Rockets, Robots, Hovercraft, and Quadracopters, all for the STEM

of IT! John J. Helferty

Temple University

OUTLINE

Student Space Exploration and Embedded Systems Lab

Recent History of Projects

New Introduction to ENGR-1101

RockSat-C

Lunabots

Quadracopter competitions

Recent History Lab created in 2009 to support UG/G student driven

projects.

Faculty mentors act as advisors, students drive the projects

Fully equipped with drill presses, band saws , scopes, meters, etc..

Each year approximately 30 students are involved

RockSat Projects Since 2009 there were 4 successful RockSat-C Launches

2009 Workshop

2010 Passive Vibration Suppression

2011 2 payloads, Active Vibration Suppression and magnetic field studies

2012 Biological sampling at different altitudes

2013 CO2 measurements at different altitudes

Lunabots Participated since inception in 2009-2010 wheels and conveyer

2010-2011 treads and front end loader (successful but slow)

2011-2012 wheels with ribs , loader, autonomous (moved to fast)

2012-2013 treads , autonomous (we shall see)

Augmentation Grant for New Course ENGR-1101

ABET 2000 Compliant Course Description

ENGR 1101 Introduction to Engineering

Catalog Description: Provides an understanding of the study and practice associated with civil, electrical and mechanical engineering technology disciplines. Emphasizes the importance of good communications and teamwork skills in a successful engineering environment. Provides practice in problem solving and design. Discipline specific projects with an emphasis hands-on experiments and projects.

Prerequisites: This is the introductory course in engineering, no prerequisites.

Textbook: Handouts in each separate section of CEE, ECE, and ME

Instructors: Civil and Environmental Engineering – Graduate TA’s

Electrical and Computer Engineering – Dr. John Helferty

Mechanical Engineering – Dr. Shririam Pillapakkam

Syllabus and Course Outline

Course Learning Objectives:

Successful completion of this course will enable the student to:

Understand the general areas of study and practice associated with the Civil and Environmental, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical engineering disciplines.(PO b)

Understand the importance of developing good communication and teamwork skills in a successful engineering career. (PO f)

Understand the basics of the design process. (PO b)

Understand the basic approaches to problem solving. (PO b)

Syllabus and Course Outline Course Topics

Civil and Environmental Engineering – Graduate TA’s

MATLAB: applications basic engineering analysis to (CLO 1-4)

Electrical and Computer Engineering – Dr. John Helferty

Arduino microprocessors, servo motor control, sensing using photoresistors and ultrasonics, and wireless communications. (CLO 1-4)

Mechanical Engineering – Dr. Pillapakkam

Solidworks in CAD/CAM software, 3D printing, basics of machining (CLO 1-4)

Grading

Each of the above section in CEE, ECE, and ME will carry a weight of 20% each for a total of 60%

Hovercraft Design and final competition 30%

Dr. Baren technical communications 10%

Breakout Groups Take 150 students and divide them

into 3 sections.

Each section attends one of the 3 components for 3 weeks.

Rotation is done for two cycles, that is each section will attend each component twice

Last two weeks are completing the hovercraft

Group Allocation

ECE COMPONENT

The Arduino Processor, Robots and Gadgets

•A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. •The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 . •The Arduino Uno is a special micro controller which has all of its I/O pins mapped out for connecting various kind out of sensors and other I/O pheraphial devices. This I/O pins can be controlled directly by providing programming instruction in the Arduino IDE called a sketch.

•All the sensors are connected to the digital I/O

pins of the Arduino Uno Microcontroller .

•Once the Hardware is connected (the sensors

and the motors) to the board, the software is

written on the Arduino IDE in a file called

Sketch. The sketch are similar to C++

programming language, but are linked to various

precompiled functions that takes care of lot of

behind the scene hardware programming

involved .

•Once the desired Sketch is written, the Sketch is

uploaded to the flash memory of the Arduino

Uno’s flash memory via a USB cable.

•The Arduino Uno based robot is based on the concept of digital feedback control network .

•A feedback control network takes in information from the sensors and goes through a algorithmic

decision making process, that drives the Robot .

•In this case we use a ping ultrasonic sensor that makes a measurement of distance to the left, right

and in front of the robot.

•After making the measurements, the microprocessor compares all the values and makes a decision

of going in the direction of the maximum distance.

Competition

ME Component Solidworks in CAD/CAM use of

3D Printing

Open Lab Open lab is for extra help in completing the in-class

projects and also for hovercraft assembly and testing.

Staffed with UG/GA from 12-6

Video

http://www.youtube.com/user/jbskibum8#play/all/favorites-all/2/BM8zWN70fBg

http://www.youtube.com/user/jbskibum8 http://spacegrant.colorado.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article

&id=168&Itemid=121

Retrieval

Questions?