University Design Project:
The goal of this design was to create a small and lightweight device that would travel across the length of a table while autonomously launching a ball into a funnel that was sunk into the table. Unknowns such as the surface material of the table and its inclination, the location of the device launch on the table, the exact size or weight of the ball to be launched, and the speed at which the device had to be traveling as it crossed the finish line, made this design process a considerable challenge. Working with a team of five we engineered and built a four-wheeled car that was launched from a ramp. We were able to control the final speed of our device and account for table inclination, surface material, and launch location by adjusting the height on the ramp it was released from. Using a servo-motor that was programmed to account for the launch ball characteristics, we could release it at the appropriate time so that it could fall into the funnel.
Four-Wheeled 'Orbiter'
