGU9DSM7UH/IMG_3995.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Tightening down a few last screws! Self-surgery has always seemed like such a cool trope to me (in fiction, mind you), so in my mind this was similar to that. I felt cool And yup, those are real bullet casings I’m using as exhaust pipe-like decorations! I had gone shooting for my first (only) time that summer, and saved a bunch for this! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632431198111-OO94KM4SJKW9U3MCQMF2/IMG_6086+-+Copy_no_toilet_2.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Physical components complete! I even wore my Bakugo shirt for this photo XD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632455254588-Q63JBDNRET2NXAWAV4KO/IMG_5854.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. After the main body was taken care of, it was time to work on the actuating blade system! I made my blade out of three layers of laser cut acrylic, sandwiched together and glued into a blade shape. The middle piece had a long slot cut into it to house the LEDs. During handling and construction, I supported it with a strip of wood to prevent breakage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632507702835-6NGWSGRYO9DXYLWPSTCZ/Capture.PNG All Projects - S.A.G.A. To actuate the blade, I needed some way to convert motor rotation to translational motion. A common way to do this is using a rack and pinion, so I included serrations in the blade acrylic to act as gear teeth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602633062689-ALXPSNHST7TEWS5AZOKM/ezgif.com-video-to-gif+%281%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. Later, I decided to use a worm gear instead of a conventional pinion gear to drive the blade’s gear rack, because of space constraints. With a worm gear, you can mount your motor parallel to the rack, whereas with a pinion, you have to go perpendicular. I also think the idea of sticking a gear rack onto the back of the blade itself was a stroke of genius. The teeth look exactly like serrations you might find on a combat knife. The aesthetic and function fit together so perfectly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632455388714-XF3696NUYFE9K4R4D6US/IMG_6274.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. After wiring in a LED strand and placing it into the slot, I used acrylic glue and clamps to fuse the blade into a single piece, with the LEDs permanently encased inside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602633147766-9ZJR0QEIANJ0K4897T54/IMG_5985.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Here I am lathing metal contact sliders to be able to from carry current from the rails to blade LEDs. While I could have hard-wired directly to the LEDs, due to the sliding nature of the blade, it would have meant leaving a lot of slack in the wire, and trailing wires don’t look good. Plus I just wanted to flex my engineering muscles. In retrospect I should have used carbon brushes, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e82310be-6199-45d4-8f3c-2f186fb193bb/IMG_6273.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f080c327-82a1-4034-b450-83ac4bd27a2d/IMG_6053.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632460519738-ENDAFPOS768DGJDQO3MW/IMG_6283.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Looks absolutely great all lit up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602633436304-9S7LOHCO4OR7LOYJVB6T/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - S.A.G.A. Test driving the gear train and sliding electrical contact system. Pretty damn badass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602634159962-NQN9Q4R80I1B86M72ZVR/Gauntlet+Gamma.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Here is a portion of my code. I just followed tutorials and trial-and-errored everything until it worked. Basically, once the Arduino is powered on, it stays in standby until one of two modes is selected: Shoot or Slash. These were toggled by momentary switches, and actually caused some problems (more on that later). From there, two microswitches mounted on my index finger control the flywheels/roller, or blade extension/retraction, depending on the mode. In addition, I also included a set of limit switches with the blade system, to stop the blade motor once it was fully extended or retracted. This way I could prevent burning out my motor and breaking gear teeth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602634240360-CFGGYOBQQ12JJCEFD0Z7/Captuwefre.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I used an Arduino Nano clone to run my program, and a LM2596 buck converter to power it. My main power source was a 3S (11.1v) lipo battery. I could have used a linear voltage regulator to drop the 11.1v to the Arduino’s required 5v, but from my research they seemed to be less efficient than buck converters. The 3S battery was chosen (as opposed to something closer to 5v) because my motors all ran on 12v. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602634795604-NQNL0G30IRSXYYBNAECW/IMG_5704.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Testing the program with all components temporarily connected. This took a few tries, and I had to rewrite the code quite a few times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632455680129-CJL0TMG9SHQVK7R3EJ0D/IMG_6309.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Finally, after everything worked as intended, I mounted the board in a 3D-printed tray, rewired all the cables to the correct lengths for mounting, then bundled them together according to their destinations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635029149-COGRG50F1FPEYC837AJV/19bvrzqqewf51u21.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. - Final Assembly With all subsystems tested and working (and with summer coming to a close), I raced to finally finish this project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635386082-SEYUU7TSCS3RF19RVI43/IMG_6290.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I included channels in my design for wires to pass through without being exposed. In this photo you can see the leads for the flywheel and roller motors going through their housing in the wrist block. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635525446-U4O3N2P5475YE1NQJEOZ/IMG_6306.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. I housed my battery and power buttons in a compartment in the hinged wrist cuff mentioned earlier. This was a much more efficient use of space than having it just be a solid block of plastic. These switches are actually inaccessible when the compartment is locked into place around the wrist, and are only usable when the hinge is unlatched for wearing or removing the gauntlet. Which in practice are the only times you would be powering it on or off anyway. The hinged compartment locks in with a spring-loaded pin and magnets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635773655-VBGVZGTD6VDXU822AMRU/IMG_6307.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Many zip ties were used to secure wire bundles to the long M6 bolts. In this way the bolts acted as both a skeleton for the physical structure and anchor points for the wiring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635820331-2LXKY4JXL234YKDAS04J/IMG_6312.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. All cables connected, moments before final assembly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602635949566-BLNPWTUIIQSOJ00TMJ5I/IMG_6314.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Here is the wiring loom installed. The box with the two nuts is the tray for my circuit board, where it sits facing outward. I left a hole in the back for a Mini-USB, so I can actually reprogram this gauntlet on the fly (to adjust ROF or scale down autocannon power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632464186185-SVLUR9KN9LZNZ3L9JNB4/IMG_6312.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. As mentioned earlier, my code / electronics implementation had some glaring problems. As I wasn’t an advanced programmer at that point, I made the mistake of not including any timing or debounce in reading the mode select button presses. This meant the program never double-checked whether a button was actually pressed or not before performing actions. While theoretically this shouldn’t have been a problem, in reality with electronics there is always random noise and fluctuations, and even a small blip might be read as an intentional button press. Of course I didn’t know any of this back then, and was just plain confused at why SAGA would do the wrong things at the wrong times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632464020372-WKBZWNG4NQASTFF0F8F5/IMG_6830.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I solved the problem by developing a new switch panel, using a latching switch instead of 2 momentary ones. I reasoned that part of the underlying problem was that momentary switches return to their default position / signal when released, meaning that even after I set a mode, it wouldn’t be maintained and any voltage fluctuation could overwrite it. Though this could easily have been fixed in code, at the time I opted for a hardware fix. I noticed that if I held the momentary buttons down while firing, the signal wouldn’t flicker and the gauntlet wouldn’t switch from one mode to another. So I simply implemented that with a switch that would hold itself - i.e. a latching switch! Honestly, this should have been the design from the start. But i was new at the time so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632463921453-0VRA28UOA1YAJE78CWWY/InkedIMG_3066_LI.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Incidentally, the new switches I used were actually harvested from the old Rice Solar Car! Well, before we uh... decommissioned it with extreme prejudice https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632464067315-6OEX87HOX94I4RUV18BG/IMG_6833.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. Here is the new switch and panel all installed! I switched to a yellow switch because I actually broke the earlier blue one. Whoops The green numbers are a battery voltmeter, though it’s more for aesthetics than anything else. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632464947214-BZ3C5C2MM084H83ZZXRV/IMG_6398_edit.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632464975426-DH4Z278HFQV525Y8BQOR/IMG_6283.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602636603233-PLSWRTD7QRYWYSO88OLA/IMG_6852.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. I got to field test SAGA at the 2019 Halloween Critical Mass! Critical Mass is a massive group bike ride that happens every month in Houston (other cities, too). The Halloween ride was special, because everyone dressed up and decked their bikes out with lights and speakers. I got to joust with some other riders, cross swords with a Negan cosplayer, and shoot my gauntlet at inconsiderate cars who swerved too close to the riders. It was a very cool experience, and I collected valuable combat data to build into SAGA MK II. (also feat. the MagnaSaber and the ShootStyle leg armor) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604730320184-XUDGWK2FBMX4CSDLRMST/IMG_6844.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. Critical Mass getup, with better lighting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604730359195-A5GXIUYCL453A8GSIUUG/IMG_6094.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. My buddy Pat wearing a still-WIP S.A.G.A! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632466121968-1YHVU8D24E8AOK5BM3I0/IMG_2378.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632466103329-BTZ3OZRBU2F6ZBTB5OQ1/IMG_2377.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/16f6f661-dcb6-4a8e-b308-658f0d802c5c/IMG_6398_end+%281%29.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. End of Evangelion SAGA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/4f8e64e3-4c9d-4590-a921-f36c3acc8e4a/IMG_6806_Copy.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/35c30d16-63e6-422b-a5f0-821c7502069d/image0000.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1635960589905-K2PAIYEI8AYQPY7QNJ8Z/w.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/457d8b11-ae4d-4637-9957-8a666038af77/IMG_5722.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ce036975-7be1-477e-968d-981b4dc6b5ee/IMG_1874.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636258632619-R9RRSW43849VR8ZVK6MG/IMG_5609.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/227d4732-5159-4de9-81ad-6e561941dcd6/IMG_6809.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6310e4a0-b50d-4d3d-97b0-ee09b74dabc4/image0001.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/533cd152-a1c5-4404-b5d6-120a8aa51175/IMG_6377.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1635960546329-3KV970XZO1BPSRDTM4GY/072419.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/389053e7-4e81-47d8-a36e-a42c58662cfc/IMG_5571.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/15fa1497-08c1-49a0-9649-eb0175121530/IMG_5167.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/de7d2317-c45f-429b-a2fc-d0235681914d/IMG_5619.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/876f852b-f6be-46e1-a8c1-47219b8af0d9/IMG_6811.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f6bbf76e-eece-452e-9ab9-1cfd65978837/image0002.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/071f7d85-2cac-4b7a-90f8-0c722cb469d6/IMG_6378.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3b4cb721-741c-42b6-9ea5-032ea88adb85/IMG_6376.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/4cfea4e3-a02d-4613-a8f0-74162aa37451/IMG_6067.PNG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1635962217483-CGSZGUDXCTQG9YWRTQNU/IMG_5724.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3322831c-2fcc-4e84-9f2f-d332b110826e/IMG_6369.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/08bfe708-2efe-441f-93fa-a3cd14c97019/IMG_5732.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d6f7b12d-85a8-49f5-9662-650ff1d04d6e/image0003.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cd946fe5-bb14-4b9e-a13b-ce1540176a9f/IMG_6379.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/80ca7151-fc64-4452-b0fe-b56ce7a0478d/image0004.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/bc0e2175-4e41-490f-92e2-b8ebea760c42/IMG_6380.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c4c12c66-3fda-4aa4-b6d4-cb2c6533f710/image0005.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/74cf0b39-b968-468e-a2bd-73107fd1d16e/IMG_6381.JPG All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ad12bc82-f6fc-45d3-ad5b-588182b4733b/image0006.jpg All Projects - S.A.G.A. https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/baki monthly 0.5 2021-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9048a666-866f-4ee9-af37-0a7cd8accbd7/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ae6c9dbe-9876-450d-aaf4-6e01292af810/Walk_blaster.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. Before I dived into a full-blown shoulder cannon project, however, I thought it best to do a practice run first. I knew this was a bonkers project, and didn’t want to make the mistake of rushing in, blowing a ton of time and money, and ultimately realizing I was in over my head. I thought doing a simpler project first, like a stationary turret, would let me develop and iron out key systems for ease of transplant into a following, full-spec project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/77dfcfe9-c7eb-4e8e-bff5-4436620fb74f/IMG_7129_hangar.png All Projects - b.a.k.i. The final assignment for ENGI 301 was to create an embedded system, with previous projects being super basic, like a noise-activated LED or a temperature display I imagine everyone thought I was such a tryhard when I presented my proposal, for a straight up camera computer vision auto-tracking turret. This was above the level of most senior design projects even, and while I was aware of that, I still wanted to challenge myself and learn from it. Without further ado, this is: project b.a.k.i. – breakthrough automated [k]annon instrument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/745599e3-fedd-4f6b-9009-b6a75167db38/MV5BOWI2ZjAzZTktYjYxNC00NzM1LThmMzEtZTJhMjBmMGIzNzgyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEzMTI1Mjk3._V1_.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. Though b.a.k.i. is ostensibly just a hamfisted acronym, it’s actually the main character’s name in the manga Grappler Baki! It’s a frankly bizarre show, where a cast of martial arts-obsessed weirdos beat each other up for fun. Highly recommend As always, I’ve organized this writeup in mostly-chronological order, with minor changes for flow and clarity: Python + OpenCV Setup Electronics - Preliminary Work Fabricating Cannon Components Gear Drives Electronics + Packaging Camera Integration Final Assembly Testing Next Steps (Yes, that is Baki squaring up against a giant praying mantis ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5fbe446c-d7b3-42d7-bcf0-bba733bb0e59/1_HfZmZayUqnYioPC9qTfd4A.png All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/523171fd-e37e-4d49-88d8-2c398bd92ec8/8c67a3e02f41441dae98f8b91c792c1e1b4afef1_770a5842.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b669793c-b668-49be-96d0-85474f24a337/IMG_6935.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9c8cb56c-f9b1-4a85-919b-0ec3caf1a4a3/IMG_6942.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602991900580-N9Q0R1JGR6NN2J0CUVWP/IMG_6948.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. With my workspace and Pi ready, it was time to download and build OpenCV! After grabbing various dependencies using sudo apt-get update and upgrade, and downloading OpenCV via pip install, I had to compile it using make -j4. This took a looong time. The Pi would repeatedly freeze and I would reboot it. After more research, I realized that I had too much RAM allocated to the GPU, and not enough to the CPU. I also needed to increase the swap size from its default 100. That sped things right up! Eventually, OpenCV did finish building, and words cannot express how happy I was! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602992916466-8CC9EK42ZDNIHRLHH5WH/ezgif.com-optimize.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. After spending some time in Python and OpenCV (and many YouTube tutorials), I was able to get the Pi to read and manipulate video from a webcam. Here is a good demonstration of the targeting method I decided to use. Using a specified HSV color range, the program would block or ‘mask’ out anything not in the range, and the remaining colored patches would be target zones for my cannon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602992976242-RHPH9WC9LHBE6NHZCA00/ezgif.com-video-to-gif.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. The Python script I wrote first finds the coordinates of the centroid of the color mass, and the x- and y- distances from the center of the camera frame. Based on this, it issues servo motor commands to turn the camera and cannon on two axes until the target is within a certain distance from the center. During debugging, I had the camera feed displayed on my computer via remote access, and I superimposed some lines over it to act as a targeting guide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/637fb72f-80b6-4325-b457-57abab523f48/IMG_7010.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/01725e9f-97b5-4561-aca9-05e08151de85/IMG_7009.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602993978493-3KW58WANKT6U1NSHZ5IW/IMG_6985.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. To power everything, I used a permaproto breadboard and buck converters to make a power management board. This let me power the Pi and servo hat from an onboard Lipo battery! In addition to the wall adapter not being to supply enough current to my servos, this decision meant that b.a.k.i. could operate anywhere, without needing a nearby outlet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/906d5998-22d0-49a1-8695-81a6542eb942/ezgif.com-video-to-gif+%281%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/109f789c-9bfc-4e52-b556-0841f307211e/IMG_6992.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/913b6846-87c6-48d2-ac34-1059e8da1e7c/IMG_7004.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/501047e4-d4fd-40d0-9f95-10a2accab77d/InkedIMG_6958+-+Copy_LI.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/af31e4d5-a8d2-4d25-830d-605f822a3d1d/IMG_7049.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2b7c03c2-6f62-4287-9f90-79dcab873692/IMG_7043.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9cd4d797-ac3b-45a9-be6f-79848a656268/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2811%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. To note — The reason I’m using gears at all, instead of axially mounting the motors in line with moving parts, is because I was trying to avoid having the motors themselves be load bearing elements. By having the weight of the moving cannon parts supported by their own shaft and bearings, and having the motor solely responsible for torquing it, I could minimize motor wear and maximize lifespan. In any case, the gears mesh beautifully and do their job well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602996451123-UXO2J39CY74Y56OFRMZQ/reag.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. After that, I hooked everything up to the Pi and ran it through actuation cycles. Clean! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602996494949-SCDOL1OTANAJIM506DDN/IMG_7013.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. Next up was to figure out how to arrange my components to fit inside the box. As you can see, I had accumulated a lot of flat circuit boards that had a lot of area but not much height. This was an inefficient use of space, so I decided I wanted to stack the power management board (bottom left) on top of the RasPi / servo hat combo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602996810312-0JEK6ZFWCK7OLQEKLXMA/IMG_7097.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. Here is my switching area. The green circuit board is a voltmeter, the piece above that with 6 black wires is my charging port, and the two switches in the right corner switch on the main and auxiliary circuits. However, when I was testing for continuity, I noticed that the voltage after the switches was only 10.2 volts, when a fully charged 3S battery is 12.6 volts. There was some parasitic resistance inside the switches, meaning my motors couldn’t get their full 12V and really go wild. This was a problem. To fix this, I added another MOSFET board in the switch area. The main switches now only control on/off logic, they are no longer part of the main power supply ‘line’. Ideally I’d find some better switches, but I was out of time. All the JST connectors are so I don’t need to cut and splice in replacement parts if I ever need to swap anything out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/eb6c77ed-391f-4623-ad2a-37b4d4f98e29/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%287%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. As the rotating mechanism was mounted on the lid of the box, and the horizontal rotation servo on the inside of the box, it was difficult to get a perfect gear mesh by just jamming the lid on. I came up with a pretty clever solution. I mounted the servo on a bracket, and cut slots into the floor of the box so that the bracket could slide. The process would be to (1) slide the servo out of alignment as (2) the lid and its gear were put on, and then to (3) slide the servo back into place to mesh with the now secured top gear. The ‘feet’ on the bottom of the casing allows the bolts to protrude beneath the bottom of the box proper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f29adf63-f4ce-4057-9a14-70c58a1ebae6/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%288%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. Completed ‘business end’ subassembly with: camera mount epoxied to flywheel cage, camera epoxied to its mount, motors fastened using M2 screws, flywheels painted gold and pressed onto the motor splines, and an additional cosmetic piece to fit over the barrel. It looks like a spaceship! The gif is a clip of my cannon panning, and a perspective view of the what the computer vision program sees during that movement! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5228f93a-f2ea-404c-a3aa-80ee89776f0f/IMG_7101.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3fbb7309-86d6-49d8-a167-bf459fad1206/IMG_7113.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9e011199-d514-4bae-a669-26577b4daa24/IMG_7102.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/21de63a3-774a-40b8-85bb-a9b8311b876d/IMG_7099.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/953ed5fa-fdc5-4522-9da3-30a8ef1b787c/IMG_7129.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e29727be-6075-4b8b-96d5-6593a17f1ab0/fetchimage.jfif All Projects - b.a.k.i. When the project aesthetic comes together just right ✋ (I said no Kronk meme but I never said no Pacha meme ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/bcf21ac1-4cff-46e6-b7b8-68246599c921/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2810%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. After final assembly came one last round of testing. Here is b.a.k.i. cycling through its full range of motion. I eventually throttled down the movement speed for actual tracking trials, due to the Raspberry Pi lagging under the heavy OpenCV RAM requirements. The program wouldn’t realize in time when a target was already in its sights. It would continuously overshoot and reverse to try and overcompensate for rotating too far, and the solution to that (short of implementing PID control in a programming language I had so far 5? days of experience with) was to slow the servos so the program had more time to react. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/29ebd6e3-b478-49b6-9e4d-fa473fe2cbbe/IMG_7116.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d4ba1232-498e-4d15-9980-88f090484eda/IMG_7117.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602998914640-7N07ZY7IT8PGAHOT7KL5/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. Successful tracking trial! I should mention that at the time of writing, b.a.k.i. does not fire. The code for it to fire does not yet physically (virtually?) exist. That is intentional. The OEDK has gotten upset with me () in the past before for building Nerf blasters in their facilities. Therefore, I am waiting until I have b.a.k.i. built to a degree that it can run indefinitely without OEDK maintenance before I add in the last lines of code to enable full functionality. That way, I can claim it technically isn’t a ‘blaster’ in that it cannot blast anything Otherwise, all of the hardware (all three motors and wheels, MOSFETs, and Zener diodes) are installed and ready for action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e7b245e0-45cb-47ae-92be-8a19b0ef008d/IMG_7129_hangar.png All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5a421e7f-2ccc-4f55-8c04-8aa40b1ee7e3/IMG_7044.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636005539051-1666F3QGPN3IL5KBR70G/IMG_6996.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f54fd181-0d72-49d6-8d04-97b56463a738/IMG_7076.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/afc18844-c112-45fb-a530-c6d8aa701488/IMG_6040a.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f4b30f7e-74e6-4d35-87d8-fa44d24339cb/IMG_6964.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d82b2c74-93f5-4ca9-9b77-d9d11003f4f3/IMG_7029.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/90f0ff87-6780-4304-92e9-03fc974ba558/IMG_7057.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636247686282-Y5GFS6LWBBMSJOV6D8FQ/InkedIMG_7014_LI.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/776be729-1f04-4c36-a274-631ee54a5cb2/IMG_7045.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/bb91b55d-4fd0-4e49-af5e-bb17f272da2d/IMG_7071.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c1b5e0fd-9e28-438b-87d2-fc75f1a1f81b/IMG_7082.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636055010566-IS09151BOA0SZ1PZ9Y9F/IMG_6988.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/351df5a3-1318-4907-837a-e1b2bbee6ae6/IMG_7039.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/acc6646d-c4fd-411f-a834-b436884c3778/IMG_7081.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/53a8ff72-52d2-4e28-8b18-c534f0b76d02/IMG_7043.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d6a0892c-5782-4d49-9c05-1f68f25d2310/IMG_7051.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/98c728b1-6ba7-45b6-8e13-fa66d6023103/IMG_7048.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b2aa0a31-e1d4-4f05-9176-95d15422526f/IMG_7080.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636054974981-P0TF1G3WRZWD4H61VG16/Capture.jpg All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a4c972a8-5bed-433d-8d31-d46677f0a3fa/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/49712df0-cbdc-4622-9278-134240597b1a/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/de6e43e0-7bc4-4b6e-8700-ec35371f5579/IMG_7040.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3d3a1a2c-d8bb-4426-a1d0-e1bd430f323e/IMG_7092.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/24cca1b4-f9ef-4c80-9142-97796bd8ed71/IMG_7003.JPG All Projects - b.a.k.i. https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/bakifullspec monthly 0.5 2021-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1633059911991-6W0Q1MV9FGXLOQNZ4J8B/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3162a6ed-1069-4677-88fe-5b82651462a0/FULL+FUCKING+CAD.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] So… I decided to make one for myself! What did you expect? Enter B.A.K.I. (Breakthrough Automated Kannon Instrument) — a computer vision auto-tracking shoulder cannon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1633112481059-7SM3RGGJMN3YFMXF6ZXK/IMG_7129_hangar.png All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] As the name suggests, B.A.K.I. is the evolution of b.a.k.i. — my first computer vision auto turret! From the beginning, b.a.k.i. was intended to be a stepping stone for B.A.K.I., and I was able to apply everything I learned in that proof of concept into this new, full-spec version! I designed it to be superior in every possible metric — reaction time, output power, range of capabilities, and general aesthetics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7afe8084-4c3b-41c4-b3d8-0947aca4105f/fullcadagain_cropped-edit_2.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] As this is a pretty bananas build, I’ve organized this writeup into subsystem-based sections. If there are ‘continuity’ errors between sections, that’s because most systems were actually developed concurrently; I’ve just decided to sacrifice chronology for clarity instead: Overview Bakugo Shoulder Bracket Cannon Body + Firing System Barrel Rotation Mechanism AirLift Ammunition Feed System Dual Axis Rotation Apparatus Linear Deployment Rail LASERs! Computer Vision Electronics Integration / Test Printed Circuit Board (PCB) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611776451624-ZP5EVIK5LNUWW2JQ96TL/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] A shoulder cannon sits on the shoulders! Therefore, the centerpiece of Project: B.A.K.I. is an aluminum shoulder mount, that attaches to standalone backpack and cannon units. Various mode-select switches are embedded inside the shoulder mount, as well as a camera for the computer vision function to ‘see’ and target things. The bluish pyramid beaming out from the left shoulder is the camera’s field of view. This CAD assembly has over 400 components!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611776224470-HYPS09S8628I3OOZQWYJ/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] The backpack serves as an ammunition reservoir & delivery system. It uses an agitator and blower fan to airfeed foam Nerf balls from the reservoir to the cannon via a hose. More importantly, though, it also contains all the computing elements, and links to both the cannon and shoulder mount using a series of cables. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611776492228-HJWYKVTP972XBYM9STDA/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] The cannon was the most mechanically difficult part of this build. This assembly contains 9 motors, used to: Deploy the cannon carriage from a ‘racked’ position to an ‘active’ one Aim the cannon in horizontal and vertical directions for targeting Spin the tri-minigun barrels (with embedded lasers!) Fire soft Nerf ball ammunition https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611776605300-3BMNHPXKVH2WX4UKHYZ1/BAKI+Electrical.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Finally, B.A.K.I. was designed to operate in 2 different modes: Auto Mode: Computer Vision - track and shoot at designated target signatures, as recognized by onboard camera Manual Mode: Joystick Override - direct user control through a Wii Nunchuk (yup BAKI is Nintendo-compatible ) (Secret Mode) - will be revealed in a later update! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603670048726-E3O32IDJGPLYXTKAXK6R/%25E3%2580%258E%25E5%2583%2595%25E3%2581%25AE%25E3%2583%2592%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25AD%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25A2%25E3%2582%25AB%25E3%2583%2587%25E3%2583%259F%25E3%2582%25A2%25E3%2580%258F%25E3%2583%2592%25E3%2583%25AD%25E3%2582%25A2%25E3%2582%25AB2%25E6%259C%259F%25E7%25AC%25AC2%25E3%2582%25AF%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25AB%25E3%2582%25AA%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%2597%25E3%2583%258B%25E3%2583%25B3%25E3%2582%25B0%25E3%2583%25A0%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%2593%25E3%2583%25BC%25EF%25BC%258F%25E3%2580%258C%25E7%25A9%25BA%25E3%2581%25AB%25E6%25AD%258C%25E3%2581%2588%25E3%2581%25B0%25E3%2580%258Damazarashi%25EF%25BC%258F%25E3%2583%2592%25E3%2583%25AD%25E3%2582%25A2%25E3%2582%25ABOP%2B0-55%2Bscreenshot.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] For certain reasons (AKA I am a massive weeb), I wanted my shoulder mount to look like Bakugo’s neck brace from My Hero Academia. Design elements to note are the metal-looking construction, and decorative holes in the front and side faces. In order to steal his look… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/be903de5-baac-49a4-bb21-ab11511c6e70/IMG_7661_edit.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1ffae7fe-27b2-4eda-80dd-743bd2baedf1/IMG_7658.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ae3e926a-4779-43d7-bd16-dd5ad22aa883/Liner3.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/82f7901e-6f7b-4079-9e91-5d6639f7b4e8/IMG_7734+%281%29.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8b60b74a-32ad-4622-bd5a-116217a67ac4/AAA.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9f2def75-e0a2-481e-a675-fcc430e4cd2b/Wood.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/51d03ee2-9449-403c-884d-139848433026/IMG_0442_edit.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/35651c50-d509-4b5b-911b-f12e4b9bce8f/IMG_1002.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b8d021b6-bcf1-419d-9e11-5f98162d066f/Inkedpod2_LI.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d9b4d049-52b2-4944-b689-fe8b95bc3cf6/IMG_1935.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d0a2b15b-3381-4310-a8a0-12ecdd094f81/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611792407089-WNGN69HF7A32JO4KX4IP/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%289%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Testing flywheel as installed in a further-along cannon. I only connected one motor for testing; I already knew they worked, so this was just me reducing the number of things I’d have to wire before final assembly. But yea, Flywheel launching system, complete!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603694552215-6Q6SJXIPE1EHMFTH9PYS/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] An important skill in any project is kitbashing, or borrowing existing components from other things around you! It basically means resourcefulness, but y’know, buzzwords The toy shown is the Dart Zone Scorpion blaster! The idea of sticking one of these on my shoulder was what inspired this project to begin with, so you bet I was going to buy one and kitbash the hell out of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603696271225-RD6726LYZLQF1QH05JXA/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] I gave the motor 6V and stood back to watch some spinny minigun goodness! Guys! We just made a standalone barrel rotation system! Oh man, just imagine this whirring above your left shoulder https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/14a7f4b2-4717-4b5c-adbb-6cc3ff220814/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2819%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Relevant lol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3521ede9-1513-4ecd-b5f0-f5f462a9136d/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2810%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] And once again, a clip of the updated tri-barrels spinning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f8347a4f-a144-45c4-8112-3d6bc9492821/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2811%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e53731df-ff2d-44ec-a91b-bf516acb22d5/IMG_1999.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611901831326-3TZSTZM8G2MSLV13RMW7/IMG_1916.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Finally, I cleaned everything up to look more professional. Here is the updated backpack, with a panel removed to show the spinner, and the motor powering it underneath. The thing on top is a bottlecap - my solution for unscrewing and pouring in more ammo! Airlift system - complete! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611894979994-JVLIFZ3L9IXSY7977MZF/Capture+outline.PNG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] In order for my cannon to work properly, it needed the ability to pan and tilt to properly target things! Here is an early design showing roughly how the system works. One servo motor controls the elevation (vertical) orientation of the cannon, and another controls the azimuth (horizontal)! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611895721956-Z5MWI6MNP1NUEY8INHII/IMG_0272.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Then, after I happened to find some spare 2GT pulley parts, I did a massive redesign of the elevation carriage to use a belt drive instead of gears! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c316981f-f672-435f-9bce-7ca855dd0d2a/IMG_1618.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2e9d6522-9a91-4716-a56e-9691a3385960/InkedIMG_1760_LI.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/471bf31f-b772-42a8-812f-bc9304033bfa/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2815%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/34c91337-0d85-44eb-8df1-4e027e2f11e7/ezgif.com-gif-maker%28sio%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611897439722-6A09603X6AULMWOPMJRO/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2816%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] The azimuth rotation system was much less problematic, as that servo wouldn’t actually have to fight any gravity. Pretty much worked on the first try, yay! Hmm, maybe I should program in user recognition into BAKI, and have it repeatedly slap them in the face if they don’t match my ID signature Cannon orientation systems (or whatever I called this) — done! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/85e13316-e0bb-4907-8f58-b6d4218e2f02/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%288%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] In addition to orienting the cannon vertically and horizontally, I had also mentioned wanting it to retract into a ‘stowed’ state when not in use. I wasn’t clear on what that meant, so here is a brief demo. The cannon is stored folded up behind my back, and only when I ‘summon’ it (lol) does it slide up a rail to sit atop my shoulder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604683257380-L9XZD3BZOWVWU9AGFIIO/71zfaTkr6dL._AC_SL1500_edit+%281%29.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] After a classmate I was explaining things to became confused, I thought I’d add this image in. In both the Dart Zone Scorpion and my own design, the only functional barrel that shot projectiles was the central barrel; the rest were just cosmetic. However, I thought that was super lame and wanted the other barrels to do some function as well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604725424984-79B3OUN2KKHMJ2HTGIRA/Untitled+Diagram.png All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] As I set out to make my own slip rings, I quickly found out — it’s surprisingly difficult to manufacture thin + tall metal rings! So I shit you not, I dug through my house’s recycling and cut up a green beans can for two nice, easy steel rings. Eat your vegetables, kids https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611899308356-ACODQC7CZNS934IWEX6N/IMG_1644.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Here is the laser tribarrel all powered on! Quite fitting that I’m shining green lasers out of something made with green bean cans Seeing the three laser dots arc into circles and signalling certain death would have to wait until final integration testing, but as a standalone element… Lasers — done! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/522e70a7-b922-4df7-a32e-7d2b9a753f3f/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2820%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] At this stage, basically all of BAKI’s hardware systems had been developed. Or at least that’s all I’ve presented so far; in reality I worked on hardware and software concurrently. In any case — time to cover electronics and software! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/877e27fa-ba4b-4f61-abc7-4e2f26bbcd0f/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2812%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] …The tracking speed ended up being pretty atrocious. This was probably due to a combination of inefficient code and processor, not the algorithm itself. Real-time computer vision is hard for any computer, let alone a Raspberry Pi. If I wanted a shoulder cannon that didn’t perform like a joke, I needed to drastically speed up things up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ce91a5ed-442f-43d2-a437-49f87d621d03/1906-04.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] As I researched and browsed for possible solutions, I stumbled across an entire market of purpose-built computer vision modules. In addition to having image processing firmware built-in from the very beginning, these also had an optimized camera physically integrated into the chip as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1611901958906-4W5MXEB9V00KI1PN64ZK/IMG_1835.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] Despite my demonstrated penchant for self-inflicted punishment, my choice to hand-wire everything on protoboard, as opposed to making a PCB (printed circuit board) wasn’t one of them. The truth was that I simply didn’t know any other method. Due to the simplicity of all my prior projects, I’d been able to get away with it. But having to measure, cut, strip, twist, solder, and heatshrink the hundreds of connections in this project really sucked, and took me an entire holiday break (plus my sanity). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f7f6bcfb-30f8-4292-a297-f1cba34db23a/IMG_1958.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] But I managed to finish! I tested all my connections with a multimeter and confirmed I hadn’t made any mistakes. Finally, I used zip ties to (somewhat) organize the wirepaths, threw on an acrylic window to both protect/showcase everything, and declared electronics complete! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/accb7d3c-86be-4033-99b2-a440848581b5/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2814%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] My brother helped me write out some code… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7348794a-221e-4679-95ca-ee5966f36cd5/InkedIMG_3107_LI.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] While I had initially avoided PCB design to not delay the project in running off to learn a new skill, I decided that with the project now delayed either way, and having a high-current PCB realistically being the only way forward, I’d do it. Conveniently, one of my powerlifting buddies, Fredy, was an electrical engineer, and he helped me learn the PCB design software EAGLE! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3e190ff5-fcc4-4db8-90e2-5c6e02975911/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2821%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b965eaf4-bd62-4c4e-9fbf-56f43c778eb9/pcb_populated.jpg All Projects - B.A.K.I. 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[Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2a3feb30-6fc9-4288-944a-f6031eb7b867/IMG_1562.JPG All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/41b3e645-f9b1-44e0-b21c-313e3ebe0000/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%287%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5acd2da0-6a95-447c-b64a-e6603e62a9e9/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/31eba57a-0207-4e74-b0cd-31f453f290dc/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - B.A.K.I. [Full Spec] https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/shootstyle monthly 0.5 2021-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602644790092-4NP4RGVJT7H6LYA3PTTR/tumblr_pf4hk4nShV1r2hy3ro1_400.gif All Projects - ShootStyle In case y’all haven’t figured it out, I like anime. Quite a bit. And one of my favorite animes so far is My Hero Academia, set in a future where superheroes and superpowers are commonplace. While my favorite character may be Bakugo… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645043362-Z116NR0K1XI4DF75M18D/Izuku_Midoriya_Hero_Costume_Action_Pose.png All Projects - ShootStyle …My favorite visual effect / design choice is Midoriya in his Shoot Style setup, a soccer-like, kick-based fighting style he uses in conjunction with leg armor and cleats to kick some serious butt. I wanted to make my own setup, loosely inspired after Shoot Style. I’ve always been a fan of armor, and it seemed like a fun project. I was spending Thanksgiving break at school, so I used the time to do a quick two-day build. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645186148-5NNZNKOOV3PKIXLDV6VL/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645250913-I8KW60LYAT1KBK7A3ATF/IMG_2699.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645431546-1Y94MW1SXXNYEDH33KS8/IMG_3462.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Testing the Lipo/LED combination I planned to use https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645477841-GRXXR73V9NAIJ1WNOH5N/IMG_3465.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Replacing the battery JST plug with a more robust XT30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645742513-WCXOJH2FYMNIYG20ZQWL/IMG_3479.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Next, I had to modify the armor a bit. Inside the outer plastic shell, there was a layer of foam padding, and a final inner cloth sleeve. I tore out all the foam to make space for my LED setup. I also shaved off a decent amount of plastic away from the hinge areas, to increase my legs’ range of motion when armored up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645810817-5SY2Q9WW4ODRY0XQUL77/IMG_3463.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle I had planned to use some mesh or translucent fabric to diffuse the light, but there wasn’t any readily available in the makerspace and I was short on time. I considered using the black fabric from my underwear… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645848961-J13YYFG3TLVLOYREEV9S/IMG_3464+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle But it turned out that if I didn’t stick the LED bulb directly inside the armor vent, the light would bounce off the inner fabric sleeve and diffuse enough without me having to do anything. Nice! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602645919963-OP6YSIPM7EJLUK3AV1EJ/IMG_3467+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Next, I basically wired 2 sets of LEDs in parallel, in parallel, and glued them close (but not inside) the vents. I used thin-gauge solid core wire because it was a bit easier to bend and keep in place (it was also all the makerspace had at the time). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646169489-B36SVM04CARG3G10BRN3/IMG_3478.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Here it is all powered on! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646199515-Q5LE9PL2JBUNS8LH18IP/IMG_3476.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Near the hinge area, I routed the wires through some 3D-printed wire guides I made, so they couldn’t get caught. It’s in the previous picture too, but it might be hard to see in all the black. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646545400-UK5SYPTLTM1679YOUU2X/IMG_3489.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle With the inserts snapped into place, you can barely even tell it’s been modified at all, save for one or two wires peeking out by the hinge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646659027-CDT0EDHJAZREXFVHGRJK/IMG_3488.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle And painted over any nicks from shipping/me working on it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646593815-0PJKXLMIKY4R8HR8H8B4/IMG_3490.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle Finally, I superglued any loose threads on the pouch… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1630175084662-M3UTE7XC0EXILSYAVXGJ/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - ShootStyle And the leg armor was complete! This thing looks so sick! It throws out these cool, ghostly green shadows everywhere, especially indoors. Best of all, they leave freaking light trails, just like in the show! (See below) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1630134348873-Y7UWLS47MCGMWHH9X14G/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2814%29.gif All Projects - ShootStyle Best anime fight of the year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1630135110893-WQ3KW05DHWF94XERW0NI/recolor.gif All Projects - ShootStyle Tracing a nice light trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1630175750437-S1U2B94WDH4W3SMVV1QB/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - ShootStyle Then, because I demonstrably lacked the footwork to pay homage to this little animation (S3 E23)… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602646976428-XH7BKGZ18CESD9OJ2IU0/IMG_9016.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle Unfortunately, I destroyed my red Chucks in summer 2020, hiking through the Zion National Park. Any sneakerheads out there — I’m sorry you had to see this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1630179156717-88BWM1H4C94HBZ4LRYNJ/IMG_0481.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle I think that was all - thanks for reading! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/20c8b169-bc80-4c80-8145-b3ad9049aa1d/48405975_333820747206949_4097967376744579072_n.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c9ddd067-ea7a-4d97-a2ba-9be6106e6f71/IMG_3482.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/daa63f70-7458-4f6d-9d95-546d44a29e5f/IMG_0521_toe.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f9c6c4d1-7681-423f-b7a1-f37701865020/IMG_7380.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8b520eb7-fd9d-4249-9468-6a94f25f5349/IMG_4291.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5deb6074-bba1-4ca3-86f7-93dfb9423958/IMG_3484+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a4600ee1-228a-4927-ba26-cb257d566a16/IMG_0522_crop.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3571dee4-c9d0-4081-b88c-16dbb13ce6cf/IMG_7379.jpg All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ddf75ced-8164-4880-a2c4-4aae1a53b74d/IMG_4289.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1a19a38f-4f9f-4e95-8e46-5cc1e3c7053c/IMG_3486+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/80565776-e2c8-496c-8324-8cf7142b0335/IMG_0525.JPG All Projects - ShootStyle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a7aefb4a-7802-4bb7-b03c-7e6570f9e603/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2815%29.gif All Projects - ShootStyle https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/lightoseiba monthly 0.5 2020-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000512826-H1WWZ5RRLMI8KPK0P93M/Kydd+%283%29+-+Copy.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber In Star Wars, a lightsaber is a blade of frozen plasma, focused from a “Force-sensitive” crystal, and contained in a magnetic field. Since we are not even remotely close to this level of engineering, the best we can do is to make cheap facsimiles to amuse ourselves. This page covers the creative process in creating my own custom lightsabers, starting from primitive models I built in middle school, to the Lipo-powered, magnetically-activated versions I am creating now (Seriously, please read until the end. It’s worth it, I promise). I am aware of many of the higher-quality builds out there, but these were never meant to compete with them. My lightsabers are first and foremost designed to be used, and not just sit in a display case. They are playthings, to carry out the imaginations of a middle school Brian. I had no use for a prop that I couldn’t swing around and beat my brothers with. As such, the design sacrifices some things, such as sound effects and metal handles, in exchange for low cost, customization, and durability. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602999644883-UQX3VG29Z20OYH5WNZMW/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Mark I was my first serious attempt at building a lightsaber. I was in middle school at the time and before, the most I’d ever done was to tape a roll of colored paper over a flashlight (something I’m sure we’ve all tried). I’d recently heard of electroluminescent (EL) wire, and wanted to use it in my lightsaber. EL wire consists of an extremely thin strand of wire coated in phosphor and clear protective insulation. When alternating current (AC) is applied, the electrons excite the phosphor and make the wire glow. Sounds cool, right? It is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602999678575-B7FMC1ZC35ELCWA6AJME/EL+Wire.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber So I bought up a big spool of it, along with the DC to AC driver and other parts, and threw the thing together. It wasn’t pretty. It was really dim, and my handiwork skills weren’t that good then. However, I learned a lot and applied it to my next build, the Mark II. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602999744017-VMTK7WUA9E7SH2VNTFZO/Gen+II+Diagam+Proto.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber - (what almost became) Mk ii This was a conceptual sketch of a lightsaber I drew in seventh grade, when my imagination still far exceeded my practical building skills. What’s interesting is that even though I had no hands-on experience at the time, this would almost be the exact Mk. II design, save for one detail: battery placement. I assumed that a 9V battery would fit into 1″ PVC pipe, but I was wrong. Hence the “almost”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602999797891-EGZ5HNPQUAQ5XZN1KLCN/Gen+II+Diagram.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber Prior to the development of Mach II, I spent a great deal of time looking for a better alternative than EL wire. Some online forums suggested LED strips, but your typical LED strip only shines in one direction, and the strip itself blocks a lot of light. Obviously undesirable when designing a lightsaber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000561013-77FEWJH6VGCXUTZU9GPQ/887-00.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber Prior to the development of Mach II, I spent a great deal of time looking for a better alternative than EL wire. Some online forums suggested LED strips, but your typical LED strip only shines in one direction, and the strip itself blocks a lot of light. Obviously undesirable when designing a lightsaber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000587782-QZYKIIZWDCL2QSXCTM0T/LED+Strand.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber I found the below image online, with LED leads soldered directly to one another to allow light to disperse in all directions, but this design seemed too fragile to me, especially considering all the beating it was going to take. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000639317-TT5GJ9BR5A6VI95TN3K0/LED+Strand+%28my+ver%29.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber I modified this design by wrapping and soldering the LEDs onto 16 gauge wire instead, for both structural integrity and conductivity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000675612-HJ7FXVK7QMUEJQNITYBA/Polycarb.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber I chose to use thin polycarbonate tubing for the blade instead of kitbashing the blades from existing storebought toys, as I’d done before. Polycarbonate is much tougher (in both impact-resistance and tensile strength) than most other clear plastics, so it was ideal for something that would be used to hit things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000840912-7J18IGRVDF0N21HRFN5P/Gen+II+Hilt+%284%29.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000872038-268STIMC4F9OXNH2MONO/Gen%252BII%252BHilt%252B%2525282%252529.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603000735799-AV4OM0Z9CBH7PHCHJ6PB/Jacob+1.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber Here is my friend and happy MK II ‘customer’, Jacob! We ran a workshop for East Lyme High School’s Maker Club in 2015, where we ‘mass-produced’ MK II kits for anyone that wanted one, and walked them through assembling their own. Good times! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603048979541-MF8VL6TTLO5N7AD72ZQU/Gen%2BIII%2BDiagram%2BProto.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber NOT the actual MK III design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049148372-IZG5OCR0SHHJLTXJGU7Z/Gen+III+Diagram+%285%29.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber Mark III ended up being a nightmare to visualize and design. The circuit itself was dead simple, with just an LED strip, switch, and battery pack, but the physical design was something else entirely (at least at that point in my building career) 10/18/2020 Edit: I just thought to point out that I had no CAD or 3D modelling experience at this point in my training. I’m really impressed with what little 17-y/o Brian was able to visualize and design back then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049199510-7WTC9K3YXQYCA3PRNHH3/Gen+III+Diagram+%286%29.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber It featured 4 different-sized tubes interlocked in a friction-fit 3D puzzle. An endcap slid off to reveal a tube-style battery ‘magazine’ (like a tube-fed shotgun), and the main body had a inlet cut in it to make disassembly possible. I didn’t know any CAD software then, either, so I basically hit rocks together to make fire, so to speak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049285281-Z2T2RGQ7YEEXNFXDHFAQ/Gen%2BIII%2BDiagram%2B%25284%2529.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber Just to give you an idea: Installing the switch alone involved: cutting a slot in the blade, cutting a hole in the outer shell, prewiring the switch with extra wire, then snaking them through the hole, slot, and main tube, and pulling everything through using the extra length, then soldering to the battery plug and one end of the LED strip. Then I flooded everything in hot glue and prayed none of my exposed contacts touched each other. (At the time I didn’t know heat shrink existed) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049417205-GM7ZUAM2TI36117L7A2V/unnamed.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber Even the battery contact face was a repurposed wick holder from a tealight candle. This is the level of homemade we’re talking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049485153-KCP8NPPK7QPDVE53UTWN/MK+IX+%281%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Early mockup of the telescoping/nested tube design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049554410-LWIJS0YZ6R5GEIVXOYEO/MK+IX.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber Prototype MK III model https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049612234-E1M628U5MEK40Q9PFPLF/MK+X+%2812%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber A completed MK III model https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049741996-CVP6XG10UNY52XCUY123/MK+X+%281%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Marking cut lines in Sharpie https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049808385-K0ZA8J0JD5OI2S9C8D1F/MK+X+%284%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Mockup after hand carving + sanding https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603049878679-O0GPTX15QGSXHYRU0VS6/MK+X+%2810%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Painted! (by hand!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603050068021-AREYQZHBECNHDX9EDMV3/Kydd+%283%29+-+Copy.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber Here is me too - go Dark Side! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603050026637-5HQ0TLYZHU5LX05HMSQ0/Kydd+%282%29.jpeg All Projects - Lightsaber I think he liked them https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603050251354-IB999UFB9TZDT7DTGKS1/MK+XIII+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber See? Things I build for personal use stay jank and unpainted. I save my best work for others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603050425171-C20AFUXQ8Z3EY816LHBJ/ezgif.com-crop+%289%29.gif All Projects - Lightsaber Mark IV was a quick and dirty summer build after my first year at college. It was largely the same as Mark III, but I modified it to take AAA’s for a more compact hilt, and implemented a different side-loading battery setup. This shorter hilt limited MK IV to single-hand combat only, but that was okay because there is a shield for the left hand in the works! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603050483837-TC6HV6FHWUKBLA0ER458/ezgif.com-crop+%2810%29.gif All Projects - Lightsaber At this point, I hadn’t learned coding to program a microprocessor yet, so that meant no controlling RGB LEDs. I worked around that by remembering those flashing/fading rainbow LEDs found in cheap dollar store toys, and ordering a bunch from China. Due to QC tolerances (probably), the blade starts off a singular color, then differences in individual bulb resistances cascade, and the blade dissolves into a Technicolor mess. After all, why use a Jedi mind trick when you can just give your opponent a seizure? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603051004161-6VSLV35W4H9P2BAXZKXW/Capture.JPG All Projects - Lightsaber It’s hard to tell in the photo, but these are the same patterns I carved into the MK III: Special Edition’s! With the silver accenting swapped out for edgy, bloody red!!!1! (JK I only had these paint colors on hand). IN ADDITION – I changed one more key thing that really set Mark V apart from the rest. With my now-educated a** knowing power electronics, I added in a reed switch and a protective MOSFET circuit as my activator. No more physical switch, which meant… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603051185070-CKZ6QG59NIDUNR4X3R35/ezgif.com-video-to-gif+%284%29.gif All Projects - Lightsaber That’s right. MAGNETS!! (Those are magnets taped to my palm). Mark VI activates whenever a magnet moves into close enough proximity to it, and trips the reed switch. Like the Force… well, kind of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603051298320-7IML7S0DXSXT80J0611F/tumblr_inline_pi4b2oBp0C1w1x0k0_500.gif All Projects - Lightsaber It was such a great party trick to pass it around, have everyone try to activate it, then pull a Thor on them with a hidden magnet. Fun times were had on Advisor Crawl 1.0 bamboozling friends https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603051384688-QHBPG5LK319EVY1SLVQV/giphy.gif All Projects - Lightsaber And thanks to the 70-odd LEDs I crammed into the mere 2 feet of blade, this thing is crazy bright. It even left a little corona effect in the camera :) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603051470265-1014CLRSL95RF4TXP5XN/maxresdefault.jpg All Projects - Lightsaber Don’t think for a second that I’m done. Some things I want to add to future versions are: individually addressed LEDs for scrolling/flashing effects RGB-programmable LEDs, so I can change blade colors at will A soundcard with one set of lightsaber-accurate sounds, and another set with joke sounds Accelerometer to measure speed and impact of hits Arduino + Bluetooth module to link to my phone DUAL BLADES https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/gearbox monthly 0.5 2021-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603056630843-ZYVS6PPJQVXF7R5J5S8X/1.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I started by finding combinations of compound gears that could spin together, by messing around on geargenerator.com. I was looking for gears that shared the same distance between their axes, so I could stack mount them coaxially. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603056718583-QBFQILZMLN6VBK832BD2/6.PNG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox An early CAD model – the orange gear on the left was originally supposed to interface with the motor I was going to use- more on that later. (I was still a TinkerCAD scrub at this point) The gears are stacked 3 high because I wanted more contact area between gears to have more margin of error while shifting – this way, the gears wouldn’t have to be perfectly in line to still transmit torque. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057147921-55FMMSZQ220SXQ06H4OD/IMG_2559.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057116401-VZ0UIJNEC8525H82PMJU/IMG_3069.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057278476-YOILZGJYYL9OT3LCI97B/IMG_2565.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox My acrylic gears came out of the laser cutter a little burned, so here I am attempting to wash them clean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057381128-3C3AU9ASYZTZ6GHJPPX5/IMG_2556.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Naturally with clear acrylic gears, came the idea of lighting them from inside. Here I am testing various LEDs to find their forward voltages. The idea was to go from green to yellow to red with higher and higher gear ratios (like redlining a car tachometer!) It turned out to be a pain to try and find a voltage that would satisfy all three colors, but I found a solution – more on that later. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057475599-3B6Q0HKOX7DREHM6AX13/IMG_2576.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I used makeabox.io to create nesting boxes as the main body of my gearbox. I wanted multi-layered walls because I was going to be mounting some heavy-duty stuff to them, and didn’t want them to fail. The holes in the sides are for my axle bearings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603057517401-8CTP9KQOKKE4DY8WZJZI/IMG_2577.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I had the idea of using metal rod as my axle, instead of wood. I wanted to try having the rod act as both torque transfer and electrical conductor (~wire) for my embedded LEDs. Here I am attempting to solder a zinc-lead solder onto a stainless steel rod. For those unaware: it doesn’t work. I came up with another solution – covered later. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603058023842-LK7PV9QRFXNZTO78SH5P/IMG_2580.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox This was the huge 12v motor I planned on using. It was going to be mounted onto the face of a wall, before I realized… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603058069317-6CUK066OUMW9VT4PYL8F/IMG_2584.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The bolt head would run into the motor’s gear and prevent it from spinning. Being the super genius that I am, I came up with a pretty cool (in my opinion haha) workaround. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603058186673-MJ39PHCP805OVQOO8OUA/IMG_2587.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I drilled into a dowel so that a nail could fit into it, then shaved down the radius so it would fit in the motor mount holes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603058836105-DNVAEG59TQ676GLEWE29/IMG_2585.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The nail would penetrate through from one side of the wall, through the dowel, which bridged the gap between the diameter of the nail and inner diameter of the motor mount points. This could easily have been 3D printed but nooo, the instructor wouldn’t let us. >:( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603058907016-2HNEAXI28RRHZ74XMCJO/IMG_2590.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The flat head of the nail meant that the motor’s gear could now rotate over the fastener. Nice! Too bad I ended up nixing the motor in favor of a hand crank, meaning all this work ended up wasted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059004746-1AJY8YPU8HZPMINDTRW9/IMG_2605.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Test-gluing the gears together with hot glue. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the two outer layers are solid gears, while the middle gear is a hollow ring, creating a cavity inside which I planned on sticking LEDs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059055238-ZW89FFWON8EEGVSO7H32/IMG_2606.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Gear mesh test - success! Validated my gear ratios and axle spacing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059126748-IN84H5ZMT58PNE505XLV/IMG_2734.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Disaster strikes – turns out, the motor was so torquey that with even the smallest jam, the motor kept on driving the gear and cracked off one of its teeth. In addition, the square taper I put in the gear’s center bore also got completely torqued circular. No wood or acrylic would be able to stand up to this motor, at 12 volts at least. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059320328-8BCUR6M6QB3GWPXJXGGF/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I tried experimenting running the motor at various different voltages (11.1, 7.4, and 3.7, from left to right), but even then the motor was too fast. I realized there wouldn’t be a long enough time window for anyone to get a full gear shift in. The motor would shred everything. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059391337-O4YH1Z9L628VZA2SEOYG/IMG_2704.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The red 18650 cells from the last photo were actually from a deconstruction activity we did! I disassembled a heart monitor device and held onto its batteries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059481562-XAVTVCE4N2L7TUOY0R71/IMG_2736.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox In a fit of rage, I destroyed my other gears. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059536469-IX3ZKAYCDYUSX4WF0X8P/IMG_2738.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Just kidding. This was an extra gear I had that I broke into pieces to test acrylic glue adhesion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059622702-NWPMPOI5WV9EIXBDWNVB/IMG_2741.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Comparison shot between a. fresh out of the laser cutter, b. washed, and c. frosted (by sanding) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059828185-E5G5NUVXV5GFO3QUVYM1/IMG_2747.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox My sanding setup: I clamped a strip of sandpaper to the table and used 400 and 1000 grit to painstakingly sand all 18 gears I had. But when my remembered my workshop had a sandblaster, I realized I wasn’t as much of a super genius as I thought. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059886169-JWCKTUPY69NMX4NGUJ49/IMG_2750.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Planning my LED layout for inside the gears! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603059995844-KGA5LMYNP0057U8OY4OT/IMG_2754.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox LED leads soldered in parallel. I am good at soldering. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060032895-LKU9IZAS9AEIVZRKEUWM/IMG_2764.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox One of my gears, LED embed/install complete. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060075128-W1NPC5PGBQ8170RPXHTN/IMG_2762.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox It’s L I T https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060196191-4FF7YIK1YH3NLQXKNYWY/IMG_2770.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The solution I mentioned earlier for having different-colored-lighted gears was to have just one type of white LED (one uniform voltage requirement – I wouldn’t be burning LEDs of one color while under-powering another) and have the gears themselves be colored. These are Testors enamel paint. The instructor misunderstood my part requisition and got these random ones. I initially wanted Tamiya’s translucent paint. These worked, but nowhere as well as the Tamiya plastic dyes would have >:( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060272697-W4IUJOEHQ4OECL8NTVIA/IMG_2769.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The LEDs were bright enough to shine through the non-translucent paint. Tamiya still would have been better tho… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060405970-PUV1BG80UOCO347JWJD1/IMG_2768.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I needed some way to attach the gears to the axles and transmit torque. My initial thought was to use shaft collars, but the makerspace didn’t have any that fit, and I didn’t think I’d have time to order any. So I lathed some ‘top hat’ pieces out of aluminum stock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060593768-0ZGZAWEJIVJ751HXUU9V/IMG_2775.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Here are all my top hat buddies! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060551034-FRPGXH83NFRH7JQCRFI0/IMG_2780.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox The brim of the top hat was to sit on the gear face and have a bolt run through it and the gear. So I drilled. a. hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060647307-OMWVDRPCP2ZTHZGKYOTO/IMG_2781.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox However, the head of the bolt was still too close to the vertical part of the ‘hat’ for an M3 screw. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060709653-70I49J9BOELLD12SKWQT/IMG_2782.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I dremeled out a channel to make room for the bolt… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060781094-FC85T5Q8BSVMFW03R389/IMG_2783.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox And now everything fit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060893978-GSEVAQD0SD0BE81DDKJW/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox … and bottom views https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060847149-IVTXZ2IKYZMPL51V7QQY/IMG_2784.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Top Hat installed, top… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603060989498-Q7U1FVARPYA25WAQZ1AB/IMG_2921.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Because the n=15 gear (the largest one) one was so heavy, I added 2 through-gear bolts to it, as well as cutting the hat itself shorter. (That’s a strategy I’ve been using a lot in builds - when machining a part to fit in an indeterminate space, always leave extra material! You can cut away material but it’s difficult to add more on) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061106666-GZO3FG25JQLG8NEYERMP/IMG_2790.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Hats installed on all 6 gears (6th one is unfortunately camera shy) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061272465-W5X1KIW7F1SOBJ8ZHI32/IMG_2793.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Finalizing my laser cut box and bearing placement! With some added decoration!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061392279-6R1AOCJHMVCS4IUFERZC/IMG_2899.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Test fitting axle and gear placement. The top box was my lo-fi piece from earlier, and the bottom one was the final version. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061480139-SK93X8BKRM4ERYW41MDN/IMG_2908.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Marking out gear fitments on the axle. By this point, the gears had been bolted to the ‘top hats’, but they were free-sliding along the axle still. I figured out the appropriate spacing and prepared to permanently bolt them down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061594306-JG7WHC4DXZAHXICH85GF/IMG_2926.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox And according to the gear locations, marking mounting holes for the ‘hats’ as well as entry channels for the wires I decided to run inside the axles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065534999-72YSD9GNKFDPM0SU4X0Z/IMG_2935.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065462904-EY7GHSE61SQ0WT1YGRY4/IMG_2931.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065795663-8LVVQY0IQOGSCLOMAPLL/IMG_2933.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Screw placement in hollow section of gear https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065736756-IGQ0Q2GQRG6YOH16IMTH/IMG_2932.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Screwing the positive wire for the LED harness into the (+) axle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065940215-21CPR9O257CY1X3ERO5L/IMG_2939.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Next, I had to run my negative axle lead through the hollow axle. I had all my top hat fittings installed first before threading the wire, as wiring first and screwing second could risk cutting into the wire and causing a short. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603065997848-OJES5JX5U8DIQDUUCHOG/IMG_2936.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Because the interior of the axle itself was a maze of differently-oriented bolts, I used another clever trick to be able to thread my wire at all. I soldered an extremely thin, single-stranded wire (the blue one in the left picture) to my actual black wire, threaded the thin wire through easily, and used that to tug the black wire through. (I got the idea from a Greek myth - Daedalus threads a seashell) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066254549-2BUEK8M08ELUUGH9080Z/IMG_2934.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Note the yellow alligator clip attached directly to the axle. Shaft itself conducts current - something I’ve almost never seen done in projects / industry! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066378314-Z55CM40HFFDL9HLBFHP8/IMG_2942.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox YEAAAAHHHHHH!!!! Like a Christmas tree! Seriously, this thing looks so clean without external wires between the gears! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066513479-IEJ9JD7UYXXFG3HYWZK9/IMG_2945.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Because I was going to run power through the axle and bearings, even though most of my axle was wired (+), there needed to be at least a small section of it wired (-) to interface with the (-) bearing. To do this and to have everything still coaxial, I needed a nonconductive spacer, which I lathed out of plastic. Could easily have 3D printed such a piece - lathe was absolute overkill for something like this - but again, instructor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066634211-HYEUAGZL8MUU5AHHQCN7/IMG_2949.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Final shot of my spacer, before being press fit and epoxied into both ends of my axle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066708917-3YVCT07CJQ5E16UR98ZQ/IMG_2955.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Assembled and powered! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066808194-UFYO4YCHBKVTR4IV0441/IMG_2962.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Now onto building the shifter assembly. The plan was to have a shaft collar grabbing a section of axle to slide it up and down to align different gear paths. Since the workshop didn’t let me lathe that day, instead I clamped a bearing in a vise, placed the axle into a drill, and made my own lathe. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603066964506-JBHNX4DCOZXXVZYNQYNZ/IMG_2963.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Using my makeshift lathe, I turned down a section of my axle. This was so the shaft collar could still spin freely radially while being able to control the axle axially. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067155948-TLRVGQUA8GQHSQS8X636/IMG_2969.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox A bolt was to go through and attach my shifter shaft to the shaft collar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067045171-E2PE1VYWNOWZGKX3Y6BX/IMG_2968.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I ground down a nut into a circle and press fitted it into some aluminum hollow shaft (my shifter), effectively making a female threaded rod. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067284772-PXPAVN14KL27418LTSXT/IMG_2973.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I drilled out a hole in the inside face of the shaft collar, large enough for the head of a bolt to fit completely flush within it with the threads facing outward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067339574-EZVKNF8ALNJN9URRSQRT/IMG_2974.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Exploded view of shifter assembly https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067604413-SDAFDMHG77X97O0DHAH4/IMG_2977.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I did this with a piece of cardboard I cut, to get the dimensions out of after everything fit up nicely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603067517341-V5E4BB2TBG2RZULWOG88/IMG_2975.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Shift lever installed - Now I could see where it landed and plan my shifter gate paths accordingly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070350597-IGGORCKRIFD2ABO2L6HF/IMG_2977.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I got my dimensions from my cardboard template and mapped it out on acrylic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070325600-XESR6S1MOTFWZ1HEAP2U/IMG_2975.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Since the laser cutter was broken and I couldn’t afford to wait, I cut my acrylic with a dremel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070405342-FQJAZVULON750HRJ8XCD/IMG_2991.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Utter garbage. Precision cutting with a dremel on acrylic is hard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070441338-GDGWI52LR5MMYNK7OX4P/IMG_2989.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Also, since the acrylic was only 3mm thick, the lever could angle within it and misalign the gears. I realized I needed not only tighter slots, but a thicker vertical dimension, so my shaft would wobble less. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070511095-NHJ5BJNY71VTB5PSMBMP/IMG_2990.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox … to mount above and below the acrylic panel layer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070475803-P11ZR1GHQ8I8XGWUY2M0/IMG_2986.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I salvaged the situation by cutting two more shifter gates out of wood… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070573533-4AG8AZ4A8MM0LV6PUXD4/IMG_2994.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Assembled! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070615455-BR0AVYXL0NFHC4LPB4DC/IMG_2998.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox To run power to my bearings, I initially wanted to screw directly into the bearings, but trying to drill press into one didn’t work, so… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603070672359-U6INO5HZDY1SXEUVXI1Q/IMG_3002.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Enter my plasma cut piece (shown after having its holes cleaned up with a drill press) The plan was to run power to this disc, which would contact the bearing, which would contact the axle, ensuring continuity in my circuit. For the other three bearings, though, I decided to use washers (not sure why). To do this, I would have to build washer/bearing housings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071357267-W6GHGPGDQRPU6NPSARHJ/IMG_3006.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Because the laser cutter was still down… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071399790-Q2U42INEFF7RJN18Q066/IMG_3007.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I used a hole saw to cut discs out of plywood! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071501216-J4QIHVZ6FR9M8CEEZ3TG/IMG_3008.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Drilled out mounting holes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071577795-1SHER2EC33M8ATPL6YS3/IMG_3011.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox And using those same holes in a centering jig… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071678737-AWR8REIDUI4XU65UEYMG/IMG_3009.jpg All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Used a Forstner bit to… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071701336-C0GI373DFAGSH3NTI6BE/IMG_3013.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Cut recesses for the electrical washers to sit flush in! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071970265-VIKN9APLLPBAX041DAQF/IMG_3024.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox All painted up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603071945989-JZWFNMN8Q3LL64AZYW2W/IMG_3021.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox Painting! I had the gears powered on throughout, in case paint seeped in and coated my electrical connections. This way, I could immediately recognize if it had happened, and clean the contamination before the paint cured. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603072078848-V4YIFN72JEFJP2E7ZF6D/IMG_3044.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox I decided at 4AM that I wanted the top of my box to be hinged. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603072160003-F18TWR72BHAMNEHOHAFF/IMG_3018.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox And done! In this project, I think I attempted a really ambitious design, and came up with many creative and unconventional solutions to my problems (threading cable, rotary current transmission, makeshift lathe, etc.). Certainly more complex than the ‘safe’ one the instructor wanted me to do. Though I took some extra time, I achieved all the original criteria I wanted to meet, and am glad this project is finally over. (There is more to this build, but I will not be sharing it here. That is why the writeup ends abruptly. If you’re curious, feel free to contact me) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061719721-W4NPH6FI9QDXJXCLK0O3/IMG_2927.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061720286-LNAIXA0C09QXFQIDWIOD/IMG_2928.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603061720790-DSFD0UT9A79JKRYX4ER5/IMG_2925.JPG All Projects - 3-Speed Gearbox https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/duckkniggit monthly 0.5 2020-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603073594003-3AF1LVXLHNL3XYJFW5XS/1.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight I found a “Knight Chess Piece” by someone named Kainutz on Thingiverse and immediately wanted to use it for my project. Not to bash Kainutz at all, but the ‘horse’ looked more like a duck and I couldn’t look at the design without dying. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603073616991-4H64GGW0DCDD1FK4NH8L/2.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Just imagine this beauty looking through your bedroom window in the middle of the night. Also (to my endless amusement), the mouth piece wasn’t even aligned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603073674856-IAK6S27QIGS1SJFQWMO5/3.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight As instructed, I imported the file into meshmixer to slice it in half. I would have just used Solidworks, but the instructor was very insistent. Probably to cover up the fact that he doesn’t know how to use it LOL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603073853409-RBH97Q9W1RUEFU34FDLY/4.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight And then into the world of Fusion360 to do some preprocessing and CAM stuff! I eventually lost patience with the software (seriously, cloud-based CAD? What were they thinking??) and rebuilt the file in Solidworks instead. Solidworks beats the pants off of Fusion any day https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603073955590-49AB8QPHFDB1I6M4C64P/twrthwth.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight My (even further) simplified version of Kainutz’s knight piece. I hadn’t used SW in a while, so this was a good refresher! Even though this simple geometric piece probably used less than 1% of the software’s full potential hahaha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074049589-E7OJJF7DS8WVJQ1O0FLR/wtrhwhtrwrth.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Added a rectangular enclosure, alignment tabs and holes, and a fill nozzle (for eventual casting!). I optimized the CAD a few times after this, shrinking the enclosure size to reduce cut time, and resizing/repositioning the tabs and holes accordingly. The fill hole was also too small, but instead of enlarging the hole in CAD, we opted to cut into the actual silicone of the mold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074118453-IOJ2B0RMU9GUHQYDZ6RI/IMG_3456.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight The instructor insisted on us using Fusion 360 to create the CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) toolpaths. I said ‘no’, so Adulfo kindly took care of this part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074231905-8DTXSZ2W52TY38LO34WW/IMG_3451.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight We were told to glue sheets of blue foam together for our positive cut. I saw many people trying to saw through the foam with box cutters, but the real trick to clean cuts is to score the surface and break through the rest of the board with a karate chop or something. Also feat. Adulfo’s beautiful Blowfish-in-a-Bag art! <3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074358477-PQ1GHYCL4VLU6IO6037O/IMG_3458.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight The glue layer in between the foam turned out to be a huge problem. Since the base of our chess piece was 1.5 inches across, our enclosure and cuts needed to be at least to that depth in the foam. However, the glue gummed up the bit when it cut through, and the resulting glue+bit combination spinning around at speed shredded the rest of our foam positive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074499562-2P5629P6FPA6CU7P1TJY/IMG_3457.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Looks like we weren’t the only group to have this problem. This was another group’s cut, for a noticeably more *normal* chess piece. There was no possible way to get the foam to be one continuous piece, since there is a layer of hot glue between them, and hot glue has thickness. Unless you didn’t glue the inside faces and only did the outside edges… Hmm. Well anyway, that’s the last time I’ll ever listen to the instructor’s directions again - screw that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074620058-RZNHV5I2QQST614F43R2/IMG_3526.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight It was time to take matters into my own hands. I jigsawed some 4-inch segments of 2x4 to carve instead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074685052-KS0YVAFXN5AVB80VJ39N/IMG_3527.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight The orange thumbscrews were too long to secure the wood in carvey’s work plane, so we wedged some ABS sheet under to make up the difference. All our cuts were done with an 1/8″ ball end bit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074721141-J4CZIG5H8VDKGQMSPAVI/IMG_3528.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Cutting off the excess wall material after the carve. While the walls were fine, we wanted to make taller walls to have a thicker mold that wouldn’t buckle when clamped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074755908-R2UENXUBVGQ2CWVU7C3J/IMG_3530.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Ready for casting the negative! Also, the alignment holes Carvey cut were too small, so I drilled them out to the correct size with a 1/4″ drill it. While we also intended to do another pass with a 1/16″ bit to improve the resolution, we decided a quick hand sanding job to kill the contouring was enough. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074817544-OZ6P9IWAVP949CPTT4Z1/IMG_3531.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight - \ Because I didn’t really think about the mold buckling when I created my CAD model, the top of the knight’s mane was really close to the top of the rectangle, which would mean the mold being incredibly thin at that point. To work around this, we just glued some foam to extend the top of our piece. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074899840-9ZV5FYYB0WA0K6WQZOY2/IMG_3532.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Creating the infamous box https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603074928001-T1BPA4ZXTY7OLDZPWUDC/IMG_3533.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Next, I filled said box with nuts, to approximate the volume of our mold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075035028-43FBH9OI91JBAG9JGIFG/IMG_3534.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Came out to be between 4 and 5 fluid ounces. In the future, I plan to use airsoft pellets and their smaller size for greater resolution + higher volume accuracy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075117013-U5VEMUSA8I9GHKRXXCQ4/IMG_3536.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight I managed to measure out 3.93 ounces of green liquid. Not bad! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075090214-NOF2Q8D312FXL48NKA4C/IMG_3535.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Approximately 2.5 fluid ounces of the blue liquid weighed 3.92 ounces https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075264326-ZPXJ6I1L1SXQQ65FSSJZ/IMG_3547.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Mold Release! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075198547-IYMGR2JE87YQAOAX27FS/IMG_3538.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Mixing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075312999-09HLRXKCZNUKOHUNEKL1/IMG_3548.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Pouring the liquid silicone into our positive! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075339714-40OTX2BAFQGTTYNYK7S4/IMG_3549.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Vacuum pumping out any errant air bubbles! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075482848-12B5U4E312ETHZM1D34Z/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight lmao https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075463586-JI6H89E196114QXFC6FZ/IMG_3556.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Peeled away from the mold. It looks like a massive gummy vitamin! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075541193-5T282HOFZOZTU0UNJ0CS/Capture.PNG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Now that we had a reliable negative molded from the original wooden positive, it was time to cast the final resin chess piece! Here I am using Solidworks’ volume analysis tool to approximate how much casting resin we’d need. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075638374-ZAWU83KSFJI0B4S02F49/IMG_3561.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Measuring out parts A and B for the resin. One is the actual material, while the other is a hardener that catalyzes the curing process. This thing cures so fast; one of my friends JM had his mixture ‘freeze’ (cured) mid-pour. Massive F for the guy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075746631-D1JORIN9JCJDH9H5END1/image-asset.jpeg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight As mentioned before, we sliced away at the silicone mold itself to create a larger fill hole, instead of messing around with CAD again. I would have done so if this were a mass-produced piece, but for a silly one-off, for an equally silly [class name redacted], I didn’t bother. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603075823326-W1PWLHDOM0AGM1WOKEWT/IMG_3560.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Securing our mold with rubber bands, wood, and a clamp. Because our side walls still did bow a bit, I used the wood as reinforcement to try and keep the mold more rigid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076066122-S7XK5PI6F7J6YE0UADUP/IMG_3564.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Pour + wait half an hour. Adulfo kind of ASMR-tapped the sides to release trapped air bubbles. I showered in the meantime. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076221661-U5EYNWDTZIE55WNP4K1U/IMG_3567.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Ta-dah~ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076146455-0MWY8YY7ASAWGXVJFC1C/IMG_3569.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight I ran the pieces through a sander to get rid of the fill hole material, and knocked off the seam where the molds joined with a file. The results were surprisingly fibrous. I can totally see how polyester plastic is spun into thread for fabric now! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076358284-50M9ZLGLZLG1RCOKS4JI/IMG_3570.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Yeehaw (Also RIP my now-dead laptop) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076492997-P8DNI3Y09VNFNND18YMQ/IMG_4553.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Adulfo actually went back and casted a second one! And in full committal to the duck theme, he also painted them with appropriate colors. Ya love to see it https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603253115573-NM6XIEYKX4GMZF01I6V2/IMG_0948.jpg All Projects - Duck Chess Knight Seriously, these things stick out like such a sore thumb among the more conventional chess pieces everyone else made, so of course, another *smashing* success in my book. These were really the best middle finger I could give back at the course, and you know what? I had fun doing it. (I had a kind of sappy end-of-course bit at the end of the original blog post, but those feelings no longer remain, and the section was removed accordingly.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076791358-6V5WEV92EFCE7XOV81VC/IMG_3566.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603076769490-8FTBCNTIJHM8M4X89Q1W/IMG_3565.JPG All Projects - Duck Chess Knight https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/redboy monthly 0.5 2020-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080487211-LF17T8C7TC3IRAU0FAAB/81xm3-IAooL._SX425_.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe During freshman year in college, I bought a Nerf Stryfe, a semi-auto, flywheel powered blaster. It performed pretty ‘meh’ in stock form, averaging ~70 FPS (feet per second). I wanted to upgrade it to use it in one of my colleges’s nerf wars. The Stryfe (later named Redboy) ended up being rebuilt multiple times throughout my time at school, getting worked on in spare weekends and being shelved for months at a time. It was actually kind of cool to see this blaster evolve through different iterations as my skills grew and I revisited it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080520622-O1VHFQ585YFZAS85Z61C/JUGS-M1010-2.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe A flywheel blaster works a lot like a baseball pitching machine, with two wheels (called flywheels) spinning in opposite directions, to grab the dart/baseball and exert a frictional force on them, shooting them out of the business end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080587380-N2C1BTXR08PX7IJG4B9V/IMG_1637.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Those flywheels are powered by a pair of motors, fitted into a flywheel cage. The stock motors the blaster ships with are only toy-grade and don’t perform very well. So I bought a pair of MTB Hellcat Motors, spec-ed to much higher RPM and torque. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080621780-T6GL995JTZ3K4PDQWUCS/bosch.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Hellcats are designed for 12v, so I sourced a Bosch drill battery to power them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080653470-NUIIOKYWJ5HU5ZEOWHZO/49g336L.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe In addition, I 3D-printed Hawki007’s BSP Proto Cage v4.5, a unibody flywheel cage to reduce vibrations and improve consistency over Nerf’s two-piece stock cage. Together, this motor + cage combination fired darts at ~130 FPS. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080746810-1ENVAS1BGJVVY5RPCTYP/IMG_1692.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe I modeled and printed a rather ugly stock using TinkerCAD, and clumsily glued a flashlight to the front. The stock was large in order to house the drill battery inside. I did this all in my dorm room, as my school workshop didn’t approve of ‘non-academic’ projects. smh This would be the state of the blaster for a while, before Stage 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080852240-AVOEM0XXEM88N8JS61SN/IMG_1636.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe At the end of Stage 1, the blaster was a lot larger than it needed to be, so in sophomore year, I came in and chopped the muzzle area off (like a sawed-off shotgun!) In addition, I found a smaller battery and discarded the oversized yellow stock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603080893901-R546VUSB7R0KZX3SP3VX/IMG_4099.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Kind of a shoddy fix, but to fill the holes left from cutting the front end, I cut some plastic out of a Sterilite shelving unit and hot glued them in place. Super jank, but keep in mind this was probably only half an hour’s worth of work total, stolen in on weekends between homework and exams and other school stuff *sigh* https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081017246-IROFBN4K4204DHKU1WV5/IMG_4174.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe After a rushed paintjob with awful taping lines, this was the result. Red and white were the only paint colors I could scrounge from the workshop. Also, to fill in where the stock used to be, I printed a ‘stock cap’ in red. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081110367-6CHKIR8FHHT6RWA68SMO/IMG_8146.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Also a side-by-side shot with Redboy’s older sibling, Nigoki! (For whom a writeup might be in the works ) I fielded these both in Duncan College’s Donnybrook nerf battle, where I destroyed all the competition. It was probably unfair, but I had fun XD *Also realizing I really ran hard with the red/white color scheme for a few years… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081448352-7CTCJFCUQTLGC42U1NQC/Capture.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe First things first, I couldn’t give the blaster away in such a jank state! I modelled a front end shroud (in Solidworks this time!) to cover the front end holes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081558186-6XDB6JR3PD1I6H2BIM4D/IMG_4205.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Here is a test fitting pic! There was still a clearance issue near the bottom, something I had to fix… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081578062-SIPROMCWCVD681DF4826/IMG_4228.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe I temporarily tacked the shroud on from the outside with hot glue, then used liquid epoxy in the inside as the actual final adhesive. The hot glue was later removed with rubbing alcohol. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081611285-ED590J5BF6E2LOOGJU9Y/IMG_4227.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Redid the wiring while I was at it; freshman Brian was god-awful at soldering. Fun fact: the microswitch in the handle was actually salvaged from an old broken vacuum I had. I try to incorporate parts from otherwise end-of-life, landfill-bound appliances whenever possible. Less waste and on some level, I’m sure the parts are glad to have a new life. No one gets left behind :’) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081735319-B69FAXUYT137VE5AWDJU/IMG_4225.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe While I was rewiring, I swapped in some cheaper, lower-performance motors in and kept the Hellcats (they were expensive! I’d be a fool to give those away). This setup spat darts out at a still-respectable ~110 FPS. I’ll say it’s ‘detuned for longevity’ hahaha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603082029495-6ONENLCGJ5AP2EUNM0OV/IMG_4231.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe Used wood filler to blend the printed pieces into the body. Apoxie sculpt or fiberglass filler would have been better, but No $$$. I just spread it on with my fingers – its got the consistency of peanut butter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603081787235-VFUAPTH6G7GBTQXOXIJL/IMG_4262.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe After the first round of sanding. There were still some divots and pitting, so it took 3 more rounds of filler + sanding until I decided it was good enough. An added complication was that since wood filler is water-soluble, I couldn’t wash the shell of the blaster to get dust off, like I would be able to with epoxy or fiberglass. My solution was to use compressed air to dust everything off while keeping it dry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603082200676-T1NWLNNUBWNIID4SK2SV/IMG_4348.JPG All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe ‘Final’ product! It looks a lot sleeker than it did freshman year, that’s for sure. I learned a lot of stuff on this build, and am honestly kind of glad to have it taken off my hands lol. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603082305403-I0U7VMXNDX52KPGW40IQ/%25E3%2580%2590English%2BDubbed%25E3%2580%2591Episode%2B11%2B-%2BJourney%2Bto%2Bthe%2BWest%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BLegends%2Bof%2Bthe%2BMonkey%2BKing%2B%25E8%25A5%25BF%25E6%25B8%25B8%25E8%25AE%25B0%25EF%25BC%2588%25E5%25A4%25AE%25E8%25A7%258699%25E7%2589%2588%25EF%25BC%2589%2B10-35%2Bscreenshot.jpg All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603082317252-O29AHZ6EV3K8FDVT3P5S/Softnose-Arctic-Incident-GN.png All Projects - Redboy (红孩儿) Stryfe https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/rev monthly 0.5 2021-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f669bed1-2e00-4491-9444-c20b8ca9ac1f/IMG_20170325_144957.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Rice Electric Vehicle has been a huge part of my undergrad life. I joined the team in my first semester at university, and never looked back. We worked together to design and build electric cars to race in Shell’s Eco-Marathon, an efficiency-focused competition aimed at tackling the energy challenges of our near future. In my time with the team, I’ve gone through multiple EV design cycles, learned a ton of skills, and most importantly, had a great time doing it! Sometimes I myself forget, and have to remind myself of just how cool the stuff we worked on was — We built an honest-to-goodness running CAR! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603295262097-FKDR75K2BRXRJUFK4J7L/IMG_20180120_143802-2adnht5-1024x495.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle At the time I joined REV, many seniors had just graduated, taking their experience with them without properly documenting it for posterity. Our team was almost exclusively incoming freshmen, and together we spent our first year trying to re-learn knowledge that had been forgotten. I think a big theme throughout my time with REV was inheritance: trying to learn from our predecessors’ successes and improve upon their failures. A REV-ival, if you will https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5d2760bb-f98c-4c0e-a8d6-341c7e96d15c/IMG_7760.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Finally, a heads up: this will be a massive writeup due to the literal 5 years of content I’ll be talking about! So if you’re here for a good time but not necessarily a long time, consider skipping to and just reading the Powertrain section! It serves as a great thematic & technical vertical slice of my work at Rice Electric Vehicle, and I’m really proud of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/947baaa1-a2b3-4592-b62e-bf13873f4d78/20150412_092338.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Otherwise, for your sanity as well as my own, I’ve organized everything into sections: Carbon Fiber Body Construction Drive Wheel Mounts Wheel Hub Adapters Powertrain Brake System Updated Drive Wheel Mounts Front Wheel Mounts & Steering Shell Eco-Marathon Competition New Beginnings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d1ee946a-e2e7-4a50-bf7f-0ce3aefb2205/IMG_3066.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Though we hadn’t been left with much formal documentation, we were fortunate that last-gen Rice Electric Vehicles had been left abandoned in our club workspace for us to reverse engineer from. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603226071300-7VPZ60WB5NBAWE3D315E/car+render3.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle While trawling through old archives, we found schematics for the existing car bodies. Someone years ago had created this model, and verified its aerodynamics using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It featured a unibody monocoque design, meaning that the body and frame were a single, integrated piece. This would help reduce weight and thereby increase energy efficiency. With those considerations in mind, and really for lack of any other direction, we decided to replicate this design! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6d6d943d-4d2b-47bf-96f6-e08fa2db2ba8/IMG_0632.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Next, to make the car a roller, we needed to mount wheels! Due to us all being so inexperienced in auto design, we decided on go-kart style… Meaning no shocks, no dampers, no suspension system — instead relying on body rigidity to absorb shock. (Something he monocoque body was very conducive to) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7e319283-77be-45d5-9a9a-69643863395f/Wheel+Axle.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/14ea91ce-4680-49f6-96ad-d9b880d60d42/overall.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7bba7756-1250-42e5-87f8-90f86b5742ed/_Assembly+CAD.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/fd5d1141-d166-4fce-828f-c29a164c526b/_Assembly+Complete.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/88ddd7ba-81ed-43b8-8f4e-64aec7b71ff1/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle While having our shafts mounted was nice for sure, it was still only a bare metal shaft! Now, we needed a method to securely mount the wheels to that shaft! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603233372934-F53W5MXOKM3FNF6WA4OD/image.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle A plan was planned. We would screw an inner cap into the wheel hub, then thread it into the wheel shaft. Then, a second outer cap would bolt into the inner cap, clamping onto the wheel hub from both sides, rather than a single face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/17062c88-8ce4-482f-85a4-5f80f7bf0ab7/Wheel+End+Holes+Drilled.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c7ac0931-d904-4334-bb5b-7dcff1651da7/IMG_0519.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5ff9a6d5-8e07-440e-949e-671a0bf1f78f/Axle+End+Pin+Prep.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e83413fe-1e9e-4501-bebc-2487cc262816/Axle+Fitted.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603234690938-8TN4KZNX7HHYN9EXTZK0/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Guys! We did it!! We got the car on 4 wheels!!!1! At this point the car could freewheel — which would be perfectly fine for a downhill course — but that wasn’t enough. Next, we add POWER!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d4ab364a-82af-4f11-8ffb-51984ce0b2aa/IMG_0539.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5323b255-2499-41d8-bab1-629fd67cbf58/InkedIMG_1761_LI.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0fcca123-61b9-4381-8ac2-877630b57cca/_Diagram%2BAssembly%2B%2528Missing%2BGear%2BChange%2529.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle An additional thing I insisted on was a dual-motor setup, instead of the single-motor in our existing cars. A single motor would have meant the driver constantly needing to countersteer to prevent the car from lane shifting. Dual motors would eliminate that need, and open up so many fun options - Torque vectoring, electronic differential, launch control, and more! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603246359217-WLLUUJBDF06XIAHTDLF3/Prototype%2BMid%2BAxle%2BMount.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Because we wanted to sandbox our powertrain design, but didn’t want to potentially make mistakes and ruin our carbon fiber body… We decided to prototype things in wood! I used one of our salvaged bearings and scrap wood to make an intermediate gear bracket - just for test purposes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/fdaaac74-356b-4101-a5d4-09299c70cf9b/insitu.png All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/531c8ee5-a3ea-479b-addd-cac1ac1c63d5/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2869%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603258478945-HBD7NT00MKUEWS5ZAFCF/IMG_0544.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle From there, it was simple to repeat the previous steps and create a mirror-image drivetrain for our second motor! Things are coming together! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/98456a92-5deb-4df5-8e20-9dadeaef6bff/nobrakes.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cb60e2c3-e026-489a-bbc6-b84a9ffedf51/IMG_0588.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/74cc55b2-fd79-48d1-83a6-25dd133ac005/IMG_5446.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/603a08a9-424b-48c6-a30f-0d23c4a1884c/IMG_3269.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a8070660-976c-431e-ab11-de286a59e5ec/IMG_0553.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a6b8191a-4f24-4a14-a502-d150fa6c1bac/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/07ce7312-2bdd-4230-9c7b-3a961b4a9b25/IMG_0570.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ed87e58b-244e-4e93-a9af-7fa5922e37a8/IMG_0558.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/764676ea-29de-482f-b936-21d46771c441/IMG_0592.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/147c699a-f324-4e77-861f-f62a417b0573/IMG_0556.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603262878901-06KN5UHIFGU0D0ELHHSW/neobrakecad.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle While we now had the brakes working, the increased thickness of our new brake calipers meant they wouldn’t fit our existing wheel mounts anymore! We were forced to modify the design and create a new, shorter rear wheel mount. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/20959644-e256-4b8d-91c0-68194938485b/crop.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/33d58099-d8c5-4513-8702-0f0bbf98c884/IMG_0567.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/24c1b3ea-5f86-4c4d-bdd2-ec1f8975ede0/IMG_0584.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2519aea5-295a-4de8-9653-5667300eb979/IMG_0574.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/06a7c2b3-cf24-41e0-9513-b67e5c443389/IMG_0563.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c3ea70b7-2051-46a8-9daa-a84d8580a28a/IMG_0564.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5c835170-5a90-427e-9750-cad6b6842139/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0220692e-b408-4aae-98c7-08caef189bbb/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603340381815-0EVWFU5EX8LNLT0K7H3Y/20180408_223026.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Next, we drilled all necessary holes, added angle brackets for reinforcement, and mounted both assemblies into the front wheel wells. The gold looking piece is a ball joint connected to the tie rod I mentioned! When that joint is pushed or pulled left and right, it rotates the entire wing/fin about the steering knuckle axis to turn the wheels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c84a606e-2c1d-4d01-bcb2-74569c22d9ce/IMG_0607.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/73e3493e-01fd-44dc-9f45-e8f6f457b077/IMG_0594.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a02f1ef7-459d-4653-b7d9-eb1dbac5fd98/Shipping%21.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle OK, let’s review. At this point, we have a body on 4 wheels, functioning powertrain, brakes that brake, and steering that steers. I dunno about you, but that’s a running car by my book! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603308482335-WBFIRX6MF38RIKFUQ2FJ/IMG_0647.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Final race prep took us until 4 AM, after which we went to House of Pies for some junk food. Hell yeah One week later, the team flew out to California ️ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8c93b14f-891c-42a5-9f75-199dc133d29a/20150412_162423.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle SEM officials installed this block in our car. It was a telemetry system for tracking times, GPS, and power consumption. It was spliced in directly between the battery and the rest of the car’s circuit to ensure we weren’t reporting false efficiency figures - as that, opposed to speed, was what was scored in the Eco-Marathon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603304707644-LFBSCPGNDNW3GDVBVKWZ/6c741a1078cb4f57b5c95ae4ec594f4e.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle At the starting block! Regrettably, past this point I would be too caught up in the excitement to take many more more good photos. REVolution ran beautifully for a lap and a half, but after that our homebrew motor controller blew out and she was forced to retire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0d805d81-2388-4536-8643-1177c83fa937/IMG_0959.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle But yes! This for the most part brings a close to the REVolution’s story. It performed admirably and we learned so much from it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/fe91e16d-7018-454b-a84a-686f17291121/IMG_0644.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle After we retired REVolution, it was time to for a fresh start. It was time for a new design cycle, and a new vehicle to go with it, code named REVize (I pushed for REVangelion but no one got the joke ) This was both to escape some problems inherent in our inherited design, as well as to give incoming freshmen opportunities to gain experience and give input, rather than be stuck with a design they hadn’t had a say in. We weren’t going to repeat the mistakes of the team’s past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603306525737-465INVRRUXM30HDZDM6B/CHASSIS.PNG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle A major problem with the former CF chassis was its lack of any *real* rigidity. Sure it held up, but any movement would cause creaks throughout the body, and cringing throughout onlookers. To mitigate this, we designed a steel tube chassis in Solidworks to use instead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1603320591699-6A1I2MIU6NRTFOZYN3S4/IMG_0949.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle Finally, the racing seat, brake caliper mounts, and rear motor mounts were welded in. The next steps would be to finalize the drivetrain, and create mounting points for a new, removable-fiberglass-panel body. Physically maneuvering around and performing maintenance in a monocoque body was a pain, so I heavily recommended a body-on-frame design for this new REVize. But that would be a problem for a new generation. It was time for me to go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c2ca2dd4-0818-4cd5-98b8-d0e9c28ee011/IMG_20190903_190739.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/df8ff8a5-76b7-409b-95d6-6234eaf01833/WeAreAngels.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636268077935-T7ZEYA5ZOV7BIFRA5U07/Drawings.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/595371bd-e1b2-4a17-9bf4-d4be3d6c0c1a/Bearings+Pressed.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3fab8c92-ff27-495b-8141-5a6f01260e18/28-Tooth+Sprocket.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5a64d0c3-354c-4ca7-a8b3-3945ec388955/image2.jpeg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636270092789-XCW51MN884PN1CI7NPH4/_Diagram%2BDrive%2BTrain%2BAssembly.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/487df43b-1590-4921-bf60-316f8b4f9490/Axle+End.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/bb369ce5-d570-47a9-a65a-ec822fb01248/Prototype+Int+Complete.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636271636953-HS21HFEJ55RGRTPJQ8WC/IMG_0544.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2521036e-0e7a-4c4e-9acf-218f0762aaef/20160422_020722.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f6b7f7e1-0f92-422a-b5b8-5d565266bdbd/IMG_0652.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636308486721-6WCJU622O59D6ALWNA8I/IMG_0463.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/69d0c4dc-21c2-48c3-8502-d8b213feddf1/update-interfaces+proposal.png All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e87955b6-8553-4a38-9ec1-d18fa1943c14/car+render3.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/13b5f0f9-a30d-498c-afda-00aea55785c7/Buy+Motors+or+Nah_+01_20_17.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5f97ef50-8cb2-42bc-8a94-4dd3300555bb/IMG_0565.PNG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b3c29e7c-d09b-426f-bcde-351fe1bb3ced/IMG_9020+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b6512382-ea5f-4f2d-b86c-66c4f8e25b61/Image+from+iOS+%281%29.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c4fd9f26-e3e4-4fe7-b396-9eb00220d405/Image+from+iOS+%282%29.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1e90355d-c555-4f5d-a6a9-487c3fc1d5b2/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c0d1e999-35a0-4f22-90ba-cbc18eccdd7c/IMG_3106.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/42e7dc3e-651a-484b-88e0-6e8963ab88a0/IMG_3169.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636326127965-YO51DJB078BXSQ3CBTYL/IMG_3434.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/13bc1912-3b58-4a6d-ba39-6ccbd50d7b74/IMG_3280.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3ab723d1-977d-4793-8bb6-74ac76080177/IMG_7760.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c0d93f0e-7e5e-436f-abdc-0ec23464e5ee/moldfree.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636349237671-835ECZXUH0UFXYHWGYHC/IMG_20150406_080744.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/82275507-db1a-4432-a382-df70d18aa4fa/IMG_3077.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636268055317-R11MXXVGMEEH3O1UIOTA/Assembly%2B%252B%2BBrake%2BCAD.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/df3bf2c1-98a5-4375-bb9c-41807cc80d1b/Assembly+Machined.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636304782737-59VNBG6C4HM9QU6LFXNJ/IMG_0531.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/4374760d-df07-4bf9-983e-59ea58cd5e52/IMG_0492.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9ba78d04-34db-4b79-85d1-04f49b8a4001/Mid+Gear+Change+Diagram.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9f1b4021-0c7e-4589-817a-edf4cb15c1dd/Axle+End+Machined.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2f2f43eb-e6bf-4cf0-ac55-c655262b2c49/Prototype+Ext+%2B+Wheel.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c2e1b46d-a1df-4839-9d01-2fda0cf436a0/IMG_20171013_161308.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636302823868-BXZE36JLC5Z7I5YCFM9G/IMG_9962.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5db08d46-2919-4476-b4d5-740716b122dd/IMG_0654.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f5f28c9d-fa5a-4ac7-89bd-dcc1a78e5eef/ac83a753645b4bc7b18685b7f9341abc.jpeg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b92317e2-d9f4-4eae-87fe-5a74dcf8d2e7/IMG_0651.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6b7a09ca-bfc6-4d6b-8972-c536807028f1/IMG_0597.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d9eacae3-1f39-4ad6-b690-9a73647fabc0/IMG_0611.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/36424b80-db2f-49ac-8a5b-4a16670ad4e9/Picture1.png All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636310550572-A2AZPDG2RDIQQZCCFYMW/IMG_0648.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8f6e5c8a-e25f-43fd-9771-973c9ed27bfe/%5BIMPORTANT%5D+Gear+Ratio+Calculation.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/51fb3433-fe89-49cd-9ae7-64d025634826/IMG_0566.JPG All Projects - 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Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2b72b853-7977-4cfe-b5f5-ad8200374a1a/IMG_3180.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636268026318-S2QQ8O1JOLLV9Z5VTH68/Assembly%2B%252B%2BBrake%2B2%2BCAD.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/728d51ef-5a99-458c-843f-2ac5c22a68fa/Assembly+Pressed.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/55363cb8-8783-4934-89fb-279e49f6cbde/IMG_0514.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/47a85b36-08ec-4b54-bdbc-c7ccba6cada6/44-Tooth+Sprocket+%2B+Adaptor.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636270148797-V0LG7XEEHF2ZB23IZI5A/documentation.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e378525f-3fc2-4cb2-a8d7-edc4660e1ae3/Axle+End+Threaded.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f8cedc5b-2a99-4ec6-a66b-6022c9ef6f3b/Prototype%281%29.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636271661842-HEY0LVJWR55J48IRPA8I/IMG_20171013_161438.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f28e947b-bd69-4397-88c4-550cd0eafe9f/IMG_9963.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9ffb77f0-5e98-49d0-8e18-973aaef705b9/IMG_0653.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f2a33eb3-32ad-4fb1-bd22-05fef588beb0/IMG_0060.PNG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/10c06e69-f665-4321-a7fd-75e72ea0f1cb/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1e99d213-f4ed-455b-b41a-49fd6f7aed4c/IMG_3076.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d34c8453-ebe0-42f5-b090-e816192f8764/Picture2.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6986c2f3-b409-4859-8a85-e6721c98bb17/wing3.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636316022962-745PR15NFG4C4HG6KBW3/IMG_0655.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/02bbe1a6-c542-4c7d-b414-33bcc5a18103/IMG_3179.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c9ec38ee-cf46-4ea2-a156-f0133baa570a/IMG_6943+-+Copy.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5a639baa-3ca5-417c-8653-3ca6131d200d/IMG_3378.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0616e9f8-8943-4e5b-be89-ed54a1e4fa67/IMG_3380.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/adcd78de-52b5-47a9-af62-e05b6b1e8d1a/IMG_0642.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b588a854-9776-42e9-b2cc-98936eff5f1f/MY1020+Motor.png All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636308401649-E423PXJL1LXZYLD01E99/IMG_0601.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/78b9f2ea-6ebc-4c43-b8cf-a2e6bf6d97f5/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636312197281-7JHL6H0M6Z2RHVF7E14K/overall.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1fa261a9-3b2e-44a3-b715-67d0885394c8/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7961dc99-4f15-4bed-a2bf-5f25db84af48/IMG_5489.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/882cd829-2ae2-42c6-9e0c-1404e8cfdcfc/IMG_0612.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636312300321-TZQEM5DC7N2Q3WQHZMD7/_Assembly%2BDiagram.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cdc77181-9da8-4230-b367-41e948b4b639/IMG_3592.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/fb1f3fc3-8f93-4395-b418-e37f762cbbf5/IMG_20170325_144957.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/4685c8ca-71d1-4160-a006-3295c6fbf74c/Image+from+iOS+%283%29.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636312240720-IHK2M6D8O395M62G7C0P/_Assembly.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8cea0978-13c7-4b7d-a339-38e0755a6dd7/IMG_0950.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ca0c95eb-a16f-4338-9dce-412d7fbf5869/IMG_5495.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636312276473-9PXRZD96LYB73DDOS5M8/Gear%2BAxle%2B%252B%2BMounts.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/99331dda-a2f0-457a-98f3-0327abe710ba/IMG_0647.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5fb3edd0-ce16-41af-a8bc-c1571992c31a/Deformed+Sprocket+Axle+Mount+2.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b2dc5feb-eca4-4f93-bee2-0fbe47675694/IMG_20180120_143802-2adnht5-1024x495.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1fce4d62-4ca3-403c-80aa-3705e4cdcb9e/Deformed+Sprocket+Axle+Mount.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1636308422455-WDYJR9U3GO9QVUOK2UYZ/IMG_0952.jpg All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0a492c82-4656-4872-9bff-bbf47ea4a451/Rice+Electric+Vehicle+team+Intro+2017+7-21+screenshot.png All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/01a25eae-6d63-4e33-8c5e-d1149c9dd6a8/IMG_2401.JPG All Projects - Rice Electric Vehicle https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/hammertech monthly 0.5 2020-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604502261703-CQ7DD3C2OULE1ULIE9BT/Tribomechadynamics-Logo-v2-rxiaz0.png All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer In my junior year at Rice University, I did research for the Mechanical Engineering department’s Tribomechadynamics (TMD) Lab! ‘What is Tribomechadynamics? In short, it’s a new field that has emerged from the confluence of structural dynamics, contact mechanics, and tribology.’ (this was pulled directly from the lab webpage lol - brake.rice.edu) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604539256001-48214PNMN6MLWNZPU94D/IMG_1197.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer One aspect of study is the behavior of joined metal interfaces, such as this combination Brake-Ruess Beam. Many of the lab’s activities included measuring the variability and repeatability of these frictional interfaces, and creating computational models for them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604539517491-OAXS9W2C4YQWSU6QV0KB/IMG_1194.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Other area of interest include bodies with complex geometries, such as this Audi brake knuckle. Which of course is incredibly funny, because our professor’s name is also Brake! The indelible Dr. Matthew Brake https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604547377544-2TI5WDDK8YRX5LNGSB2O/IMG_4937.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer The tool visible in the previous photograph is a modal hammer, used to help measure resonance and modes of these metal structures! To characterize models, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541030139-HOSK73XCAH2RC8KFW33X/cropped-2H9A9267-11oyz3g.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer These hammers are designed to be handheld and swung every which way, which limits the repeatability of strike impulse and placement. Therefore… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604547524046-35YVEIOXTY35V2K0UQSQ/IMG_4633.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer My project was to design repeatable modal hammer strike system. The method that made most initial sense was a pendulum, so I drafted some early CAD - keep in mind I was very inexperienced with Solidworks at the time. (I didn’t have a fitting image here, so enjoy some Gon!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604549358734-6VGR1O0ZNMODDHSIC5C2/IMG_4633.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer It soon became apparent that with a pendulum design came the inevitability of the modal hammer continuing to swing and repeatedly strike the metal sample after the initial hit. I needed to develop a catching mechanism that would allow the hammer to swing smoothly and yet be caught in an instant. Some brainstormed ideas from colleagues included cameras, microprocessors, lasers, sensors, brake discs, and brake calipers. :/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604542794619-P2N3LGLTBBJC33M2UY7K/IMG_4373.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer However, I knew there had to be a simpler, purely-mechanical implementation. It came to me one miserable night in the library. I could use a pair of discs about an axis, one with the hammer mounted to it, and the other as a ‘shield’! These discs would include overlapping slots arranged in a way to allow a forward swing, upon which a spring-loaded pin penetrates and locks the ‘shield’ disc, exposing the second disc for locking on its subsequent return swing. In this way, the first disc shields the second from locking before it begins its return swing, hence the names. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604543730098-GGAOCAFMJD400DN2ZGEN/IMG_4902.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer An early proof-of-concept! It’s hard to tell, but both discs are sandwiched inside the white 3D-printed bracket. (Like a reverse Oreo!) I used a dowel as an ‘axle’ and the spring-loaded pin is shown installed too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604544116604-ESRAW0IP2J2ZCG3KRESX/IMG_5402.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer A slightly more-updated model, with beefed-up walls for durability, mounting points to commercial T-slotted frame fittings, and sectioned into machinable chunks for eventual aluminum construction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604544251689-8I6D3NH50LHYHYUSV3UD/IMG_5682.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer A 3D-printed version of the aforementioned design. One way I was able to keep the assembly compact was by bringing both discs closer together. Then, to prevent them from rubbing against one another, I added needle thrust bearings to the design, to allow the surfaces to slip without the bulk associated with conventional bearings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604544441514-XVK1H7PH1HRRWX28ZGB8/IMG_5767.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Fully-assembled mockup! Well, as fully-assembled as a mockup can be, anyway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604547648056-E87BZ2VC4D21AEW8J0KS/hammer9.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer With a working initial concept, I created a finalized CAD model… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604544734320-O93VA3HT881U8UFU0ZXT/hammerpartslist.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Wrote up a BOM, got a figurative blank check from Dr. Brake… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604544781364-J3UJLH1FFTKLRWOMSCFJ/IMG_5631.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer And blew ~$800 on some metal goodies! A bunch of T-slotted framing, fitting, locking handles, brackets, reinforcement plates, bearings, hardware, and aluminum stock for machining the catch mechanism out of. All from McMasterr-Carr (an engineer’s Toys “R” Us store)! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604468790476-MR33RCNGA7KAGO3J2FVI/IMG_5678.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer As previously mentioned, I had sectioned my catch bracket into several flat pieces, for easy machining out of 1/2” aluminum plate. You can see this here, in the disassembled 3DP mockup. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604545250994-8S61CMMKOM8D9LZQ4JKA/IMG_5407.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer I created drawings for each of the components, then labelled each dimension with Prototrak (the CNC software) in mind. You don’t just plug in metal and a CAD file and and have the CNC machine work its black magic, but instead have to rigorously define a coordinate system and base all of your cuts and drills on that geometric reference. Errors accumulate very easily, hence my three sig figs past the decimal point :))) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604545462554-XV9ZU2PTJEFDE9A3JFZ5/IMG_5407.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer In addition, I went through and determined which toolhead to use for each action, including what cutting bits to use to cut clearance-fit vs. threaded holes. Just so machining would take as little time as possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604545778797-9J45GKGTPJVRHALA28LX/IMG_5906.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Here is Tyler — a grad student I worked with! We worked together over the summer to machine out the catch mechanism walls. Hope he’s doing well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604545924193-JP2O49KKQHY8J9BL0Y89/waterjet.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer The overall bracket went off without a hitch, and I used the school water jet cutter to cut out the shield disc! I also tried using our plasma cutter, but the torch cuts were way too imprecise to be acceptable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604469818997-KWABC7AZ4SLKE3WB1FMM/IMG_5913.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Here is an ‘open-face sandwich’ look at the bracket internals! I left the hammer disc as a 3D-printed part for now, as I still hadn’t figured out a hammer attachment yet. The process, as you might be able to tell, is: Hammer (mounted on gray plastic piece) swings forward, bringing with it the shield ‘disc’ via a slot and pin system. Near the end of the forward swing, a spring loaded pin enters the small slot on the shield plate, stopping it from rotating further. The hammer strikes the metal sample and rebounds, briefly aligning its hole (somewhat visible through the shield plate’s slot in this pic) with the now-locked shield plate’s slot In this instant, the pin enters the second plate, locking it in place as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604546249236-EJEUL12GYCALP524M67Y/IMG_5681.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Finally, I needed a way to rigidly mount the hammer to the disc. ‘Rigid’ obviously couldn’t happen anytime while the rubber handgrip was still attached to the hammer, so I sliced it off (without permission oop). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604546382873-DV3IFZLQ3QIR7892KHQY/IMG_5976.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Then I designed a pretty simple bracket to fasten the hammer to an extended hammer disc. I even made brackets for the hammer’s BNC connectors! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604546524435-I86PTN2Y04GP6K7BYKF7/IMG_5786.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer With a design in mind, it was back to the ProtoTrak for one last ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604469429065-RDDEN67NISCFPYKIV20S/IMG_6090.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Setting up the long hammer disc (that no longer resembled a disc)… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604546735415-1AJIMIHQV0IMIQD31Z5V/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Shakycam timelapse of CNC milling… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604469651760-KCT7LZX4V75W74Z4FOPB/IMG_6091.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer And boom! Original 3D-printed part alongside its machined aluminum brother! If you look closely, you might notice the aluminum part has a slightly longer slot cut out! The length of this cut can be changed in any additional copies, and the amount of overlap this slot has with the shield disc’s hole determines how far the hammer is allowed to swing before its motion is arrested. That was a mouthful. I am sorry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604469388182-2K4NR35Z42QXKVN49YJS/IMG_5901.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Finally, to assemble the frame, I cut some threads… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604547827748-D29355DWBR07IMOG8L68/IMG_1193.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Bolted everything together… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604547910481-A66RVP1W15RLNPL5Y197/IMG_1192.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer And assembled the hammer catch system. Looks super clean! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604549809883-HT32ROQHN1O69FRILYSV/Tribomechadynamics-Logo-v2-rxiaz0.png All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer What a great summer! I got to build a whole bunch of stuff (S.A.G.A. was created concurrently to this too!), avoid doing any real math, and hang out in Houston! Finally, it definitely helped me stay in an engineering headspace and keep my skills sharp over those couple of months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604688908757-V20P62PKFNFQAEOHP9CU/Capture.jpg All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer Incidentally, Dr. Brake referred my project out to the Biomechanical Environments Laboratory at Texas A&M, and I got to speak with Jessica Ezemba about her own pendulum rig! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604688980626-QKXINE6N6IZS79KCIZWK/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer They were having the exact repeated-hit problem I had designed my setup to avoid, and so it was a fun case of having a perfect match between shortcoming and solution! Also, their research was to characterize and mitigate impacts leading to Traumatic Brain Injuries, and so as someone who’d had 4 concussions before, I owed it to my fallen brain cells to support this effort <3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541725254-8LTQJV28EHL62343WHLT/hammer1.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541725333-1IA4IRA0B35DZXKT0G1E/newhammer.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541725827-ABEB3UBQK9NXTM3UZJGY/hammer4.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541725514-49RM3UD838YXDUXDDDKR/hammer3.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541725409-8UVWTZNPC4L6PW5FQ10M/hammer6.PNG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604541737963-ZATXN3WAO91UOHT8UUZE/IMG_4868.JPG All Projects - Tribomechadynamics Impact Hammer https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/powerrangers monthly 0.5 2020-11-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604594340214-VKNEVT6943FVFIYJRQWK/garmin-computer_76533582_183495021-e1550679909553.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer In Fall 2018, two of my cyclist friends and I got together. One was a suitemate, and another a teammate from both Rice Electric Vehicle and Rice Bikes. Together we tried to think of a cool project we could all do! We settled on designing and producing a low-cost bicycle computer, to undercut the fancy, high-end models out of reach for us broke college students. Thus, team Rice Power Rangers was born! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604595270487-H64JFTRTYO9J1Z973ROO/IMG_2198.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Our computer would follow the same basic principles as those high-end models, and consisted of two main subsystems. The first is a sensor suite mounted to the left crank arm, to measure pedal RPM and force exerted on the crank arm. This information would be Bluetooth-ed to… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604610212194-8JBX7IQZ5AKWXLHLGTXT/IMG_2199.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer The second subsystem! — a handlebar-mounted ‘headset’, to calculate and visually display rider cadence, power, and wheelspeed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604594881924-G1BQ57DQK1HCT1RYWXKI/Untitled-2.png All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Here is a slightly cleaner diagram I made of the crank sensor layout. While the pinouts and connections are NOT accurate, this still provides an overview of the components we selected to take measurements! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604610765817-S46MQ8L1MDHONA2MHH61/IMG_1100.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer First, we selected the Bluno Beetle, a miniscule Bluetooth-capable, Arduino-compatible microprocessor as the brain for our bike computer. Bluetooth wireless transmission was necessary because short of using a full-blown electrical slip ring system, there was no reliable way to send hardwired data from a rotating crank to the bike frame itself — all the wires would wrap around the crankshaft and break! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604610479752-OG87XTKZRMDIVTYIBQGM/mini-magnetic-hall-effect-sensor-modul-13718-54-B.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Next, a magnetic Hall Effect sensor would count the number of times it passes by a magnet affixed to my steel bike frame. This value would be divided by time and smoothed to get a running estimate of pedal RPM. Coincidentally, this was the same method we used in Rice Electric Vehicle to measure wheel RPM! It’s a good method and works well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604611618225-E8X0Q5QHYR1YF6A7HFYA/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Here is Kelvin successfully testing the Hall Effect sensor! This simple, [magnet nearby - LED on, magnet lost - LED off] test let us confirm the sensor’s trigger distances and was a good general hardware test. You can also see our Bluno Beetle at the top of our breadboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604605142977-M6KT7CNB06GFMUUEH55Z/Picture1.png All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer With a solid plan for RPM in place, we next had to measure force! Through research online, we decided to build a Wheatstone bridge using strain gauge load cells to achieve this. Basically, a strain gauge is a thin squiggly coil of conductor sandwiched between two plastic films, whose electrical resistance changes as it is deformed. Some micro-level physics going on, but for our purposes the previous paragraph is all you need to know. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604612254323-IDIYRZHYERVILR6ESO7J/IMG_4633.JPG All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer The idea would be to use four of these sensors, two parallel to the crank and two perpendicular, to measure the crank force! Or more accurately, we would actually be measuring deflection-caused resistance and then curve-fitting it to known test load forces. Don’t feel too bad if you’re confused like Gon is over to the left hahaha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604606774066-PV3O34MOA7VJM1BOIG9L/IMG_1106.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Our campus bike shop (my former place of employment!) provided a free crankset and left crankarm. Bottom of the barrel models to be sure, but free is free! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604612700309-N3295D9T2Z5X5G7AS6WO/IMG_1110.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer After prepping the metal surface, here I am applying the strain gauge with surgical precision (lol). We used Kapton tape to secure the gauge as an underlying layer of epoxy cured. This tape would later be removed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604616643259-RKXRJZU0T400I2TP33S1/IMG_1107.JPG All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Me cheesing at the camera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604617083186-ND1MU7QZZ05BT6ZCQIZO/IMG_4439.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer We connected the leads from each strain gauge to a load cell amplifier (the red chip) to boost the signal strength, before reading it from our Bluno Beetle. A Micro USB cable connected to the Beetle let us be able to read the resistance values on a laptop! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604617379092-2V0XXN9V6I4P722SKHAE/IMG_4441.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Overall strain gauge test setup! We characterized a load-resistance curve by securing one end of the crank in a table clamp, and hanging heavier and heavier weights on the crank’s free end. For each weight, we noted the resistance values coming from each gauge, aggregated them, and plotted them on a curve to find an equation for force conversion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604617424879-L2HNT69IPEKEMAN2DD9O/Picture4.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer With our sensors validated and calibrated (take that, Dr. Seuss), I 3D printed a small enclosure to fit everything in. We tried to ‘flat-pack’ our design, so it wouldn’t protrude out too much and get crushed between the crank and bike frame. I like this picture because it’s colorful :3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604617643853-JX0707CB6W9133G06KXC/IMG_1119.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Later on, a custom PCB would be made to clean up the mess of wires. That’s about it for the sensors! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604610765817-S46MQ8L1MDHONA2MHH61/IMG_1100.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer In order to receive sensor data and run calculations with it, we used another Beetle! The force and RPM values from earlier would be used in the following equations: pedal force F * crank length d = crank torque T (N-m) crank torque T * pedal RPM (2πω) = rider power P (W) RPM * π * wheel diameter (2r) = wheelspeed v (mph) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618154920-2F2PJ8Y5IU40UIZ0VE2V/IMG_4721.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer We also researched and purchased a small backlit, RGB-capable LCD screen to display everything. We settled on this model because it was had the least-egregious power consumption compared to its peers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618404342-C0ZGCXL6TD9CNMVR4VA4/IMG_4722.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer I took some measurements of my handlebar thiccness… (Also lol my forever-injured hands, from falling off bikes, climbing trees, fighting, tool accidents, etc) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618563723-DEPVEKRV8CHZ3B4Z7ZYD/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%287%29.gif All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Modeled a very rudimentary display mount with sliding electronics tray… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618631739-HMLN3VY5CN4RA64MDBLO/Picture3.png All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Created an equally basic GUI in Nextion Editor… The ‘tachometer’ displayed power, and its redline was arbitrarily set to 360W. (Much too low - I’ve held 900W for 10s in Beer Bike training) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618702996-6JR9XFYKAVH7KFWSJI8J/IMG_1123.JPG All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Then finally printed and assembled everything! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618726619-WCMK1WODJ6M4HHYTYK2I/Picture2.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Installed on my left hand side handlebar! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604618879769-LX6Y6T9M6A69EXPJWB3T/IMG_1118.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer Then we took it to our school’s Engineering Showcase! Didn’t win or anything, but it was still cool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604619500935-JXX07A2RQLFTUYAZQ7HF/IMG_1106.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer (This was our poster if ya wanted to see) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604619612136-ZD82QO0UU1M30CN4SED6/cost.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer We ran a cost analysis as an afterthought, and found that all our hardware only cost $88! Considering that even a ‘budget’ bicycle computer like the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT still costs $229.99, we definitely succeeded in the ‘low-cost’ part of our criteria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1604619768082-LVN48KNX20ZZV913OAZK/IMG_1106.jpg All Projects - Low-Cost Bicycle Computer This was really fun and — believe it or not — my first Arduino-powered project! I learned a lot about programming, serial communications, and microprocessors. Also! I got to not only learn about, but use strain gauges a full year before we learned about them in class, so I got to flex on my classmates (always nice haha). And another bandaged hand pic! That’s all folks https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/template-draft monthly 0.5 2021-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ede375b3-61f5-4cd6-89bc-5915575e761e/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0ce15d49-c9ed-499a-8400-28b7326020bb/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ede375b3-61f5-4cd6-89bc-5915575e761e/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0ce15d49-c9ed-499a-8400-28b7326020bb/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c5076c46-e907-4763-83a6-a79163f8cff6/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template This isn’t a problem for the side-by-side type thankfully https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d688063c-5119-4b24-b71b-1bb951735c23/Think+Char%2C+Think%21.jpg All Projects - Template https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/motor monthly 0.5 2021-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614634152589-FSYEXYDT44FOOZWS5B08/IMG_7358_edit2.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor In my final semester of undergrad, I took MECH 488, a Mechatronics class. And one of our early projects was to create a DC Motor! Enter Team BRUH - our group for this project - B.R.U.H. of course being an acronym for Brian, Ryan, Uthena, and Hope! - and that little thing we’re holding is our motor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614725532288-5M2TB614MFBOC4MP0MB7/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor For some brief background, here are the operating principles of a DC motor! Magnetic fields are generated whenever you run electric current through a wire! (Hence ‘electromagnet’) When you coil those wires, arrange them around a rotor, and activate them at certain timings, They will repel permanent magnets (the gray semicircular pieces) and cause the rotor to rotate! These timings are managed by the smaller rotating object, called a ‘commutator’! Due to the segmented nature of the commutator, when you touch an electrical current to it via a brush, the rotation will continuously disconnect and reconnect specific coils, magnetizing only those best positioned to repel the permanent magnets, and contribute to the rotation at any given time! Video courtesy of Jared Owen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614725585517-TLJMNQIH420JTH4FZ4S9/bad1.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Our professor provided us with example motors from previous classes… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614725601350-7FPGYSXGLIZL22YSS0OJ/bad2.PNG All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor … But most of them looked very… hastily built. I could be much harsher here, but that’s not the point. I saw massive room for improvement, and knew Team BRUH could do better! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614727265167-3F44KI0Q04UBAQU7RKJR/56ed2e9ca5e40083ec0b612cfaf9425c.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor My initial instinct was to cheese the whole assignment by replicating this design, but with solenoids instead of pistons! We’d create not a motor, but an ‘electromagnetic rotary device’ Unfortunately I had a team of scaredy-cats who didn’t want to cross our professor :( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614725762815-YIU7LYHBDAJY5GMYWVTE/bad3.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Going back to *actual* motor designs, one thing I wanted to do differently for sure was to streamline the coil → commutator wiring. Here, a group had used copper tape for their commutator, and soldered the coil wires straight to it, leaving visible solder points and loose, exposed wire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614725971688-2Q0H1LJRGLGXOG6J37BO/File_004.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor The idea I proposed was to run those wires inside of a hollow shaft, something inspired by my Gearbox Project! Additionally, in almost all the previous classes’ designs, both the rotor and commutator were situated between the pair of bearings. However, I wanted to place a bearing between the coil and commutator, to absolutely emphasize that no wiring ran on the outside and was safely hidden inside instead! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614750260579-HGOD8Q52GANL1W426HE7/20210302%2BMotor%2BSketch%2BEdit.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Those dry erase marker sketches were refined into a more coherent drawing. Hopefully this makes a little more sense! (I bought a drawing tablet! Super happy with it, such a good investment!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614729649448-WSRSU1Q9SOM2SYAZWBX2/Capture.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor I made some very preliminary CAD, trying to keep the bearings and rotor smaller than 1.375” in diameter. (The next pic shows why) (also yes I did go and model individual wires feel free to call me a tryhard) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614729552051-VHKLG5HEMLLTIKB8RZMI/uwegio.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Next, I housed the entire assembly inside of an 1.375” ID acrylic tube. We absolutely weren’t going to build one of those traditional, boxy motors. Not while I’m on the team; We’ve got more pride than that! The copper looking piece is the commutator, and the two black rectangular pieces are carbon brushes meant to deliver current to it. These both are housed in a custom end cap. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614730355139-MLPL7LNTRAODBK0NAE9X/spacestation.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor As mentioned before, motors need permanent magnets, to have something to repel off! So I added a clamp-together style magnet holder (the light gray pieces between the brass screws) to fit around the acrylic tube. It looks like a space station! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614730288022-M8Q8O0V92XXG8M67SV6O/drdgre.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Finally, the design calmed down into a much sleeker package, as shown here! I ditched the bulky carbon brushes and streamlined the magnet mounting solution - I’ll go over these more later! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614745205779-WTMJCTMHWN1LMPWJV4F5/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor CAD assembly animation! swag https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614731665481-3UOTHR5ZJ8MLIAT2K2SW/File_016.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor The first piece I printed out was the rotor! Here I am, having just wound a practice coil at home! ft. some easily and very-much-avoidable road rash (I need to stop crashing bikes) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614731715977-SJ3L1GMXZBKPONRYWSXT/File_023.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Next, Team BRUH modelled and printed a very rudimentary prototype motor, Just to verify my admittedly arbitrary rotor geometry would work okay! The coil-commutator wires are still on the outside of the shaft; at this point we weren’t worried about that yet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614731960991-PSPVYXG3T8OE4L755866/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor The prototype motor spins!!! Also note the black magnets on the blue panels, I’ll elaborate on them more later! We bought some cheap amazon bearings for this test, but the rolling resistance was so high, we couldn’t accept them for use in the final version. I ordered new ones around this time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614732999073-ZODGI692F9YHEUZFTACY/File_033.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor With our geometry verified, it was time to start machining for the final version! Here is a 3DP reference jig I made for our aluminum shaft, to be able to easily place and mark holes right where the design needs them - no measuring or guesswork required! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733047276-8KHF75LNQ68RR8KSYH6I/File_034.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Marking the holes - later punched to create easy drilling indents https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733075395-PSEK4ABYDME9HLFMY3RI/File_037.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor If you look closely, you can see one such punch indent in between the green segment of the clamp. I drilled two sizes of holes - 1/4” for the wires to pass through with plenty of clearance, and #40, to be threaded for bolting the rotor on later! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733138141-SNKU0ZR2NC30XJA1DH3G/File_038.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor I bought a tapping set and threaded out the #40 holes for M3 screws! (because you better believe Brian Chen doesn’t use glue in projects ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733179764-WLRY9SUFAZ83N3E1IA11/File_041.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Said M3 brass screws, threaded directly into the shaft!! Big win! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733514855-UD952A0H1IB7DVWWRFS3/File_042.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Demonstrating the wire path - I oversized the holes to reduce the chance that any aluminum burrs would scrape or cut the enamel wires, which would ruin the circuit and consequently the entire motor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733551341-QBME1BINXYDFCBHADNR6/File_044.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor I decided it wouldn’t be financially responsible to commit 16 brass screws on this project (not too expensive but shipping though - ), and decided to just use gold paint to color some steel bolts instead https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614751824197-0VK4IRERI4RQ3Y5GFHJJ/File_045.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Rotor painted and ready for wire coils! ft. my calluses and slowly healing hand https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614744247286-6NXO2FGK36JKQ0Q6D04P/File_025.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Those of you paying attention might have noticed, but as early as our prototype motor we had moved away from copper tape… …and decided to cut commutator pads directly out of copper tube! This provided a much more consistent surface than tape, and with the tube already being round, we avoided having to bend copper sheet into shape like some other groups! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614733651729-TWG5U68YW896CXR95YUJ/File_047.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Said commutator pad segments! We would eventually sand down the burrs, though they still look a bit messy in this pic. Also, keeping with not using glue, I drilled holes to bolt the pads into the commutator. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614752096007-NM4UMUKDI4Y4HH277HJ0/File_048.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Mockup of rotor and commutator, all bolted up and waiting on coils! My roommate commented that it looked like a sonic screwdriver - I guess?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Because I had so stubbornly insisted on the bearings being between the rotor and commutator, we had to wait for them to arrive before proceeding further. Unfortunately, Winter Storm Uri was in full swing, causing us to lose power and a lot of shipments to be delayed. Fortunately, Dr. O’Malley is a saint and gave us an extension. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614734141320-1Q2JALLSPYDOT3TMW3N2/File_061.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor In the meantime, because we *did* have the acrylic tube, I created another 3DP jig to mark holes and cut the tube to length, just like with the aluminum shaft! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614740817414-MDPRRCDTBZX3KE4KX90B/File_054.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor And while a test print of my clamp-style magnet holder did prove successful… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614741665583-C4J08TVBJ9Z5YWFFCDT6/File_058.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor We thought of a much sleeker way to secure the magnets… using other magnets!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614752585423-Z8GN93AFWVU4MBM9SA5J/50641q.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor ahaha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614744322294-W4TBHKCBOUD3JTWN0OO1/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Demo of how securely this mechanism holds the magnets! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614736122961-5542YEV5AQ1IPBGZMI6T/File_063.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor *Finally*, the bearings arrived! Around 11 days late but they were here! Pictured here is them being test fit in their mounts, one as an endcap and one as an insert/spacer to stuff into the tube. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614744558932-PB1UGCK7TI8F8NRKQMC0/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Test spin - pretty smooth! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614741750554-6FVMWW04M4FKBG1MP6I7/File_066.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor With the bearings arrived, our group hurried to assemble everything. We all worked together to wind the rotor coils, thread the wire through the holes and shaft interior (no easy task, but I knew we could do it!), and solder them to the commutator pads from the inside! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614744500219-YVDYHWXA0LQPLMKSOB5O/File_067.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor All finished up! The solder joints are completely invisible from the outside! I think the extra effort in hiding everything inside really paid off! This thing looked so clean!!! We were all very happy with it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614744703703-7K6VCF7EEX87BZQIQMD0/File_068.jpeg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Side-by-side of housing and internals! *Sigh*, it all just looks so clean I can’t even https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614745827679-N5BHB4HQUSKZWZPUAFTS/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Connecting it to power and hearing it scream was also very exciting! You can’t hear a gif, but don’t worry there are videos later! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614753889621-LELT07PDG639MH4ECEZE/IMG_7348.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Another quality-of-life feature I threw in last minute, was the addition of a power socket! (the rectangular red plug on the left) A lot of other MECH 488 motors just had exposed wires hanging off of them to be alligator clipped to, so I figured this would be a bit more elegant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614753918629-6AN3TPZWBDXGWTLLUDF1/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Demonstration of me plugging in a power cord! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614747108991-R4UGJMIVMSB93IEKXAZ4/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Another demonstration of the magnet holder, and how different versions can be ‘hot-swapped’ out to vary repulsive force and therefore motor torque! I’m still impressed at those two little neodymium magnets being able to secure such a large mass! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1614754199861-MO70CRUQC53Q3Z5NUVU4/Untitled+Diagram.jpg All Projects - Ultracompact DC Motor Final side-by-side comparisons of the motor against its original CAD models! I’d say we did very well! This was a fun and chill project to do with some school friends in our final semester :) Thanks for reading! https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/ddr monthly 0.5 2021-07-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626222965465-382NUQGZV26D72CKSTDX/IMG_7358_edit2.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution For the final project in our senior mechatronics class, we were given an open ended assignment to create 'interactive art' using the topics we had discussed in class. Team BRUH assembled once again to tackle this challenge (not like we had much of a choice haha) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626223273497-JGQ1KIT9RV3CRC0ZEJGQ/image7.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Several of the ideas kicked around included the PB&J hat from Meet the Robinsons and the airbending training gates from Avatar, but we decided to make a Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) platform instead. I’ll assume everyone knows what that is. Considering the 5-week timeline of the project and difficulties inherent to the other ideas, we thought this would be conventional enough to finish, but leave enough room for going all-out if we wanted to. (We did) This is a page of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga a friend lent me in elementary school, and I just wanted to share it here. No other reason. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626231774352-5ZTVTMWS4LBWX1F4BKMC/207822882_194898932580012_7753682856822532558_n.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Incidentally, I had already made a rudimentary DDR board before, in early high school. I say rudimentary, but primitive is a really the right word for it. Yup, it’s literally just sheet metal taped to a random plywood panel the previous homeowners had left behind. The wires aren’t even soldered because I wasn’t sure how to at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626230011381-NRH5VP6ZIRAXJJKIXZRM/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution My ‘board’ used a Makey Makey, one of the earlier GPIO computer peripherals aimed at beginners and kids. It uses resistive switching - basically detecting when pins are grounded, even if that connection is made through something not very conductive, like bananas and humans. Also, notice how the user has to hold the white wire (GND) while touching the banana in order to make that connection. I ran into the same limitation in my project - users were forced to dance in socks (rubber-soled shoes wouldn’t work, for obvious reasons), while holding onto a long wire. It was all rather silly. Video courtesy of Jay Silver https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626230694966-441USLU4T796G64MXP68/flashflash.PNG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I then had the Makey Makey enter arrow keystrokes into my computer in order to play the online Flash Flash Revolution game! I wasn’t very good about documentation back then, so unfortunately I don’t have any footage of me dancing. And with Flash Player now defunct, I can’t even piece together that original setup to get a video :( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626375417121-28G97AXA50X97U7O0FTV/tumblr_9857e2e493a59074a86e3dc99999f085_7561432a_500.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution But that’s enough reminiscing! Back to the present project. As this is another longer and more involved build, I may present items here in a different order than they were chronologically worked on. It’ll be mostly unchanged, but if I decide reshuffling certain things will make them easier to understand, then I’ll do that! Just a heads up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626232269791-4WA53ZCHO8L3LZOMKI4O/image3.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution In broad strokes, Team BRUH planned to run Stepmania (an open-source DDR clone) on a Raspberry Pi computer, and stream it to a TV. For user input, we chose an array of load cells underneath each arrow pad, to sense when they are stepped on. From there, a signal amplifier reads values from each array and converts them into a usable signal, which is sent to an Arduino. The Arduino converts the step pad data into keystrokes to send to the Stepmania, in addition to activating additional light and sound effects built into the platform. I’ll go into more detail on each component later, just wanted to give an overview here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626232027273-MPNWEWYO4EB3F9VNO3CA/image2.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Here is an early drawing of our envisioned design. The dance platform would be a 3x3 grid, consisting of a wooden box skeleton with a plywood ‘skin.’ The arrow pads would have inset LEDs for visual effect, and load cells mounted underneath. The aforementioned Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other electronics all fit under the center panel, with output to built-in speakers for sound, and HDMI for video. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626237627672-0Z74MQYXYHU59OENUP0X/ddr3.PNG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution That design was eventually streamlined and simplified into the CAD model on the left! The construction was modified to reflect commercially-available lumber dimensions. I decided to have the 4 arrow pads be floating as opposed to hard-mounted: supported from underneath by the load cells (so that all weight on the pad is transferred into the cells) and constrained from above by 3DP retaining plates (the red polygon pieces). I also included cutouts in select body panels, to use the skeleton itself as carry handles! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626402274024-JSEKNGKVVASV2WFZ4Z6V/IMG_E2874.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Another CAD pic, looking up from below and with the base plate removed! Everything colored red denotes a 3D-printed piece: load cell mounts, panel spacers, and a electronics tray in the center of the grid! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626285785773-3KXZKQQ4VNVNMZHY6W1H/ddr_pad_rev1.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Additionally, instead of traditional printed/painted decals for the step arrows, I got a bit fancy and decided to use negative space instead. The arrows would be cutouts, with an insert of LED edge-lit acrylic tucked into a pocket underneath for cool visual effect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626241295977-TFGWQ9BIJF4XKBDW0EOR/IMG_2565.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution With a reasonable idea of what we were doing, we bought a few packs of cheap load cells for preliminary validation testing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626241702544-SEYZ9XWYWZB2KZ07RIQX/IMG_E2584.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution As the top and bottom surfaces of the load cell weren’t flat, we modelled a mounting bracket for it. It also helped space the awkward gap between commercial lumber thicknesses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626243909482-7NRN55YKG9F4LWAN5L6M/HX711_4x50kg_load_cell_diagram.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution A small note: Load cells are basically a strain gauge glued to metal. As such, they don’t directly measure load per se, but rather the deflection of metal geometrically arranged to deform under load. As the strain gauge bends with the metal, its resistive properties change, and it’s those resistance changes that get interpreted as load values by the HX711 signal amplifier. Coincidentally, the circuit we used for these load cells is the exact same Wheatstone bridge I used in my bike computer build! Diagram courtesy of Indrek Luuk at Circuit Journal - was a big help and reference for this project! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626241873786-YU2UAXG73066509DLKCN/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution We secured 4 load cells under a piece of scrap wood and wired up the Wheatstone bridge. With the HX711 held in hand, and Arduino dangling precariously from a USB cable, Athena repeatedly stepped on the panel to apply load. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626242851802-KB719T26RWICZ0CETXAJ/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution From the load values fed from the Arduino to the computer, we saw good results: The values obtained for the same amount of bodyweight applied were consistent between trials, and fell back to similar baselines when unloaded. These values stayed the same even after disconnecting and reconnecting the load cells, HX711, and Arduino, so we called this first test a success! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626240404130-A04QESLZ13NH5SAM68N7/IMG_2590.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Now onto the fun part, construction! My roommate Eli (see Longhorn Open 2019 and Texas Strength Classic 2020 for more guest appearances ) and I made a trip to Home Depot to grab lumber. The larger (4’ x 8’) sheet is MDF for the base panel, and the smaller one is nicer plywood for the visible top panels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626240454540-ZOIRYZGLA845ETT848Y1/IMG_2591.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I asked the Home Depot workers to help cut the 4’ x 8’ sheet into 2 smaller 4’ x 4’ ones for easier transport. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626320347284-MWIWLI5XL48E0ET7GREU/IMG_2594.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Lumber naming conventions are weird. You’d think a 2-by-4s would have a cross section of 2x4 in., but they actually end up being ~ 1.5x 3.5 in.! I understand the drying and planing process in making planks eats up material, but it’s still hard designing around that much imprecision. But after looking around online, I found ‘dimensional lumber’ - wood cut true to size, presumably for decorative purposes. For whatever reason, they weren’t available in store, so I had some 1x1 in. square dowels shipped to my apartment. These would make up the skeleton of the platform. (Also peep Jotaro in the upper corner haha) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626245124236-LXEKU6E0M1R9HBZ6X14N/process.PNG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I’ve done enough woodworking to know that the number of operations for even a simple part can get out of hand quickly, and certainly would for this build. To make the most efficient use of my shop time, I came up with a comprehensive laundry list detailing every single action, and the order to do it in - rough cut, cut to size, cut shoulder, mark holes, drill holes, countersink holes, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626240958734-6RZBHX2ZVP61U9VBD7Z7/IMG_2616.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution First, I table sawed all pieces to their rough dimensions. I laid them out here to label panels and just visualize things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626286698058-M6FAR0IKMKPP3N69XQH0/IMG_2622.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I mentioned earlier using 3D-printed retaining plates to prevent panels from falling out. However, because I didn’t want these to protrude from the top of the platform, and possibly catch users’ shoes while dancing, I had to cut notches and shoulders into the skeleton segments so these could sit lower and be flush with the top surface. I did this by using a chop saw incrementally along the length of the dowel. I used trial and error to find the hard stop setting that would give me a 1/4” cut (the random-looking cuts to the left), and once I had that limit dialed in, the rest was easy. (CNC would have been overkill for a simple operation like this) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626287203301-Y71X2ELG1YPVHA4TXKNA/IMG_2656.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I used the same chop saw method to cut channels on the bottom sides of the skeleton for for wire routing. Also in this picture, you can see the triangular shoulders on some of the panels, and how they’d hook under the corner plates like I mentioned. These were cut on the chop saw as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626287804804-4PNHFEBU7CHR2VJYQ5C0/IMG_2630.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Using a scroll saw to cut a rectangular hole into the skeleton, to run HDMI, aux, and power cables. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626295039696-N8F179FF9QWMCU2275MM/IMG_2826.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution (From later in the build, but here are what the HDMI, power, and aux sockets look like) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626241104072-ML3586LO7Z20J9OIRJ45/IMG_2634.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Next, I marked and punched starter holes in the base plate to mount the skeleton to. Because I almost always forget my punch at home, and I happened to be working with wood (soft MDF at that) instead of metal for this project, I took a driver bit and slammed a hammer into it to achieve the same effect. Because this panel was too big to wrestle into a drill press, I propped it over 2 workbenches instead, and hand drilled each mounting hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626241152190-7QCGX77YUFZ6FC84Z3UX/IMG_2638.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Then, to perfectly transfer those hole locations to their corresponding skeleton segments, I used clamps to secure the dowels in place, then lightly drilled through the existing hole to leave a mark on the dowel. Because I didn’t want any visible holes on top of the dowels, I used the hard stops on the drill press to carefully cut them to 3/4” deep. The base plate holes got countersunk too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626287757888-CB8MQ6VSI6K7IMF9IITF/IMG_2641.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution With the skeleton fixed in place, now was the time to fix the inevitable tolerancing errors I had accumulated. Most, if not all, of the panels previously cut to size no longer fit, and needed material taken off their edges. (Also note how the panels look ‘sunken’ relative to the main skeleton; this will be addressed later) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626288077621-35PMJEITQGKY2S1CY1JF/IMG_2653.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution To ensure uniformity, I used double sided tape to fix panels together as ran them through the belt sander. I took off a tiny bit of material at a time, alternating sanding and test fitting until everything was snug. At this point, the stationary panels were complete. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626288744669-7DIIULGEBSCF2D8M4LFG/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution The step panels, however, needed one extra operation on the CNC machine. Using a Shopbot 4x8 ft. CNC Router, we cut the arrow shapes and acrylic recesses in - we considered using laser and/or band sawing these, but this ended up being the best choice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626288679011-8IISRVYECY6NN8951SST/IMG_2652.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Freshly CNC’ed arrow pads! And on the reverse sides of the left- and rightmost panels, a recess for a square sheet of acrylic is visible as well. I would have liked to make the arrows bit larger, but I already had concerns about weakening the wood too much (addressed later), and this was the most I dared push it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626316748804-UH3NDOD2J7TURUB9XN3M/IMG_2657.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Progress up to this point! Everything fit together well, though some parts are just resting in place in this photo, and not actually screwed in yet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626288969150-P3IR4VZHAWGUTKLK6C18/IMG_2658.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution And a pic of the underside! I also ran the base board through the Shopbot, to make the carry handle cutouts, some 1/8” pockets in the corners (for our handrail!), and the square hole in the center for our electronics tray! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289505667-NG9TQVF35IF4VMMYUKWK/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Leaving the carry handles with square corners was killing me, so I wasted some time lathing some rounded corners - much nicer to the touch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289655129-BNN6JWT1MGPB0HXGEC53/IMG_2665.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution With most of the physical construction work in a good place, it was time to move onto electrical! Here I am playing tetris, trying to find an efficient arrangement for our Arduino and Raspberry Pi, while taking account which direction wires would have to run, etc. Also, because our chosen electronics were taller than the aforementioned 0.52401575 in. () gap, I decided to mount them on a tray suspended lower to the ground. By doing this, I earned back some overhead clearance. (This took vague inspiration from oil pans being suspended below the engine in an automobile) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289564187-YXSBNP6PBGO2MJV2T0VS/IMG_2697.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Here we are organizing which electronics and connectors go to which grid cells. You can also see the blue electronics tray! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289743907-3ZCP84TI4Q76OKJ46TKO/Wiring+Diagram.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution With those considerations in mind, I drew up a wiring diagram! I tried to really optimize things here - for example, placing the HX711 amplifiers (small green boards) locally in their respective step pads cells, rather than them be centralized in the electronics tray, to reduce total yardage of wire needed (and $$$)! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626408397535-80Y6HXKWWA4NI4L5XWLY/0001.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Also sat down and figured out cable pinouts for the 7 DB15 connectors we’d be using throughout this project. One thing I’ve learned is that the more color you can cram into a diagram, the better. (same goes for the above wiring diagram). It’s much faster when you’re actually wiring, because you can just glance at the printout and instantly recognize color, rather than having to squint and try to read tiny notation differentiating otherwise identical black squiggles. Also, it’s prettier! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289864064-VK01BE16PNAT3KOHN2DM/IMG_2731.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I spent an afternoon at home and soldered up the electronics tray! Had to painstakingly crush the header blocks and desolder the pins so that everything could be directly hard-wired, but it was worth it. Sadly, though I didn’t know it at the time, the Arduino Mega and Music Maker shield piggybacking on it would both need to be replaced. The Mega lacked Native USB for use as an HID device, and the Arduino Due we switched to wasn’t compatible with the Music shield :( (discrepancy originally noticed by Athena - I skimmed and didn’t read carefully ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626289977848-2DU35MRE7ZTHAV14KK79/IMG_2734.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Back at the workshop, Ryan and I worked on prewiring, cutting wire to length and routing it through the channels I cut in the skeleton. We ate through an entire box of wire, so roughly ~138 ft? Jeez https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626409896795-QA70EMJFUK3T6ZT8ZRD9/IMG_2744.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I then soldered on appropriate connectors to the precut wire ends, and tried to bundle the wires to be a little cleaner. Also: DDR board says trans rights! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626291107679-TG7YRK49JSYYQ1O5WI13/IMG_2738.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution In the previous picture, some of the wire bundles were merely held down to the base plate using masking tape. To better secure them, I modelled some anchor points that could be glued to the base, with wire fastened using zip ties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626410625188-ZBT0JZJ56Z6MLZUQHY3E/IMG_2743.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Just a shot I thought looked cool - electronics tray hooked up to the main platform! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626415818504-SAWANYGJWKB1AQVASBK4/IMG_1793.PNG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution It’s actually quite smart! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626294660990-9QMIFEDSZ1ZNRH1CXOFP/IMG_2777.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Laid the panels out in the paint booth and sprayed thin coats of clear lacquer every ~20ish (? - I don’t quite remember) minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626293648906-CQOOU9G09OUJ2C78MBIL/IMG_2776.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution As long as I was already painting, I figured I’d get the skeleton as well, so we unscrewed everything and clear coated it as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626455926859-R3EDBOKCKTZ0LULQ0MO8/IMG_2809.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Here is the platform all painted up to a nice sheen (& :O it’s Athena!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626291521397-GX9YQQ0UNWVUQ63DQFW6/steppad.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution As paint and wiring were done, we transitioned back to working on the step pads themselves, namely populating the interior with LED strips and bolting in the acrylic inserts. Because the acrylic sheet (and recess designed for it to sit in) were thinner than the width of our LED strip, we actually had to trim away the edges of the strips to make everything fit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626292923050-7XUELOKRIK9EUHJBYD58/cutlines1.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Basically just took scissors and cut along these lines, right up against the solder points for the individual LEDs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626411163659-8UTF3SMICYK18OCM61R1/loaded.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Because the material was so thin around the arrow cutout, I especially worried about deformation at the circled points. Those areas flexed even from just force from my fingers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626292198370-82WX9K335QQY3W6PN3N5/IMG_2812.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution While some of the material cut out would be physically filled back in and reinforced by the acrylic insert, considering acrylic’s brittleness and weakness to bending, I wasn’t comfortable with leaving things that way. (Even if it was me who designed it that way - shhhh!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626485003045-10HVZ9XUA40GDZ3TVRK9/IMG_2833.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Underside view of plate (and load cells + mounting brackets) installed! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626293538453-N2H4YWREWBKROI20D1GR/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%287%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Our efforts paid off! A very pleasant effect, I think https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626299835724-22ODGMHMXVJ1JC0987RT/rail.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Next - Rail! No DDR platform would be complete without a handrail! Many commercially available platforms actually have additional corner buttons to navigate game menus (think Start and Select). However, as each additional step pad meant significantly more components and wiring for us, we decided it would be smarter to mount an electronics box on the rail with Start/Select buttons, as you can see in my sketch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626300044757-7WWKZOVX7FLCK3CJUA7A/IMG_2675.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution I left the rail out of the original CAD model because I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to find to use, or whether I’d be able to find anything at all! Case in point: after deciding that welding school metal shop scraps together would look too jank, I ended up visiting a salvage yard, and cutting out the rail from a push cart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626324386204-YHITQK39JNL1VAAU2UIO/IMG_2684.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Spraying paint stripper to get rid of that disgusting orange paint. Wear pants and long sleeves while doing this; I didn’t, and got burned when liquid splattered onto my skin :( I got about 90% of the paint off using the spray, then cleaned everything up with an angle grinder + wire brush attachment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626324433112-9UJI83Q0Q0H39SCLTKF8/IMG_2694.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution For the rail to stand upright, it needed something to stand on! Here I am band sawing some 1/8” steel to use as feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626325902710-0E2GIZR9EQOHENARPPLA/IMG_2854.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Pic of the control box, all painted up! (Also guest appearance from our DC motor) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626477740845-VVMLMOL0JW48GNN5MVUR/tumblr_9857e2e493a59074a86e3dc99999f085_7561432a_500.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Next, it was time to work on software! With so many elements to coax into cooperating, it was crucial to go slow and build the code up incrementally, while testing at each step. I've seen a lot of people write out huge chunks of code without regular testing, then - surprise, surprise - be completely stumped when things don't work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626477858321-97CXLYUU86ZFCYCD639X/onethingatatime2.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution To do this, I basically ran 5 mini 'experiments' - using bare minimum code designed to test the functional relationship between select elements. When I got two elements working together, only then would I add in a 3rd, 4th, etc. I think it was a much smarter way to go about things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626477947777-18UUMP50WGJMYO8149JF/Capture.PNG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution This just about sums it up. Hello Deku https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626297293786-2MKPME3GRCHLA9X8QVQB/IMG_2751.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Stage 1: The first step was to get the Stepmania program itself built and running on the Raspberry Pi. This in theory wouldn't be hard, but as I had a lot of trouble building OpenCV for my autocannon project, I went in wary and expecting to troubleshoot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626297755409-W75BEDUO22AFN6WOBBDM/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%289%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Fortunately, I needn't have worried - I followed this Youtube video and got things working without any trouble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626297512634-O4US8IRJCVL33BXRUBOH/IMG_2615.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Stage 2: With the Raspberry Pi and Stepmania working together, next up was to add in an Arduino! I built the pictured test tool to simulate the DDR platform. The 6 pushbuttons are stand-ins for the 4 arrow pads and 2 Start / Select buttons on the control box. This let me test the Arduino alone, ignoring the load cells for now - just less variables to mess around with. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626298723258-2MFD2AA6PF622WW6JNCF/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2810%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Using the tool, I wrote some code to use the Arduino as a controller, and successfully play Stepmania without a keyboard! Another benefit of the tool was that I didn't have to lug the heavy platform all the way home on foot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626296629066-0ZEFRKHCAU97PG53F8E0/IMG_2798.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Stage 3: Moving back towards the base of the pyramid diagram, I focused on the load cells again. While we had done initial testing, we hadn’t tried using the load cells to actually trigger anything yet! Here you can see some scrap wood (with load cells taped underneath), the small green HX711 amplifier, and the Arduino Due I mentioned we switched to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626297574785-FP63C1QYQ58VRKCDZWJ6/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%288%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Ran a basic test to use the load cells as a trigger for an Arduino action. Even though this might seem brain-dead & obvious in that "of course it'll work," these small methodical tests are still important for when things do go wrong, and you're forced to sheepishly admit you assumed something would work but didn't actually test - speaking from experience These actions would eventually be the game controls, but in the meantime, lighting LEDs in different colors in response to loads (using Monster cans as standardized weights lmaoo) was a good visual indicator. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626479069711-PDIT39A9XCL0CXA4CQXB/IMG_7881.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution (I give yall so much product placement just sponsor me already Monster) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626327244942-4GQH3L1M0S8XTIO4Q8QF/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2811%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Stage 4: With the load cell - Arduino action pairing confirmed, I wrote some code for the Arduino to send ASCII commands when the load cell readings exceeded a certain threshold. Added low-pass filtering to eliminate noise that these MEMS devices are susceptible to. This was tested by USB-ing up to my laptop and outputting ASCII "X" characters into Notepad. The actual destination would be the Raspberry Pi, but for this test there wasn't any functional difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626299424734-IIH6F80OR34M7FBKG3GT/e29.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Relevant lol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626326522870-HPJ7W1CR7MP5679IVHBO/tenor.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Basically me during testing, bonking the table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626487012764-NIDWAIWW04J8W0Z6YKRT/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2812%29.gif All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Demonstration of the electronics tray being fitted in place https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626487077377-LKRZTV65S8LCE6E63X7N/BTXQ8326.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Demo day was approaching fast, so we spent the last few nights really working hard! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626488192735-6X6G2PU43YFH02867DMA/IMG_2842.JPEG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution And then it was done! We packed everything up and hurried over to the classroom for demo day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626490529639-LINY8N7S0WKTL0PRTXGO/IMG_2869.JPEG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Overall, I was very happy about our ability to crank something like this out in only 5 weeks (at the expense of my finals grades but whatevs). I actually wasn’t that excited in the beginning, but got more and more into it as things went on, and got to enjoy the payoff along with everyone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626490610451-J8RVRBMTKL9U0Q4SL0FP/DDR_Project+Poster.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution This was our project poster, as displayed on demo day… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626490700251-8EAB90DI9J5L8X38BWYC/IMG_2856.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution And here were all the spare / unused parts we ended up with. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626490776910-5EGESMEK2V7Y6O2W0IJT/IMG_2855.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626490811664-H6D1LOMYEZTXM3JAWI2X/IMG_2869.JPEG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution Thank you for reading! (And props for making it this far ) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/acce8ea3-a609-4fd4-b2de-b76b61f7e7bd/IMG_2642.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/079effd5-3e8c-42ac-8342-87f9f2b9d999/IMG_2648.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/33071f7c-b1d4-4fa9-861b-5195a7b8b42d/IMG_2745.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1626293326766-IXUL38T7YXE6GANNWTDB/IMG_2754.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2b424b74-5ccd-4021-b7c5-54cea62612ae/IMG_3259.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f96bec64-0329-4443-92b4-df3bd7ae45a9/IMG_2698.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/51318256-a139-4410-8669-0f6f9d961313/layertray.jpg All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cc92cfcb-2456-4560-b3e2-9fbfc3afb625/IMG_2626.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/8f5c54fd-20ca-4bf0-afd8-01696f77caa0/IMG_2649.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/45567ccc-57dc-4a60-9ee1-2e15ac524dfc/IMG_2746.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/df603eae-a809-4807-9731-63008641db86/IMG_2756.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b9360eec-08f8-4353-9319-bbc855e10ba9/IMG_3260.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3a8b881f-56c6-4df0-8731-3cd9fc37e3aa/IMG_2699.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d08c4bb1-f9cc-4402-bd8c-642206f1d7df/IMG_2823.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9745b24a-1d7f-48f5-90ea-05772a3a8e03/IMG_2627.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/91ecc98e-5954-4c2d-a966-af3ee9d73469/IMG_2753.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/27202617-645d-44f3-8e5b-3fae9b616ef7/IMG_2758.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a8e01866-bd78-49e0-a0ce-a90fb194c0b2/IMG_3261.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0e3b69a3-2ca2-4595-9ec4-7653ab310d4c/IMG_2830.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2c1e98c1-a6b7-4f18-b89c-9e313b88ee52/IMG_2827.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/dcae241f-68fe-4870-934f-83bed4902ec6/IMG_2749.JPG All Projects - Dance Dance Revolution https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/advanced-draft monthly 0.5 2021-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628487341920-AKAFFD8JQ34IHSQZY11F/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - Advanced PET Upgrade (image) Rockman goes around fighting anthropomorphized viruses https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/yeahbuoy monthly 0.5 2021-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632442442500-7GF9Q308SYPJ9IUZ6PYW/178163000_10157838561201889_3038353929792022750_n.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application First off — this project won an award!! Our team won the Willy Revolution Award for Outstanding Innovation at the 2021 Brown School of Engineering Design Showcase! See @RiceMECH’s announcement tweet here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627003119432-WDCUCE8HDSNP6182IN6M/IMG_1016_edit.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application This blog post is dedicated to my Capstone Design group, Team Yeah Buoy, and aims to document the project we undertook in our senior year. A brief summary: Team Yeah Buoy developed a novel Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), using electrolysis-based gas generation as a means to alter displacement volume, as opposed to traditional mass-altering ballast methods, and built a submersible robot to simulate autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) application. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627001175333-J20K6M81JX9T7TYWW63F/5h964y.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Now before we dive in (pun intended), Something I was already unsure of (even more so, after just the intro alone), was how clinical a tone to take for this. I’ve decided that writing in a way I enjoy is what’s most important, and so will be dropping all pretense of formality for this writeup. I will still preserve technical rigor though! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627000972661-B068TESR2OTRAXXZMZTI/IMG_0594.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Starting over again from the beginning of the story, in August 2020: Somehow or another, I had survived up to my senior year in my engineering program! However, there was one last thing to do before I could claim my degree: Senior Design O_O https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628193598344-TMDD0X16OK58J9A5T3WB/Birch_Mudkip.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Senior Design was a final opportunity for students to take the background collected throughout undergrad and apply it to a (somewhat) real-world project. I’m sure everyone knows this already and is rolling their eyes at me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627008606593-DWLCQNOIRHTYDHOFNOL0/0001-crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application We started the semester off by attending a project fair and ranking our preferences, from which groups were chosen! My group originally signed up for, and thought we’d be working on, undersea GPS triangulation on the FLAIRS project. However, we found out very quickly in our first meeting with our client, Dr. Ghorbel, that this wasn’t the case. There had been a miscommunication behind the scenes, and so the outdated FLAIRS proposal was mistakenly listed as a project choice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628193719603-3U6VTNFQ2TSVPXGHJU1P/Capture_RiSYS.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The real project, as explained by Dr. Ghorbel, was tied to research being conducted in his Robotics and Intelligent Systems (RiSYS) Lab. Motivated by their increased usage in underwater missions (oceanography, seafloor mapping, tank/pipe inspection, environmental cleanup, etc), the RiSYS Lab had been studying AUV design and use for many years now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628193758280-VX51O5GMD19YJ6PKHKFH/980604-N-7726D-002_Submarine_Emergency_Surfacing_Drill.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Now as most of you will already know, most underwater vehicles (submarines, ROVs, AUVs, etc.) are designed to be positively buoyant, for ease of recoverability in case of failure or emergency. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628193776015-D3REERI1IM92UEIS1CI4/diagram-final.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application In order to counteract this and be able to dive, submarines take in water as ballast to increase their mass, thereby increasing their average density and decreasing buoyancy. Of note - their displacement volume remains unchanged. This method allows them to achieve neutral buoyancy at a desired depth, where they then ‘hover’ or ‘glide’ as dictated by their mission. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627879535698-NRNDYFUF8BC17027IODE/image-30.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, due to their smaller size, many ROVs and AUVs sortie without any ballast system equipped. To dive and maintain depth, they require hard actuators (usually electric thrusters) to constantly fire and oppose the buoyant forces trying to force them to surface. This results in extremely high power consumption. Unlike submarines, these ROVs/AUVs do not have a ‘resting’ state; each moment spent underwater consumes power, regardless of whether it is stationary or moving. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627603514744-QJC4WGUEK5R3A77KPF3U/Robot-swarm-concept-photo.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Vehicles carrying onboard power sources are affected in the form of severely constrained mission range & endurance, and vehicles operating on tethered power are limited by the physical presence of the tether itself, both: in terms of the cable length dictating maximum range, as well as rendering the prospect of swarm movement, one of the main goals of AUV development, an impossibility. (risk of entanglement, logistics, cost, + sheer cable weight, etc.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628210417568-Q9RGZB5A3ZQZGJ28AI6F/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%285%29.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application While small-scale systems, such as the syringe piston ballasts used in hobbyist RC watercraft, do exist and could easily be adapted for open ocean use… Our client wanted to explore a novel approach, one motivated by recent advancements in soft robotics and material science. Video by the incredible tiver21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627930727559-Y5E7AW4HV0WXB2PJS304/finding-nemo-1-copy.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As our client explained, even the best engineered ballast system, on an appropriately sized submersible, still pales in comparison to the simple elegance and ease with which marine animals are able to navigate the water column. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627930742982-TBHJJ5RCTVC5H08GUVF1/Capture.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As a brief biology refresher, most fish use internal swim bladder organs to change their external volume (and density and buoyancy), saving them from the constant energy expenditure of swimming to maintain depth. Unlike submarines, who alter their enclosed mass m, fish instead alter the volume variable v of the density equation (d = m / v) to create buoyancy changes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628195040329-PXQQVQR0B56J9GTLSXWW/9d66df0d85c9e680bc0de4c9505ecd65.jpeg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Marine mammals, on the other hand, use a slightly different mechanism. Instead of manipulating a swim bladder, most simply exhale the gases out of their lungs to decrease volume. Analogous structure and function - especially considering swim bladders having been confirmed as an evolutionarily modified lungs! An additional measure some species take, is to physically collapse the lung itself - theorized about in whales and directly observed in Weddell seals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628195502734-VKBO4TZJHW4YIM9TNT9G/robot+fish.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Our project, then, would essentially be to reverse engineer nature: To create a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) consisting of: A hard actuator (~ ‘fins’) to traverse to a certain depth, A soft actuator (~ ‘swim bladder’) to adjust and neutralize buoyancy at said depth, and A controls scheme (~ ‘brains’) coordinating the two systems (more later). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628195984631-PCVGSQ29NOKYOU6ZBJ3H/tumblr_9857e2e493a59074a86e3dc99999f085_7561432a_500.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application I hope by now some of you may be realizing the impossibility of creating such a system without also creating a purpose-built vessel to install it in. That’s right - bundled into the base BCD project was a secondary submarine build assignment! Buy one, get one free I guess Perhaps because he realized the difficulty of what he was asking, Ghorbel made some allowances for us: Our craft only needed to perform vertical depth maneuvers (simplifying things from 6DOF to 1), and would be judged as a proof of concept, not a deployment-ready production model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628046315695-WZ2TOBYJNKJS5U4B5C2L/Solid-Oxide-Electrolyzer.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Ghorbel also proposed (more like mandated haha) the use of electrolysis as a gas generation method, as there was already research done on the subject. For those who don’t remember high school chemistry, electrolysis involves using electricity to split water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen gases! (More detail later) The main idea was to store these gases in some inflatable container exterior to the main body, in order to alter displacement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627931633569-2DKP7D2L5FM29W96WHUI/bluesub_birdo_edit.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Thus Team Yeah Buoy assembled to tackle this project! Here is a pic I photoshopped (social distancing means no group photos) As always, project elements will be presented in mostly chronological order, with some small rearrangements to group like objects + make things easier to understand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627931674667-71YS41XQKOG47X3DHOMU/Picture8.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Supporting our group would be a handful of key individuals. Alicia Keow, a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston, had done research on buoyancy control using electrolytic cells. We consulted her many times throughout the year, and she was an invaluable resource to us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627931873120-WFEVJZQWLQ93BPRQQFSI/model.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Colin Zavislak, a master’s student Mechanical Engineering in Dr. Ghorbel’s lab, had previously modelled and simulated behavior of a system similar to what we’d be creating. He was a big help throughout our entire project, especially in the controls aspects. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934742191-7ZZTCUWGKPF8H7QTO0OX/zoom1_crop.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As it turned out, variations of this project had already been attempted by two senior design teams, neither of which achieved success nor completion. As part of our research and intel gathering, we had access to their previous prototypes and were able to examine them for reference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934823623-2YXP482T7SLKYZI1M764/InkedIMG_5443_LI.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The first team was Buoybots, whose prototype consisted of simply a project enclosure with balloons attached to the side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934794562-GS095RI76NYMBIBGHFFB/IMG_1499.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The interior wasn’t much to go off of: a few fuel cells strewn about, individually powered by AA alkaline batteries, and a loose, unwired Arduino hanging around inside. We didn’t have access to this team’s documentation, but suffice to say their prototype never worked (or else we wouldn’t have a project in the first place). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934932989-RFXWD3Z9XXUBHCV18816/Picture1.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The following attempt was by Team Whatever Floats Your Bot (WFYB), who as far as I can tell, never made it past the preliminary hardware selection phase. We also learned that this setup was only assembled for a final report photo op, and even had elements photoshopped in. Therefore, we couldn’t rely on WFYB’s design or underlying assumptions as anything proven, for ourselves to build off on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934950193-W2IHJF7MFO3KGJVO5E91/f59635e5b7fc4750ab09fae9976c3d48.jpeg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, we were able to harvest many usable parts from their setup, which we supplemented with our own parts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628195665392-90JKA3H2NY4KZ68ODITN/specs.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Insights from these previous projects, combined with our own research and literature review, gave us a better understanding of the engineering problem. With these, we drafted some preliminary target specs (yall can read, I won’t re-summarize them here)… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627934972914-21S8RJGARIYPRCMGEL7Y/Brian+Functional+Decomposition+%5BExplicit%5D.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As well as functional decompositions. Our system would operate in 4 main stages: Stage 1: Calculate - using sensor data and known values (system mass, volume, etc.), compute thruster and BCD efforts needed to traverse to & maintain given depth. Stage 2: Thrusters Fire - because BCD efforts alone would be too slow, powerful thrusters quickly drive AUV to desired depth. Stage 3: BCD Takeover - thrusters fire intermittently and at decreasing intensities as the slower BCD uses this time to ‘catch up’ and neutralize buoyancy, by generating or rejecting gas. Stage 4: Neutral Buoyancy Achieved - thrusters shut off and AUV maintains depth with zero additional energy expenditure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628267692020-1EYCNGO9VPH4FQMGTCUT/Super+Driver+AMV+-+Suzumiya+Haruhi+Season+2+Full+OP+Song+%2B+Video+0-41+screenshot.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application In the midst of this thinking/brainstorming/busywork phase, I urged us to begin hands-on prototyping work. Rice’s senior design program doesn’t start prototyping until the 2nd semester (something I take heavy issue with), but from my previous project experience I knew that if we didn’t start ASAP, we’d end up with an incomplete project like our predecessors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628032498201-GXVICONP47Q0LOA9CUOQ/IMG_1026.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application From a financial standpoint, we decided it would be best to reuse parts from the previous teams. Our first step, then, was to run hardware validation tests for each component. Both in consideration of their condition as used parts, as well as part of being meticulous and doing things properly. Even if you’re 99% sure something will work, you still need to go through and check to prevent the 1% where it fails and people get hurt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628107513493-ARZMW4DL68R88NEM33QB/f59635e5b7fc4750ab09fae9976c3d48_annotated.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Some key components we inherited were: an underwater enclosure, a pair of thrusters, several fuel cells / electrolyzers, and a pair of pressure sensors We did our own benchmarking to compare measured values against advertised datasheet ones, for more accurate use in our controls model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935048292-NY5CRZFYOYOOCNFPSXES/thruster-pair-1.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The first components we would test were a pair of BlueRobotics T100 thrusters. We initially thought Team WFYB had tested these already, as we found a performance curve in their documentation. However, that graphic turned out to be copy-pasted straight from the manufacturer site itself, so we ended up still had to do our own benchmarking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935086043-LAX6DLJBU0KTA73EDBC4/IMG_1321_Moment_again.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Dunked it into my tub for a quick test! Qualitatively speaking, I definitely had to exert some shoulder effort to prevent the thruster from running away. (If my mother saw me sticking wires into my bathtub I’m sure I’d get a talking-to) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935104494-DOH8SSBYA2FE4WTQCZGT/thrust_test.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, to get an actual quantitative measurement, we needed a real setup. I had the idea to use a PVC rail + carriage system, and modelled it up. (My design used airsoft pellets as bearings! They’re cheap and won’t rust) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935132311-DEG4J59L39JZAQK2D37G/IMG_0678.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application I 3DP’ed the carriage, mounted the thruster, and lengthened the cables. My design used a spring scale, for direct axial measurement of thruster force! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628218331687-4AI1QRR3C7GLQUHKDUC0/34.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628218319914-1CULHLUWF27QMLYWO3TD/Capture.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628105627957-7AULN2I9AF6G2KDZS9IW/1332.c726ad219430.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Next, we moved onto the fuel cells! Though we mostly used them to perform electrolysis, the components we had were actually reversible fuel cells, meaning that they could run both the forward electrolysis reaction, as well as the reverse fuel cell reaction. Just in case there was confusion from me using ‘electrolyzer’ and ‘fuel cell’ interchangeably; for our project, both refer to the same component! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935457613-DHSUWQ5NDKHBGEGTXHML/IMG_1284_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application These fuel cells were originally selected by previous teams, and were meant as an educational tool, not necessarily any actual engineering application. I initially wanted to abandon them and purpose-build our own, but decided that would take too long and likely be overkill for a 1-year senior design project. Here is WFYB’s fuel cell bank, beautifully secured using tape and rubber bands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632436041538-V8A86R3A0LG844L5N68N/BadCAD.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As the best model I could find for our fuel cells looked like this… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632436080710-SLEVS4VQLDFL8PI677BE/fuelcellcad_crop_annotated.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application I modelled my own! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627935495890-FI2QP4Z04T7RGBCLBFQ0/Capture.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Next, we needed some way to quantify gas production under varying conditions, such as electrode voltage, atmospheric pressure, etc. Here was a previous team’s “test”… we could do better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627936795559-SXLDXTVR3R0BDH0I06RM/Jorge+Alicia+Advice+3.12.21_Moment.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application We used the lab’s variable power supply to run trials at differing voltages and currents. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627936702289-IYG5DFXPPQJSYKPO7CVH/Picture4fewfe.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application The addition of water reservoirs allowed us to test for longer intervals without refilling. This element would end up being incorporated into our final vehicle as well, for longer operation time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627936824459-DAY0P30HO40Y6EPYLHUY/Picture2weefwf.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Using the data collected, we plotted the rates of gas production v.s. current, and found a very strong linear relationship (R^2 = 1 for both oxygen and hydrogen). The rate of hydrogen production was also twice that of oxygen’s, something in line with the understanding of water’s chemical composition being two hydrogen atoms per one oxygen atom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628196154691-32USHXFEY0YHTG214SVX/IMG_6422.jpeg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application In addition to the forward electrolysis reaction, we had initially also hoped to use the reverse fuel cell reaction (consuming hydrogen and oxygen gas to create water), as a means to reuptake gas / decrease buoyancy. While I was able to get this reaction working, inconsistency from moisture clinging to electrodes and limiting interface surface area made us abandon consumption, and settle on venting as a gas rejection method instead. Potential solutions to this could have been a dedicated, consumption-only fuel cells to be kept dry, or a condenser tank to collect stray water vapor, but we decided against adding extra complexity into an already difficult project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627936974191-ZOVMKPFBOOF0QRFGFUTU/purple2_crop.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Finally, I had originally included onboard electronics (battery, multimeters, load, and magnetic switches) in the design to be able to run underwater experiments, to see whether gas production would be affected by hydrostatic pressure. The chemical reaction wouldn’t have been affected, but there was a possibility that the amount of gas physically harvestable would. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627936617971-UVMXOIYXPKUGNMIN6MWU/Picture13r23r2.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, though I cringed at the decision, we ended up keeping our electronics on land and running wires into my apartment pool. We used the pool steps as preset depth increments, and used an underwater camera to record the graduated cylinders. Later review of the footage gave us our data points. TL;DR our fuel cells displayed no noticeable change in recoverable gas volume, even at ~4 ft underwater. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627937964882-JABW4SLRJRWGYKS0K355/bar_02_3_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application After the fuel cells, we moved onto our pressure sensors! We had inherited a pair of BlueRobotics Bar02 sensors, capable of measuring depth, both atmospheric and hydrostatic (!!) pressure, and temperature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627938016980-OFXWDVS15EORT5NV8G9E/IMG_1375_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application We decided to build a PVC water column and mount the sensor inside the base. The test would be to incrementally add water to the pipe, and compare the known liquid volume poured in (and the corresponding water height & pressure) to sensor output data to check accuracy. Here I mounted the sensor in a PVC endcap and am checking for leaks before cementing it to the main 4” pipe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1627938165866-GJPOXFI2FAV1F2DQBYQG/IMG_1394_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application This was our experimental setup! Essentially a very tall drinking glass haha If you look closely I am bleeding from my right knee, nothing unusual there https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628136874129-H4MHR6WKAJXLUAY6EOFM/exploded-render-labeled-11_jpeg.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Finally, our ‘test’ of the underwater enclosure consisted of sealing it, dunking it underwater for an extended time, and afterwards inspecting for leakage. Barely a test, but save for perhaps rigging the insides with humidity sensors there wasn’t a much more scientific way to do it haha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628189426572-BCOYZLYGQUWWJDI5V0KS/IMG_1216_Moment_Moment.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application During our tests, it became clear that my apartment recreational pool was too shallow for any meaningful testing. In addition, some of the groundskeepers had started to get tired of us bringing scary-looking electrical equipment in and setting up shop. It was time to look for new testing grounds… or waters, I guess. Ghorbel recommended a basement pool in one of the Mech labs, but one look and I was like yeah fuck that (dear potential employers, sorry for profanity) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632436852678-YFELVOIV6I91K1ANP0PW/Picture5t433t.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1632436756722-OC0CJALKM2B8ZSGL49YK/Picture1tank.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628134248476-3889GS4W2OLWW76HPUK5/Picture1.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application With all of our inherited parts tested and functioning, our next step was to consider how to best arrange them into a submersible, as well as an actual BCD design. Here are some sticky notes from one such brainstorming session. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628135167565-550GY91OOJE4LY6AL931/Picture1.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application With respect to vehicle design, we again looked to WFYB to see where we could iterate and improve. In addition to a very un-hydrodynamic profile in the vertical direction (a real head-scratcher as, due to their thruster orientation, that was the only axis they could move along)… this was also an inherently inefficient design in terms of stabilization and control. Ideally in propelled craft, best practices are to maximize the offset between point of thrust application and the center of mass, to create the largest control torque possible, for course correcting, stabilizing pendulum motion, etc. In this prototype, the thrusters were located just above the heavy ballast (gray PVC section), directly at the average center of mass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628139281018-XGSRWKVS8FVM3X0Z7VE6/Cheryl-Kiyama-Jesuit-Robotics-Cuttlefish-ROV-poolside-scaled.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application With those insights in mind, and taking inspiration from hobby ROVs online, I came up with a new design! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628136019439-6PFX7XZ6NN8O331FSF5O/Capture+-+skeleton_crop.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As Ghorbel specified our vehicle only needed to move vertically along the water column, I thought to orient our cylindrical enclosure, well… vertically as well. This reduced our drag profile and allowed for more efficient movement along that axis. I added additional steel plates to the enclosure ends, and a cage of standoffs between them for easy thruster mounting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628209241163-6BQSA3ENZ6YH1DIGTK1E/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application After concerns were raised about this design looking too phallic, I added in an aluminum shroud to both camouflage the shape and add some much needed mass + density to an otherwise empty cylinder of air. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628143936018-X6MAH59ESF5Y95F5XRS0/BTL-B_Y-wing_fighter.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Also, this might also have been vaguely inspired by the Y-wings from Star Wars, in particular the shrouded versions from the Clone Wars show. Can you see the resemblance? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628141125082-UMWZ9EZU7RHTOCPG6ZEC/IMG_1187.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application We threw around several ideas for the BCD. I pushed particularly hard for a rigid extrusion that would telescope out of the body to increase displacement volume. I believed it advantageous over any amorphous soft bladder in that it would resist the crushing hydrostatic forces better, and make calculations easier due to the volume increase being directly linear with the extension distance! (V = A x h) This extrusion could be actuated by a gas piston if we really wanted to keep the ‘gas’ aspect of the project, but would be even better suited for use with an electric linear actuator! Controlling an electromechanical component would be far easier than trying to control a chemical reaction, with its atoms and molecules randomly bumping about. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628141677059-DLPCRBF8FFRFK77ZE8KV/Picture7.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, we ended up settling on external sacs (balloons) after Alicia Keow showed us a video of her small scale electrolyzer buoyancy vehicle. I think the grad student clout won my teammates over :( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628143205605-5NA8I31RWB51QR59IMW1/myidea.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application I couldn’t help but be a bit bummed. Like guys, the extrusion could have been beautiful! + Worked perfectly with the ‘rocket’ aesthetic too! I admit it would have somewhat defeated the whole soft robotics thing Ghorbel was going for though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628144137326-L39WPVHD2BMVK2RLWVIC/Picture2truyt.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As our skilled school machinist had been working from home due to covid precautions, we simplified the design down to just two side-mounted angled pipes, again to add some mass to the craft and to maintain a somewhat aesthetic profile. The aluminum standoffs were replaced with threaded rod for adjustability as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628144769106-US8SIED2K6DA5VG8T6XL/IMG_2492.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application I cut some channels into the pipes for the brackets to sit in… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628145243725-1QSJZRTKF97K0MZ46VVK/Picture1.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application … And installed them on our vehicle! You can see the cage and mounting situation like I mentioned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628209301805-SGAMPDX56Y3O1586H19T/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application We installed the thrusters and ran some preliminary testing. Everything looked good! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628189368312-R0SSC77BVTG1R305NLMT/Picture5solenoids_crop.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application As previously mentioned, we had abandoned gas reuptake using the fuel cells, and instead planned on using solenoid valves to dump gas from the balloons. The valve exhaust tubes were bundled in with our tether and released gas directly to the surface. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628225820852-0VIZPYY5QHGA672K4JKO/GAS1.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Here is our overall gas management system! Gas flows from the fuel cell bank, through the check valves, and into the balloons. Then, when our microprocessor deems our craft to be too buoyant at its current depth, it sends a timed signal to the solenoids to release some or all of the accumulated gas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628209361571-VYHVJTTTCESBZQHP8EG1/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Here is a clip of the solenoids open and venting gas into the environment, and in the process deflating our ‘swim bladders.’ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628209402044-YF98BSGVX5U3XCQTSM6T/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application A clip of the fuel cells operating. I dunno why, but this color scheme reminds me so much of old beach toys I used to play with as a kid. Is it just me? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628190027145-RAOSB4H3SIVLM72NHSY9/Picture2t424.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application With most of our physical systems working, it was time to develop the electronics and models to control them! Here was our wiring diagram, with an Arduino Mega managing our components. It’s nothing crazy; despite the conceptual difficulty of our project, we didn’t actually have that many components to keep track of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628190907136-JJCOPCZ591TG17GQLEKL/Picture1987_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Also, no surprise there, but our heavy steel structures made our vehicle too heavy for the thrusters to lift, and repeatedly sank during trials. We removed the shrouds. Also, we had moved the thrusters from their position atop the vehicle to closer to the bottom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628233075683-IMEPJT891J1MDZXWWEBD/pendulum1.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application This was a poor choice on our part, and I’m still not sure why the change was made. Especially as it was this exact flaw in WFYB’s design that I had originally redesigned to eliminate. As is usually the case in air/watercraft design, positioning the load / center of mass below the point of thrust (~ pivot) creates a self-stabilizing pendulum situation, where even if the craft is offset by some angle, components of gravity acting on it will help restore its original orientation. This is highly desirable, and something my original design accounted for, as you can tell from my pretty picture on the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628233246473-P0WTJQR12P73OQJLCMMJ/invertpendulum1.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application However, what our new design created was essentially an inverted pendulum, an example of an inherently unstable system. As you can tell from the force diagram, an inverted pendulum offset by the same 25 degrees as the regular pendulum above will not restore itself, but rather swing and fall due to the gravity components. Even though this diagram doesn’t account for the segment of vehicle still below the thrusters and pivot, the majority of the load remaining above meant that the center of mass was as well, still qualifying this setup as an inverted pendulum. It’s funny - if you imagine the natural progression of this swing, you’ll see that the vehicle actually returns to a thrusters-on-top orientation, like my original design. Even without a free body diagram, you are able to intuit which design would exhibit greater stability (and really should have been kept). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628233943400-QP2O6Z5OT7JV3Q67EJ1E/shutterstock_1231838656.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Again, there is a reason why every conventional rotorcraft in existence carries its payload below its thrust plane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628191257482-AAX8M211FMLSMDBB8VM2/Picture25.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application After that, we installed our balloons and very elegantly… shoved our electronics inside. Desperate times call for desperate measures https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628191289256-0RKZY58FI092DZWXR8N6/Picture7werew.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application New coat of paint though! Definitely made things look nicer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628209602940-XCIUEJ7YCXDSMDH6VC3O/Picture8ewrewrw.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Finally, in order to ‘gain back’ some of the mass lost in discarding our shrouds, we zip-tied water bottles to the exterior cage. This let us easily adjust their fill level and amount of mass attached to the vehicle, to tune it for close-to-neutral buoyancy (the closer we were to that mark, the less work the BCD would have to do). Again, desperate times call for desperate measures https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628235965748-JFTXF1VP23KAS293ZTKN/Picture10werwr.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628235886465-BRKB09ITG5BORLU1LJD7/Picture1.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628197905715-YA4XQ23GBND1IRP9OYJI/178163000_10157838561201889_3038353929792022750_n.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application While I didn’t think our project was anything fantastic, it impressed enough people to win the Willy Revolution Award for Outstanding Innovation at our end-of-year Engineering Showcase!! It’s actually pretty funny, I had already tuned out of the Zoom call and gone to the gym by the awards ceremony, as my attention span was long extinct by that point. But all at once, I got a bunch of congratulatory texts from friends, and it took me some time to figure out why https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628197925776-GD5IZ8LHTKXHYJESQ4UM/twitter.PNG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application Oh yeah we also won $3K too, that was nice No, not each - I wish https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628197947037-U0SP64OIYJ78EAYXY75N/bluesub_birdo_edit.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application But yeah, thanks for reading! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/5f27ea1d-ee83-455a-81ba-e47a6fe8e3a3/IMG_0979_copy.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/602e6431-0d9e-4178-b182-08cd37d1d728/Picture9_blur.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f5f88777-65e1-44d6-b64a-108ac45ac4fe/Picture323r23.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/043fd5ba-6133-442c-9933-05a1f873cc0c/IMG_2442.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/975c764b-f601-47da-be53-006f5faaa40c/Picture223r23r2_crop.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c0d6c4a8-db03-44a2-8a6a-c7054dbdd608/Picture5wefwef.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/4e888b81-1e62-42b3-929e-495fe59b40eb/Picture1r32r.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/abc0d962-7273-428b-b474-34989e79a259/Picture22.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/80c78d2e-3119-41bf-905c-05860c8e8565/Picture4trrtyrt.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a49507de-b3b3-43b7-b0db-45241e756db0/IMG_1016_edit.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application a nice pic we took https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1ba9dc85-69fb-4763-bb4d-69601c3ba109/Picture11.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/88fd065b-828c-4edb-8363-7176d979f985/Picture123r23r.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628144394724-VHWZ0UCI5R1RWT8C7C6W/Picture11ewrwe.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/67f86ba0-d88e-42ef-b214-1e81df28c434/IMG_2490.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d3b50984-7157-44d6-b430-58bfd3037b22/Picture6fewfwe_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ad103db9-bc4f-4cf2-8b11-1a118f30ff05/Picture3606.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3042d26d-e89a-40e0-a970-ec2ba12c2c1c/Picture4gregr_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e5a23222-d79a-4883-9ee0-d60884b03bf0/Picture5etuetr.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/74f5e731-e0a5-4bc3-abb7-791a58a078de/IMG_1017.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application splash https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/dc22a397-dc3b-437b-a01f-0fbdad2a319a/Picture12.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7ddc2c2e-c892-4431-8dcb-d052bb7333f3/Picture15.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/77280f74-894f-42fa-ae4f-1b80fa2245c2/Picture13r23r2r.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/67a5a978-ae6a-430e-ac5a-ffcf7f3c85c1/IMG_2491.JPG All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b63fdb61-6731-4a25-82b4-580b67440197/Picture4798606.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/de543cd8-c95e-4868-bc00-8ae840929a5b/Picture7tether.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c3d8efad-f3d4-4019-9948-0afd592f377e/purple1_copy.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/03af3b81-507f-4d48-b64b-56d4326d1176/62673850654__E666BF01-5E02-46D3-B1F9-769D84C019DB_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/62f93397-8861-48ec-a547-863dab198410/Picture1.png All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/072d334e-5945-4f0b-a8e9-0e0c5c9447ba/weqewr_crop.jpg All Projects - Electrolysis Buoyancy Control for Submersible Application https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/sagamk2 monthly 0.5 2021-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628397258732-ATP1A4NMBOTQGH01LCXQ/IMG_3885.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Hello once again! In this edition of Brian Builds, Brian builds SAGA (Superior Assault Gauntlet Apparatus) MK II, pair of Bakguo-inspired Nerf gauntlets! This project borrows from, and builds off my previous works, the original SAGA MK I, and both cannons from the BAKI lineage! Art by Xiao Tong Kong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628485002163-D12QLKIE226OSFM9IDZ1/Katsuki+by+%40chiyaya666.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Though Bakugo is a man who needs no introduction, here is one anyway. The coolest character in My Hero Academia, Bakugo is an aspiring superhero student with the powerful Explosion ability, which allows him to ignite fiery, concussive blasts from his palms. In the series, his hero equipment includes a pair of arm-mounted ‘Grenadier Bracers’ to help him manage his own blast recoil. Art by @chiyaya666 on Twitter https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628452453938-IZA6HSDO5LGDK81G4ZU9/Group_May_practice.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II How it all started: Last spring, I got recruited into Foam Dart Marksman, a Houston Nerf invitational club! I was impressed by the caliber of the group - they held weekly training, most had high power modified / custom blasters, and had a 2v2 league https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628399273776-3HNA6056069XC5EEMSW2/IMG_6086+-+Copy_no_toilet_2.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II As I didn’t have any other blasters on hand, my immediate thought was to field the SAGA gauntlet I had built two years prior! However, by this point it was severely outdated and needed a heavy overhaul. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628404054965-RL9QIMA2ZFW0X75VFIIW/profile_crop.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II However, by using smaller 1/8” steel bearings instead, I was able to make the swivel much smaller, as well as move everything to the back for a simpler, more streamlined look. (More on the swivel system later) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628463551844-RFMVYY5QWJCASLEQECKB/Inkedeb343491b61edcc477d9a156fad0dd9d_LI.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II The scooped cutouts in the silver front and rear pieces weren’t in Bakugo’s normal design, but inspired from a special edition artwork alternate take, and not present in the actual design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628464162998-Q07EMWGHRRVLBUV76YKI/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%284%29.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II I printed out some early pieces! Here I am fitting them together. I was really proud of my tolerances here! Everything fit in smoothly without needing any sanding, but was also geometrically constrained to stay where it needed to! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628455517822-V6THR6JB0RS28NHY3QRU/IMG_3170_edit.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Slipping it over my arm and experiencing the effect for the first time was sooo cool and made me even more excited to continue. I’ve scribbled out part of this picture to hide other ongoing secret projects (totally not to hide my messy room ). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628482099675-LRXVCKCCCTS3VC1VYDKG/IMG_4029.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II At the risk of sounding too self-congratulatory, look at this godlike wire routing! I even included little zip tie loops to help tie down loose wiring! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628476330669-3FS6246Z947L1HACSXKF/IMG_3985.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Added alignment pegs to connect it to the firing mechanism FWC Coincidentally our next component! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628476394991-D1YAMW7GA28A0AW1ZZBQ/ezgif.com-video-to-gif.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II SAGA MK I FWC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628482660753-T69JFNTLIY2HS2RK7B9E/wwefw.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Explain index wheel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1629483376274-Q1XKO4GRRLT4FVTZM0I4/IMG_4037+%282%29.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Low quality prints on Ender3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1628484432386-7PU34IYX6Q5NSLF2KIVZ/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%286%29.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Next, onto the wrist locker section of my gauntlet! used it to make room to get my hand through, then snap back and close against the smaller wrist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1629483936174-9SRI972Y1VEG4G5QEQKM/IMG_4145.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II Fire Control Wheel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1629483936174-9SRI972Y1VEG4G5QEQKM/IMG_4145.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II I’d like to flex this wiring once again, everything is in its channel and squared away https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/aab5a6b0-5888-4ed3-913d-53f2e045ca77/iufy.PNG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d614158e-de5e-4efb-b45a-fbfdcc485f03/Ground+Type_crop.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c50d9bd5-2dc8-4e11-b7fa-9dca6ce9b310/IMG_3190.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c218d107-e56c-4849-80c3-ecf1da8c1de9/IMG_4034+%282%29.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3d06010a-bc9f-461e-9dde-71343f5c4e2c/IMG_4035.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cb2ba46a-a7c0-4c43-84c9-4d3867f16f61/IMG_3173_crop.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/db6e1f86-7895-4474-abc9-4389aa8ebcf0/InkedIMG_6099_crop_2_LI.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/cecaddb8-9cd8-4566-93fe-b25b866a1b99/IMG_6306.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a4512f19-dfad-4885-8f1f-f88e8cddd58c/IMG_4086.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e6e208bb-b13a-41f1-83cd-5481e814fb13/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9ecf32ea-bbc4-4367-b06d-29f65e7bc7f1/gauntletwiring1.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e5e1f299-0c1a-4a4c-a7fa-d3432b84504d/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%288%29.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/21d06827-afbc-4f1d-9e0f-e9ed84d7d4c1/dissect_crop.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b4a63e73-1acd-49f5-88f8-cc7fa504fd30/hmmmm_crop.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/19adb4a0-1bea-40c4-bc59-8c3ed2ee0954/IMG_4026.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/26f8de94-84cb-4189-bd19-8376ca83dc00/IMG_4036.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f78613d8-df87-43c2-b426-50f2833e4164/IMG_3385.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a0d49fe2-55fb-4308-a0e3-a54d9faaf036/InkedIMG_4103_LI.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/d99aef5f-e5b6-48cf-a6f6-d77578094abe/IMG_4225.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a0536143-b024-49c4-81ed-aa69a555b2e7/IMG_4087.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a8ecc325-9f3a-4f83-abc2-df85957c9e0c/IMG_4202.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/6d749134-c31e-419f-85c2-a300bb9e5142/IMG_4149.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/18a2ea81-1698-4c6b-8535-09399e2fec46/IMG_4129.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/9ca12d5c-fc42-41cb-ab03-b2ebf0c7a71d/Ground+Type_crop.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/63c4804a-bd06-4c20-a851-b69b08c421ca/IMG_4137.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3b9ffb16-c09e-410f-a3c5-9ea8913de5cb/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%287%29.gif All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1f48d90d-2472-42e3-ad7c-16819e1ca752/IMG_4229.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/af9707ad-50df-4e4d-873c-85120272ca1d/IMG_4089.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/97570109-fe93-4536-853b-6651e367f4bd/IMG_4134.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/70b507e6-42df-4dd9-b20e-9f97de80ca2c/Grenadier_Bracer.png All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c02710e0-3879-4977-b882-8a08c174431c/IMG_3979.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/86e0ad18-9bab-497c-b9f9-2a013057a8e3/IMG_4085_crop.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f159f597-a073-4b05-b9c9-29ac3a9540ad/IMG_4152_crop_widescreen.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/159378e6-7266-4d7f-b57d-91c48e8e618b/IMG_3191.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/092083f7-7182-49b8-b9c1-7b8c7ef4a9bf/IMG_3207.JPG All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7a3c4f8a-666c-493c-a4dd-ec885ec2349b/InkedHMMMMM_crop_LI.jpg All Projects - [WIP] SAGA MK II https://www.brianbuilds.org/projects/pcb monthly 0.5 2021-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/7afe8084-4c3b-41c4-b3d8-0947aca4105f/fullcadagain_cropped-edit_2.jpg All Projects - My First PCB B.A.K.I. (Breakthrough Automated [K]annon Instrument) is my attempt at creating an automated, computer vision Nerf shoulder cannon to fight my younger brothers with. It consists of a shoulder mount to which a backpack and cannon unit are attached to. The backpack houses the controls electronics and feeds ammo to the cannon, which can orient itself in 3 DOF (degrees of freedom) to target you https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/774c46fe-7038-4cfb-996f-3b6b8c8a6459/InkedIMG_3107_LI.jpg All Projects - My First PCB While I had initially avoided PCB design to not delay the project in running off to learn a new skill, I decided that with the project now delayed either way, and having a high-current PCB realistically being the only way forward, I’d do it. Conveniently, one of my powerlifting buddies, Fredy, was an electrical engineer, and he helped me learn the PCB design software EAGLE! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/3e190ff5-fcc4-4db8-90e2-5c6e02975911/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%2821%29.gif All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/b965eaf4-bd62-4c4e-9fbf-56f43c778eb9/pcb_populated.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/23a3016a-369c-4593-a4f5-a768662ec9fa/IMG_4738.JPG All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/43d6f9cf-a9ea-4d07-a3dd-57c23667aa1e/IMG_4696.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/981941b8-8a0a-4eb0-975c-c08457acfa5e/IMG_E4724.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637275616655-68QHDOO7OSLGD4H5V908/pcbbrd3.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637274623924-Q1FB8ZC5MEFHR9QLR96E/IMG_5184.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/2b6ca0fc-301f-4294-a3f0-0f7ef53430b8/254957361_439930840847022_3956372064247422263_n.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/a34ad622-f7f9-4677-b32b-d7a1ea41d6e8/IMG_4679.JPG All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637695801564-749NKLWGEUD4RDYM3O7H/IMG_1958.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/75a16fdf-8468-4287-bf2b-352110036835/jlcXBJ9YYOXT8XXtop-4480x3200.png All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637273479896-BILUVZFZ1FFMC57OLRSQ/pcbsch.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637274563715-NSJQJJEY67ZTNU7474SX/pcbplan.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/c7896432-6a23-4249-acd1-1aea5f00791d/IMG_4681.JPG All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/0430cfc0-cc66-4342-8397-3aeb813fa200/IMG_6771_Moment.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1637274518987-2YQ4FD0K7HASQ8S2EQN9/IMG_4508_Moment.jpg All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e5c5c54d-7cde-4c5c-bd85-1ede76f2c395/IMG_4682.JPG All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/77bbd07d-3c21-4e35-8fb9-199bfcdb57c8/1.PNG All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/ca8f916f-af6d-453b-96a7-a84f0151e46c/jlcXBJ9YYOXT8XXbottom-4480x3200.png All Projects - My First PCB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/f42b06b1-4677-49fb-8c69-ff3540123aa8/IMG_4181.JPG All Projects - My First PCB https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting daily 0.75 2020-10-13 https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting/texasstrengthclassic2020 monthly 0.5 2020-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602550852861-65HG8RCHPMZJY5SOX87O/20200229_161937.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Hello everyone! If you’ve been reading chronologically from the beginning, thank you for sticking with us! It’s amazing how far Rice Powerlifting has come. Due to a large advertising/recruiting push, RP gained (haha) a lot of attention after Longhorn Open 2019. We were pleased to welcome our very good friends and first female members, Rachel and Fatima, for the Spring 2020 season! We went to the Texas Strength Classic competition in San Antonio in March, and had a great. fucking. time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602548430333-5OB2DAYV514WDH7XA97B/Mockmeetsnap.PNG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 As I mentioned previously, Rice Powerlifting was able to network with Houston’s Project Strength gym through a meet our organizations both happened to attend! Project Strength offered to sponsor us, providing things like programming and form checks. However, the biggest thing they were able to provide was access to their gym for our members to hold a mock meet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602550890710-1D8487J4H97JKA1JING7/mockmeet2.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 A mock meet is exactly what it sounds like: a practice run to hit some heavy, near-competition weights in an intense atmosphere. This was especially useful for familiarizing our new members with kilo plates and other competition equipment. Everyone showed up in gear and worked their way up to their openers (1st attempts), while the Project Strength coaches offered technical advice here and there. It was a really fun social event too, and afterward we went to Whataburger =P https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602550540041-J8FXB7W4GP3I2DH9NYX1/20200229_144454.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 A week rolled by, and then it was go time! We piled into Rachel’s crossover, and scooted our way to San Antonio! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602551471409-4L8TNW3KAAMLT2LW1I9Z/20200229_145936.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 We had a great time running around the River Walk, ate some philly cheesesteaks and lemonade at one of the stands (ok it was just Charley’s, but enjoying it with friends *elevated* the experience), and took a lot of pictures. Lots of social media material - get! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602564687075-TDKK5KZMFQJV17XK28BH/20200229_160919.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Here is Rachel finally posing for a shot after us bugging her to for miles… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602564642717-TVIWP9VF8RA87RDY98BH/IMG_8040.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 JP and his cowboy hat, which he haz buyed at Buccee’s, molesting a statue… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602564804974-PT14HOQQQL4DUM6IWQPV/20200229_145555.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Elimelek showing everyone just who best boi is… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602564953842-AJRYA77D667TTZYR3ASE/20200229_150239.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Fatima showing interest in some local wildlife (and some clowns in the background)… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602565155266-K6NBA2LRBDXYYMG8NFZ2/20200229_1533391.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 And me asking the nice Alamo defender man if I can touch his gun ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602565283253-H0QBSPH2ZACRA5YKJ5QV/IMG_8026.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Spoiler: We could, and then some. This guy was really nice and showed us all his kit and arms, how he reloaded and used everything, and how long it would have taken, etc. It was a shame, but if we had gotten there earlier, we could have seen a live fire demonstration. Next time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602565423944-YSJATIIQUQ100RQJ4IQ1/IMG_8048.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Oh that’s right. We went to the Alamo too. Don’t forget the Alamo - or something like that haha https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602565798581-CRE73FSZ06LD8O3RDWZW/IMG_8049.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 After we finished sightseeing, we went back to our Airbnb and chilled. We bought some alcohol at H-E-B, and over some Smirnoff Ices (hey, if you’re going to drink before a powerlifting meet, might as well be responsible and drink the weak stuff), came up with our goals for the next day. (Also peep the handwriting, I worked hard on that T_T) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602566032699-I8YP7G3LZ1V71NR8ZYF8/IMG_8053.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 I slept here that night, but — and no joke — was woken up by gunshots. I tried to fall back asleep, but wasn’t comfortable. Eventually gave up and started watching anime on my phone at 6AM. I can’t name the show here because my little brothers read my blog. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602566272494-XRJRKWSTQB1SY9P2TP4O/IMG_8056.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 After everyone woke up and ate their bananas (no cramping allowed!), we packed up and left for Texas Strength Systems. Those astute readers among you might recognize that name somewhere. Well, Texas Strength Systems is a combination gym-fabrication shop combo! Many of the competition racks and benches in previous meet recap photos have featured their equipment, marked with the bold ‘TEXAS STRENGTH SYSTEMS’ paint work. This place was honestly so cool! The competition happened in the gym area proper, but there was welding equipment and metal stock everywhere else! It made me feel right at home. The only bad thing was all the paint and oil fumes in the air. I know that whenever I weld at school, I can expect to feel sick for a few days afterward. Not good for a physically demanding competition… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602569998690-TC09P18SPMWVNORLRI4V/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 By the time it was time for my flight to start, we had already been in the building for some time, and I was beginning to feel sick from all the welding byproduct. It’s kind of a running joke at this point. They should make T-shirts saying ‘Brian has weak mucous membranes’. It’s ok, I told myself. This meet was an ‘extra’ one anyway, since our main event was still the UT Longhorn one. That said, I was still going to do my best. I had done a ton of work on my squat in the 2019-2020 school year, and so was ready to hit some heavy weights. I originally wanted to set my final attempt at 420 for the memes, but I felt strong enough to push to 424 pounds, an all-time PR!! I texted a friend, super excited, and told her all about it. Especially because it wasn’t too bad effort-wise, I was excited to hit maybe even 430 after properly resting after the competition. If only COVID hadn’t happened… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602570128581-18BME791FX7QB8ZWH3WG/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 I was really starting to feel unhealthy by the time bench rolled around. It didn’t help that I had screamed my lungs out at Fatima’s and Rachel’s lifts, or the fact that the water dispenser they had run out of water (My bottles had run dry ages ago), and that it being an open garage gym meant I was dehydrating much quicker than I had at Longhorns before. To be honest, it wasn’t fun. I started talking to a young lifter, named Caleb Pruett, between attempts. He was only 16 and yet had already been competing for a long time! I assumed the man with him was his dad, but he was actually the coach. I was really impressed at this kid’s level and starting so early, and told him so. I’m looking forward to going head to head someday, when he’s old enough for Open! As for my actual bench, I ended up failing my 3rd attempt of 314 lb. My 2nd 303 lb attempt, was definitely more solid than the fall before though, so I was okay with it. That’s the one shown above/right. Note the spotter cheesing at the camera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602570753565-VALW45A6QZA5MDVAHE13/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 Finally, deadlifts! Nothing really noteworthy happened here, though I did almost get red lighted for my aging/loosening soccer socks falling down my leg on an attempt. Nobody wants to clean a bloody barbell. Kyle had me set my expectations lower, and entered a very conservative 502 lb for my final attempt. I had wanted 518, but to be honest that probably wouldn’t have happened. He sent me out with a reassuring chalky clap on the back, I pulled the weight cleanly, and that was that. Sometimes the anticlimactic ending is the smart one, even if it was still a PR. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602570999813-7IZ1QTJOI5K0JY47WMUK/85128671_647861896052148_1177359576463310848_n.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 We all watched Eli’s deadlifts, and then it was time for awards! I ended up placing second, behind Evan Judice. Part of why I had wanted to attempt more on deadlift was because the whole competition, Evan had been ahead but with me just barely behind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my ‘top 10 anime power-ups’ moment and Evan took his rightful victory. I’ll get him next time. The picture is of me like ‘well, what are you gonna do?’ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602571350854-EWYC1DRCIDJH9D88KV9N/edit.jpg Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 All in all, Rachel and Eli ended up placing 1st in their respective divisions, and JP plus me 2nd. Definitely a very taxing but rewarding experience! We ended up eating at Chipotle before starting the road trip home. This was absolutely miserable for a now-clearly symptomatic and dehydrated Brian. During a Buccee’s stop, I stumbled off to buy Nyquil and dropped my medal. I was devastated but we had to go. Rachel dropped us off back on campus and I pretty much staggered sideways back to my dorm, and fell in bed still in my dirty powerlifting clothes. Finally fell asleep at the end of a very long (but still undeniably good!!) day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602571697074-4ZTX7X3TDKEBL1W7YH1Z/IMG_8172.JPG Powerlifting - Texas Strength Classic 2020 During quarantine, I received an envelope from Rachel! Remember when I thought I had dropped my medal in a Buccee’s restroom in my delirium? Well, turns out I had unknowingly just shoved it deep into the backseat, where she found it when packing to leave Rice. Honestly, the gesture of mailing it back (and the note included!!) brought me a great deal of joy during a the gloom and doom of quarantine, and so I was very grateful. I think this hopeful moment would be great to end this on, so thank you for reading! https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting/longhornopen2019 monthly 0.5 2020-10-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602460748342-5CHA2C7CTDBVNL98ULWZ/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 Round three, let's go! This meet recap blog post will pretty much be just that; a meet recap only, and not including any team shenanigans in Austin this time :( Chronologically wise (if you will), this meet happened right after the 9-day sprint to create my camera-tracking autocannon (see project: baki (V1)), during which I barely ate or slept. Actually ended up weighing in a fair bit under, even. Pretty much the entire travel time was spent snoring in the car, and in the evening before the meet, when my teammates went and had dinner, I slept in the Airbnb as well. TL;DR: I don't have too many photos of this trip, and I’m sorryyyy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602460939459-1BC9IIJWC0WOG4F1NBK0/image-872.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 This year, Rice Powerlifting had a very new (but not necessarily inexperienced) crew: Fredy, Eli, Spencer, JP, and me. This would be Fredy’s first meet, and Eli’s and Spencer’s first as RP members! Everyone did incredibly well - there’ll be pics of everyone’s placings a bit later on! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602461339349-H9SMIFPLA70IB0X29GGD/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 I know last year I made fun of my friend Logan for completely forgetting the squat command and going before the judge was ready (see Longhorn Open 2018). Well, sleep-deprived Brian made the same mistake and got three red lights, so I guess I’ve lost the right to say anything Instead, here is my Squat attempt #2 (~408 lb). I had made the decision to take my big ‘jump’ in between attempts #1 and #2, instead of between #2 and #3. Considering the lack of sleep and food for the week prior, I was feeling pretty weak/underprepared for this meet, and wasn’t sure if I could last three attempts. So I treated my second as my final, and went ‘heavy’ here. It was a real grinder and probably the ugliest one I’ve ever performed in competition. I don’t remember my thoughts from the lift itself, but from the video it looks like I might have missed the bounce? Stability was also all over the place, with my knees knocking around like Bambi. This ended up counting as a successful lift, and I got my attempt #3 (413 lb) as well!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602466145030-ZB4J23208LPA0LXTVINP/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 Next up (you know the routine by now) was bench! Everything went pretty straightforward, and I hit a meet PR of a 303 lb paused bench on my 3rd attempt! This was the lift I had missed last year, so the fact that I hit it while so fucked up meant there was undeniable progress! On thing that did happen though, was I had forgotten to unhook my thumb loops from my wrist wraps for the 1st attempt! The judge let me off with a warning, but it was kind of embarrassing to have been so absent minded. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602466985333-FUMJ7V7A2EOKZ45R8HAZ/image-667.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 ‘Yeah that’s the good stuff’ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602467013314-EGPNRSDJ09SM1CBVC3YT/image-668.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 ‘Ofuk I wonder if he’ll be ok out there’ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602468659985-H1UN37M0WZT8GOT2CEB9/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 Finally, deadlifts rolled around! I was beyond exhausted at this point, but attempts #1 and #2 generally went along okay. Before the third attempt, however, I guess I fell asleep in the waiting chairs. I was comfortably unconscious, when - “Brian Chen, your bar is loaded” I woke up in a panic, and still very much groggy, burst out of the curtains and stumbled out onto the platform, while tugging my belt to some arbitrary tightness. Kind of stumbled up to the bar and just, well — pulled 485 lb (thank God there’s no start command in DL to mess up). Not that it was easy or anything, but not thinking much might have helped things mentally. That stagger + stumble off after probably says a lot, actually haha *Also, USAPL changed the rules to require a shirt during deadlifts, so no more sexy delts :((( https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602468849265-IWEJIM8LFN39DW1A4R8G/IMG_3109.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 All in all, it was a great meet! Everyone on the team put in so much time, and I was really proud of everyone. Fredy took home silver (!) in his first meet ever! I placed 2nd in my division as well, but Eli, Spencer, and JP placed 1st (!!!) among some very fierce competition! Not to mention, JP literally bombed out (was disqualified - specifically for failing all three attempts of one event) the year before, so what a comeback!! We all had school/work to make the following day (LH Open 2019 happened on a Sunday, unlike in previous years), so we carpooled back to Houston pretty much immediately after. I slept, of course. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469346635-YO56Q5PBRPDGYCYGOFP9/image-957.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469343179-O3QT1B0VBZY4HWY7SZIX/image-806.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469323193-DY6129LTKMC80NWBQTEA/image-758.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469392895-BEYU57O9HHQR26UYAI7F/DSC_0061.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469330992-6L3JDIU4D5FJ861A5WRX/image-804.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469392590-CL99WMRDMWO3F8801IMN/DSC_0062.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469331056-RZU8DS0SGAYJ8H605GWB/image-805.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602469347102-1B0VINKGT9FG7AEZRS0T/image-956.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2019 https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting/longhornopen2018 monthly 0.5 2020-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602384347372-KU9WY7BG365H8QOZRPNW/88632494.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602384399866-SN0QNN3W5TOAU2TP3ZCM/IMG_3281.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602384862375-NCOROXSUOUMFQ4VAWH03/In-N-Out-Burger-1.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 In accordance with the sacred Rice Powerlifting tradition, we went to In-N-Out again. I got three Double-Doubles and learned that I hate onions. I also made sure to steer clear of the milkshakes (See: Longhorn Open 2017) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602385438169-9O9OIZZ3YZG8DVBTFEZK/IMG_3287.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Snax and caffeine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602385404282-M8KZUUH5SLSQH6Q0GLWT/IMG_3286.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Waiting for frands. Note the Pokemon socks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602385633832-6QPXF2MGNXREFBZNTT9I/IMG_3291.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Since one of our members was new, we split up in the morning after checking in. I carried our stuff to the gym as the others drove around, trying to find a singlet in the 1-2 hours before the meet began. We really cut it close there. We watched the womens’ divisions compete, and then it was time for us to go. I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever ran the meet this year wasn’t as experienced as 2017’s person, since the schedules were all messed up and the windows for lifters to warm up before their flights were all tiny. Like ~20 minutes tiny. In addition, there weren’t enough platforms for everyone to warm up in on time, so my friends and I actually ran off to UT’s recreation center and used their weight room instead. Why isn’t Rice’s weight room this nice?! I was jealous https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602387776442-MF24JULZ71E37EDQ99U2/logansquatoptimized.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 I will say, that out of our little group, myself and some others were really sick. For myself, it almost felt like I was missing the top 15% of my power. I was sneezing and coughing throughout the whole meet into the spare T-shirts they gave us. Ended up pushing through with copious amounts of caffeine and smelling salts. Plus, I borrowed a friend’s belt to use for this meet. I did Longhorn 2017 without one, but they really do help a lot with stabilization and how much weight you can lift. Our flight rolled around. Squats came first. I’m realizing now, as I’m looking for footage, that we weren’t as organized about recording our lifts this year, so I actually don’t have my squat footage But here is some of my friend Logan. He messed up by completely ignoring the lifting commands/cues and just went when he was ready. Beginner’s mistake, but we made fun of him after. As for myself, I opened at 355, redeemed last year’s failed 3rd attempt by smashing 365, and set a nice little PR for myself at 375 lb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602388179225-JWOPO9MECYSHUPHBU10A/285benchoptimize.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Killing 285 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602388254251-P98YJGHSMOMBQSC7QCGU/303benchoptimize.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Missing 303 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602388779865-AWRB1CEM55LE1ZT25529/463dloptimized.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 By the time deadlift came around, fatigue and the sickness were really killing me, so I went ultra-conservative, with the same attempts as last year, except I actually hit the 3rd attempt of 463 this time, so technically an 8-pound PR?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602389086665-4KQLOV0GWTHQV0LKGW26/IMG_3318.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 This year, they had TV’s up with everyone’s lift progress, so there was no more guesswork in projecting your standings. I was in first by a comfortable margin, and ended up winning my division for the second time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602391549954-4KPHA5EJNAYQL4DD4UT1/ezgif.com-crop+%288%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602391242554-92TQ0KLZ7XRW1SQAQ5KV/IMG_3336.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602391889547-INWFBV5LNY2M4OQYJLBS/jojo-golden-wind-1129346-1280x0.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 We went back to the hostel and watched some Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 5 Golden Wind and slept like rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602391970358-3RLB8A2OAGZ72IUK7Q7R/IMG_3331.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602391940630-F14A3D3BDX0QOM13EWWI/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602392076091-UDAFPHNJMB5FDX52F37Z/Capture.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 A cool Delorean we found https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602393077427-R3FITHJ9C84I0MOYXJWK/IMG_3324+-+Copy.png Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2018 Overall, a super-fun meet! Set some PR’s, made new friends, and showed the sickness who’s boss. Can’t wait to come kill it again next year. Here’s to 3 for 3! https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting/longhornopen2017 monthly 0.5 2020-10-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602363156772-7IPIHRDDOXZUXDU7VE4W/IMG_8985+-+Copy.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 Try asking anyone who trains, ‘how long have you been lifting?’ and I guarantee you, there will always be two numbers: how long since they ‘started’, and how long since they got serious about it. I’m no exception. While I suppose I could claim I ‘started’ as early as middle school, when they taught us in PE class, it wasn’t until I took a Conditioning class in 11th grade when I actually starting lifting, and it wasn’t until college that I got serious about powerlifting: eating right, programming, and competing. The first powerlifting competition I ever competed in was the Longhorn Open at UT Austin, during my sophomore year. My friend Tyler told me about it, and got me all excited to compete. It’d been something I’d always wanted to do. We trained hard and got a crew ready to go. Booked a hotel in Austin, piled into a car, and drove off to the competition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602363312217-GQQN2Z31A0H7ULK5GKN8/In-N-Out-Burger-1.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 Keeping with Rice Powerlifting tradition, we arrived the night before the meet and went to In-N-Out, something we didn’t have in Houston. I got a couple of cheeseburgers, and with some encouragement from friends (‘You have to try it bro’), a strawberry milkshake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602363409214-F0KTR0K742A28VLEMBY0/348s.jpg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 Big mistake. I woke up in the hotel room at 6 AM with bloating, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. (I didn’t know at the time, but I’m lactose intolerant). The hotel A/C may have played a factor too. Spent the next hour in the bathroom feeling absolutely miserable, thinking I’d ruined my chances of competing. I lost a ton of water in the toilet and was achey all over. We moseyed on off to weigh-in, where I weighed in at 157.6 lb, almost 6 pounds under the 74 kg weight class limit! Probably all that water lost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602363929239-HBR0HD3GERDV0ZKV8HUO/optimized.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 We warmed up, with me feeling shaky and weird. I remember stretching my shoulders with a PVC pipe and feeling extremely tight and achey, and I thought this competition would be a bust. Sometimes I can be too much of a defeatist, but my friends kept me positive and looking up. For those unaware, the squat is the first event in a powerlifting meet. Since it was my first meet, I set my opener (1st attempt) really conservatively, at 345 lb. I got it up pretty easily, but my second attempt (355 lb) felt harder than it should have been. This made me scared for my final attempt of 365, which I had only ever hit once, in training. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365087461-BZQ9QO7OE8W9N737PQAS/365missoptimized.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 Missing 365 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365014629-G44GDRKBPWAI81ERUFLE/355optimized.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 355 - More difficult than it should have been https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365295638-W625FVG2H3UNDF6M5IPP/ezgif.com-crop+%282%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 I know it totally sounds like bragging, but in truth, that helped me to come back mentally, to get some confidence back and realize I still had a shot at this. My squat was around middle-of-the pack, but my bench had given me a huge advantage. It was all up to how I did in deadlift now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365416020-KT0ISDJ40LUNQQMC65R3/ezgif.com-crop+%283%29.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 For deadlift, I ended up topping out at my second attempt of 455 lb. I tried for 463, and actually did pull it, but got redlighted for hitching on my way up. I ended up totaling 1103 lb, comfortably in the 1000-pound club, so I was fairly sure I placed and pretty happy overall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365584296-EZYPCOWCE9CG4C003ZDN/AK6CoIV.png Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365572537-1MIBVRL6NT86WF4K1XSS/6684484.png Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365825430-CS140F3VHQ1JQ65ZIB4T/IMG_9036+-+Copy.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365810379-NSL5WR4VGVQEE6B2UXT1/IMG_9035+-+Copy.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/1602365938200-Z6JFRZGO1S8YCY43L0HM/IMG_9038.JPG Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2017 I fucking love these dudes. Thanks for everything! https://www.brianbuilds.org/powerlifting/longhornopen2021-draft monthly 0.5 2022-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80fba2fa121b5b87b4bd49/e8fca926-2f21-421c-9f5c-408d81cacd20/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847755342-LDY808BYOXXO2GNHH6A2/image-asset.jpeg Powerlifting - Longhorn Open 2021