When we got to our space, we picked out a spot we thought would be good to start the Rube Goldburg machine and started building a ramp for the ball to roll down. From there on we placed the rest of the machine down and ran a few test runs. Once happy that it would work, we set the PC up with the arduino boards and placed the light sensor in the right place. Ignoring the relay switch for the time being, we placed the other parts of the machine and ran a test run using a normal desk fan instead of the fan being used on the relay switch.
One we were happy with the in and out contraptions, we did a quick test of the computer system. Covering up the light switch with a spare cup to get it started, followed it through to the relay switch turning on the fan. Once that was OK'd, and we tried a few test runs, we got ready to film the whole thing.
Problems encountered
There were a few issues with the computer based part of the design. The email wasn't getting sent to being with, but this was an error within the code that was fixed easily. Another problem that we encountered was the computer itself; we had to put it on a slightly unbalanced surface that was enough to disconnect the power cable, therefore turning it off. We fixed this by propping it up with some cardboard we had left over. Everything else wasn't nearly as much of a hassle
The real world part was a nightmare at some points. One of the DVD cases got broken when it got kicked by accident, causing us to go hunt for another. We had a few cases of balls going in the wrong direction and getting lost under furniture, and the most annoying part has to be setting everything back up when the starting ball would get knocked, causing the rest of the unbuilt machine to activate.
Parts we did not implement (and why)
We had quite a lot of leftover parts we brought along for the real world part of the whole thing. Some of the things we ended up leaving out include:
- Sellotape - We found it wasn't strong enough, so used duct tape
- Half a box of dominoes - We couldn't squeeze the rest of them in somewhere
- Wind up kids toys - We had a few of these, some of them just not needed
- Playing cards - We did not have the skills to keep a house made of these up
Screenshots and walkthroughs of what has been built so far (or any mock-ups you have created)
So far, we have these mock-ups made by members of the group...
Storyboard
This storyboard shows our project, including the platforms we will use. The final project is very similar to what the storyboard shows, with major changes to the real world part.
Descriptions of how it works
The whole thing works by using real world objects to move in a certain formation that causes other objects to move, much like the effect that dominoes have when lined up on their smaller edge and pushed but with a bit more ingenuity. This would then cause the virtual part of the machine to activate with a similar effect to it's real world counterpart, displaying webpages, showing animations and sending data to other sites. Once the right condition is met, the computer activates the rest of the real world objects. At the end, a roll of kitchen towels gets knocked and unrolls, revealing some written text.
Actual timetable
Put up Time
9:50am - Get to house.
10:20am - Start setting up Rube Goldberg machine (input)
11:30pm - set up PC
12:30pm - Start setting up Rube Goldberg machine (output)
2pm - Dry runs (Making adjustments where needed)
3:30pm - Film and editing
Pull Down Time
5:30pm - Tidy equipment
6:10pm - Load up car
6:30pm - Return PC
6:35pm - Leave
No comments:
Post a Comment