Sunday, November 1, 2009

Progress Report 2

Mechanical Function
The first prototype is finished and has been shown to the parents of the children attending Saturday Sidekicks. The machine had to be launched manually seeing that the triggering device hasn't been completed yet. It was shooting about 15 to 20 feet with two surgical tubes attached.
There have been a few
problems which came to my attention during the
first testing phase. First the copper ring that holds the tennis ball has a tendency to bend when pushed down because the tension of the surgical tubing overcomes the strength of the copper. Also I need to have a latch that can hold the arm down and a triggering mechanism that will move that latch. I am thinking a motor with a gearbox will be sufficient in turning a latch. The problem i foresee is making a latch strong enough to hold down the tension of the surgical tube .

Electronic Triggering Mechanism

I made a triggering device that can be controlled with a switch but the efficiency of it is questionable. I attached a two washers and a gear together and attached that to a motor with gearbox. It performs the function I created it for but the motor is not strong enough to overcome the friction when used. I think a new design needs to
be made.