ME 333 final projects

ME 333 end of course schedule

ME 333 Final Projects 2008

IR Tracker

The IR Tracker (aka "Spot") is a device that follows a moving infrared light. It continuously detects the position of an infrared emitter in two axes, and then tracks the emitter with a laser. See Spot Run.

Robot Snake

This remote control robotic snake uses servo motors with a traveling sine wave motion profile to mimic serpentine motion. The robotic snake is capable of moving forward, left, right and in reverse. Video of the robot snake

Programmable Stiffness Joint

The 'Steel Toe' programmable stiffness joint

The Programmable Stiffness Joint varies rotational stiffness as desired by the user. It is the first step in modeling the mechanical impedance of the human ankle joint (both stiffness and damping) for the purpose of determining the respective breakdown of the two properties over the gait cycle.

Ball Balancing Challenge

This is a tilting touchsreen that allows the user to control a rolling ball. The feedback from the touchscreen allows the user to play the game of trying to keep the ball in the center of the screen. The game is set-up in an arcade-type fashion in which there is no way to win, only lose, and the machine will simply keep eating your money.

Continuously Variable Transmission

This prototype is a proof of concept model of a variable ratio transmission to be implemented in the 2008-2009 Formula SAE competition vehicle. The gear ratio is determined by the distances between the pulley halves which are controllable electronically.

Granular Flow Rotating Sphere

This device will be used to study the granular flow of particles within a rotating sphere. The sphere is filled with grains of varying size and then rotated about two different axes according to a series of position and angular velocity inputs.

Vibratory Clock

Vibratory Clock

The Vibratory Clock allows a small object to act as an hour "hand" on a horizontal circular platform that is actuated from underneath by three speakers. The object slides around the circular platform, impelled by friction forces due to the vibration. Check it out!

WiiMouse

The WiiMouse is a handheld remote that can be used to move a cursor on a windows-based PC, via accelerometer input captured through device movement.

Intelligent Oscillation Controller

This device "learns" a forcing function that is applied to a spring and mass system to match an arbitrary, periodic acceleration profile.

Baseball

Sweet Baseball Game

An interactive baseball game inspired by pinball, featuring pitching, batting, light up bases and a scoreboard to keep track of the game.

Ball Balancing Challenge

An interactive game involving ball balancing on a touchscreen with touchscreen feedback and joystick action.