Today Alex and I came up with new goals to have done by the time this program ends. First, we should have a working model of the Modular Beast and at least one attachment for it. For now, that is primarily Alex's job. Our next goal is to have a printed model of our version of the RIT Derek Arm. We plan on applying splayed fingers and variable grip to it to make it more effective.
I looked on e-NABLE for ideas about variable grip. The two best options I found were made by David Orgeman and Steve Wood.
 |
| Steve Wood tensioner balancing design |
I decided not to do this one because the strings get bunched together and tangled inside the tubing. I'm afraid this would cause more problems than it is worth.
 |
| Orgeman spring design |
Instead I have decided to adapt the above Orgeman design. By adding springs to the existing tensioner variable grip is achieved in a very consistent and simple manner. This has the down side of requiring non-printed springs but we believe that the benefits outweigh the cost.
As with yesterday I (Alex) continued to try and find a way to make the modular tensioner work. As I feared, the pins had a tough time printing and when I printed with PLA instead of ABS plastic they had nowhere near the flexibility required. After talking to Frankie about this problem we decided to adopt a design inspired by the bearing belt guide from a RepRap 3D printer.
 |
| My new modular tensioner design |
This friction fit design is very simple and easy to print while still remaining strong. A few modifications will need to be made to prevent the tensioner assembly from rotating but overall I really think this could be the final design.
That's all for today, we have a field trip with our other undergrad research students tomorrow so we won't have anything new to post. See you next week!
Alex + Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment