The components of the robot are mounted to a custom-made car. The parts of the car are made of medium-density fiberboard wood (MDF), and held together by threaded steel rods and nuts. The car has two wheels attached to motors, and two ball caster wheels.
After the approval of our project plan, the structure of the robot's car was first conceptualized by @Giovanni Forastieri and later refined by @Daniel S. Curi, who also made the conceptual 3D models used for the presentation of the project. The entire team helped in the refinement process, as a stable and reliable structure was deemed crucial for the success of our project.
3D view of the robot.
To the left, the first structure concept. To the right, the second one.
After a weight analysis, we concluded that the first structure would be too heavy, use too much material, and potentially bring us problems due to the lack of adjustability of the distance between the sensors and the floor. The second version aims to avoid these problems, turning the project more feasible.
After settling on a structure concept, we began a step of fine adjustment of the components' placement. We researched for the measures of every component, and made sure they would fit in the car as intended. We also considered the routing of the cables throughout the robot, aiming to keep it as clean as possible. Then, @Daniel S. Curi 3D rendered some images to better illustrate our planned structure and the placement of the components.
3D render of the parts of the robot constructed. Top ommited for ease of viewing.
3D render of the robot with all components attached. Wire connections are not represented. Top ommited for ease of viewing.
Front, side, top and bottom views of the robot with all components attached in their planned positions.
ℹ Section Added on August 1st
A shell for the robot was modelled by @Daniel S. Curi, to better protect the components and make the robot more presentable. We plan to get it 3D printed, though so far we couldn't find ways to do so (given the pandemic, it got harder to find a place to do the job).
The shell features reflective adhesive strips so the robot is more visible, to prevent accidents. It also contains a "book search here" adhesive, pointing towards the QR code that directs to the web app.
Front view of the shell alongside the robot.
Back view of the shell alongside the robot.
The shell was an afterthought, and wasn't listed in our project requirements, nor was it accounted for in our budget and schedule. We're still unsure if we'll be able to get it done in time for the final project presentation.
Illustrations modeled and rendered with Cinema 4D R19 Student Version.
Profile views of the robot with the shell.
The parts of the car were marked and cut out of a MDF board by @Giovanni Forastieri. Since he's located in Rio de Janeiro due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he had to send it over mail to Curitiba, where the other team members are located.
Cutting lines marked on the MDF board.
The MDF parts were cut with the use of a jigsaw, a drill and a grinder, and later smoothed with sandpaper. The threaded rods were also cut down to size. A caliper and a ruler were used for measurement. Safety glasses, ear protectors, protective gloves and a dust mask were used at all times when handling the tools.
Cutting the pieces.
The cut pieces were then assembled for a initial test fit. The results were deemed satisfactory.