FAQ
Q: What inspired the idea?
A: Project Venom was inspired by an episode of Fight Science on National Geographic, where a martial artist attempted to strike faster than an albino western diamond back rattle snake. The video is linked in the Background and Tutorials section.
Q: How did you determine the best arm design?
A: We prioritized arm movement over anything excessive. The more basic the design, the more we liked it, because we felt that aesthetics can always be worked on later.
Q: Was time a major constraint?
A: Yes definitely. Time was always a problem. Training was late, and arm construction was not started until four weeks before the delivery date. However, we had trust in each other that everything would pan out, and felt that careful and arduous planning would prevent any major issues down the line.
Q: Why were motors used as hinges?
A: This was the biggest problem with system integration. We were initially going with a classic hinge design with a joint and a pin but this presented two major challenges: 1) Where would we mount the motors without compromising the overall "look" of the structure and 2) How will be bring about the rotation. After bouncing off idea for a couple of days the team members came up with the idea of using the motors as hinges. Although this restricts the movement of the arm that the motor is mounted on, that is what we need in the first place! This solves both the problems simultaneously.
Q: Were there any last minute 'scares' for the group?
A: So many. Primarily, the motors require just over 2 Amperes of current. The motor shield that was used, the Arduino Motor Shield Rev3, could support 2 Amperes of current at absolute maximum. This miscalculation had been made due to the fact that the power supply read 1.3 Amperes when the motors were running. The motors, however, require about 2.2 Amperes to start. This caused excessive heating on the L298P chip. Two small heat sinks were found to help dissipate heat, and allow the motors to run longer. This saved the group a lot of stress, as otherwise waiting for a new shield would have lost precious time in later weeks.
A: Project Venom was inspired by an episode of Fight Science on National Geographic, where a martial artist attempted to strike faster than an albino western diamond back rattle snake. The video is linked in the Background and Tutorials section.
Q: How did you determine the best arm design?
A: We prioritized arm movement over anything excessive. The more basic the design, the more we liked it, because we felt that aesthetics can always be worked on later.
Q: Was time a major constraint?
A: Yes definitely. Time was always a problem. Training was late, and arm construction was not started until four weeks before the delivery date. However, we had trust in each other that everything would pan out, and felt that careful and arduous planning would prevent any major issues down the line.
Q: Why were motors used as hinges?
A: This was the biggest problem with system integration. We were initially going with a classic hinge design with a joint and a pin but this presented two major challenges: 1) Where would we mount the motors without compromising the overall "look" of the structure and 2) How will be bring about the rotation. After bouncing off idea for a couple of days the team members came up with the idea of using the motors as hinges. Although this restricts the movement of the arm that the motor is mounted on, that is what we need in the first place! This solves both the problems simultaneously.
Q: Were there any last minute 'scares' for the group?
A: So many. Primarily, the motors require just over 2 Amperes of current. The motor shield that was used, the Arduino Motor Shield Rev3, could support 2 Amperes of current at absolute maximum. This miscalculation had been made due to the fact that the power supply read 1.3 Amperes when the motors were running. The motors, however, require about 2.2 Amperes to start. This caused excessive heating on the L298P chip. Two small heat sinks were found to help dissipate heat, and allow the motors to run longer. This saved the group a lot of stress, as otherwise waiting for a new shield would have lost precious time in later weeks.
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