Inspiration
We envisioned a robot that could clean up litter without intervention from humans. This could clean up houses or organize trash in landfills for disposal. Eventually, this should become modular to be a mass-cleaning activity.
What it does
The Wall-E Bot maneuvers using Arduino-programmed wheels to cover ground. For now, it moves in a pattern sweeping through the surface until the area is covered. It uses a ramp and a mechanical robot brush extended in front of it to pick up trash. This trash is then stored in its body and can be discarded when cleaning is over.
How we built it
We used Arduino programming to control the movement of both the Wall-E bot and server motors to control the mechanical arm suspended above Wall-E. The design of the wheels, ramp, chasis, and arm were all designed on fusion 360 by us. The final drawings were 3d printed and assembled together. The body was made of scrap balsa wood, cut and glued into a cuboid.
Challenges we ran into
When 3d printing the wheels that attached to the motor we were aiming for a press fit, but this required iterations to perfect. Issues with unsuitable 3D-printed objects caused time delay as reprinting was required. Some objects like the body weren't 3d printed because it would have taken too long to print.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The implementation of an embedded design into something that could (eventually) be useful to society. We worked well as a team and although this is a rough concept, it still encompasses what we envisioned.
What we learned
We learned more about 3D printing and design considerations when transferring from fusion 360 to the 3d printer. Also, the importance of time management and delegating tasks, so the workload is evenly distributed.
What's next for Wall-E Trash Bot
Wall-E would be a better design if it tracked trash and picked it up using cameras or sensors, This would save energy as it won't be cleaning places without litter. Moreover, as previously mentioned, this will become modular and many Wall-Es will be able to work together to clean trash on a larger scale.
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