Project Narrative

Mon-45’s Final Mechanism

Mon-45’s Final Python Program Output

🛬 Problem & Goal

Airports face the crisis of increasingly larger numbers of mishandled bags.

1. First, the goal was to design and construct a mechanism to process, sort, and transport passenger luggage effectively to decrease the number of missing and damaged baggage.
2. Then, the goal was to code a Python program to sort through passenger and airplane fleet data.

🔧 Completed Tasks:

1️⃣ Created a mechanism

• Safely transported luggage from Platform A (the higher platform) to Platform B (the lower platform).

• Built behind the restriction line

• Utilized limited supplies (i.e. 1 linear and/or 1 rotary actuator, 1 platform, 10 M4 Bolts and 10 M4 nuts)

  **→** All other pieces had to be laser-cut, 3D-printed, or purchased. 
  

2️⃣ Wrote a Python program

• Comprised of 8-9 functions to sort through 2 separate files (passenger and airplane fleet data)
• Utilized lists to store important data
• Outputted an intuitive and concise summary of important passenger data, depending on the airplane

3️⃣ Programmed a q-arm

• Gripped, carried, and deposited luggage according to its Python program
• Sorted through 4 luggage and placed them on Platform A or the rejection bin depending on whether they cleared airport regulations.

Key Features of the Mechanism:

Gears and Gear Plate. Attached to the rotary actuator, the gear chain is used to rotate the link connected to the large gear at one end and the transporting platform at the other, to bring the latter up and down.

Gear Plate and Support. This plate support was included in the final iteration and required a lot of brainstorming and prototyping to allow it to fit in the given space.

Linear Actuator and Pusher. This feature of the mechanism pushes the luggage off the transporting platform once it reaches the proper position.

Timeline of project:

→ October 7th, 2024 - December 5th, 2024

• 2 weeks for design selection and prototyping
• 4 weeks for fabrication: laser cutting and 3D printing
• 2 weeks for program coding
• 2 weeks for mechanism assembly, testing and iterating, simultaneous with 2 weeks for q-arm and actuator coding and calibration
• 1 day for project demonstration/interview
• Toggle for the project’s Gantt Chart

Team’s Work and Personal Contributions

Team Contributions:

✔ Completed engineering drawings

• Assigned three to four parts to each team member, and requiring engineering drawings for each part by a strict deadline
• Presented drawings to other team members to ensure all lines, measurements, etc. were present on drawing

Figure 1. Engineering Drawing of Right Hinge, created by a team member and reviewed by the rest of the team.

Figure 2. Engineering Drawing of the Gear Plate, created by a team member and reviewed by the rest of the team.

✔️ Completed Python program by writing our individual functions

• Assigned functions to each member and combined them to get our completed Python program

✔️ Assembled mechanism

• During each assembly session, came together to attach bolts, washers, and nuts with laser-cut/3D-printed parts to the platform
• Took note of all the fixes required for the next session (ex. fixing gears, adjusting length of pusher, changing locations of holes on platform)

Figure 3. First Iteration of the mechanism, where many of the holes were too small or misplaced.

Figure 4. Second iteration of the mechanism, where all the gears and gearbox needed adjustments and a new way to get attached to the rotary actuator.

Figure 5. Final Iteration of the mechanism. If new iterations could be made, then the gearbox would get fixed, as it the gears are barely clearing the ground and were a little too close to each other.

✔️ Programmed actuators and Q-arm

• During each assembly session, attached actuators to mechanism, taking note of any required changes to their supports
• Programmed Q-arm to sort through luggage and deposit them in proper location, using coordinates of rejection bin and mechanism
• Programmed actuators to complete the proper movements at the right time

✔️ Completed Design Report

• Assigned different parts of the report to each member and combined our work to achieve a completed report

Personal Contributions:

✔️ Designed the mechanism

• Brainstormed many different ideas
• Utilized Autodesk inventor to generate a prototype of the mechanism design & improve the 3D model as the project went on

Figure 6. Initial Mechanism 3D Model