Ham-Vac

Mini vacuum shaped like hamster 😎

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Inspiration

I want to keep my dorm room clean but there isn't enough space for a regular vacuum. It is also very boring to clean. The best solution is to build a mini vacuum that is shaped like a hamster! Ham-Vac can clean any mess while making you fall in love with its charming design!

What it does

Ham-Vac is a mini vacuum that can suck loose debris off of surfaces. The key points for the design are:

  • The vacuum is sturdy and looks like a hamster.
  • It has multiple suction strengths and can be turned on/off using a switch
  • The air that leaves the vacuum is filtered well and the dirt is collected in a removable container
  • The external design is clean and all electrical and mechanical components are contained inside.

How we built it

note: images of casing, circuit, internal components are in the gallery

Casing: The outer casing was 3D printed (10% infill, draft mode, 222g used). An STL file that looks like a hamster was obtained from Thingiverse (User: KNEW3IX) and manipulated using CAD to be hollow and have holes for wheels, vac input, and vac output.

Original File: link

Circuit: The DC motor was tested with various resistors, it was determined that 6.8 ohms would produce a suitable lower rpm for the variable-suction vac. I learned how to use Tinkercad's circuit builder during the Arduino workshop. I used this to design the circuit before building it.

Vacuum Body & Impeller: The impeller was made out of a ~2cm diameter copper foil cut and folded into fan shape, and secured to the DC motor. The body was built from a soda bottle and hot glue. The container for debris was also made from the soda bottle. It is removable and nests inside the body. The filter was made from cloth mesh.

Challenges we ran into

My teammate who was going to code the Arduino left. Since I don't have a software background, I went to the Arduino workshop. Unfortunately I wasn't able to actually get the Arduino to work, but I did learn how to use TinkerCad circuit builder, which I used for the electrical component of the vac.

The internal components I built initially were too big for the chassis. Although I spent a lot of time designing those components, in the interest of time I decided to simplify the internal components into a smaller design. Fortunately, the simpler design worked much better and fit into the hamster.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I'm proud of being able to apply concepts from different classes and workshops to create a functional project and of attending my first hackathon!

What we learned

  • How to use Tinkercad circuit builder
  • How to build a fan/impeller
  • Simple designs can work just as well (or better than) complicated ones

What's next for Ham-Vac

What I can definitely do:

  • Add wheels and a real hinge
  • Sand and paint to look even more realistic
  • Make Vac container more airtight

What I hope to do:

  • Make it self driving using Arduino & Distance sensor (I want to watch Ham-Vac roll around my room and clean it for me haha)
  • Replace mesh filter with HEPA filter for cleaner output.

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