ECE 110/120 Honors Lab Section : The Unliftable Hammer

Project Proposal

1. Introduction

       a. Statement of Purpose

 Have you ever wanted to know if you’re worthy to wield Thor’s hammer? Well we can make  that happen with our project. Inspired by Marvel the project consists of a hammer that can only be lifted by someone who has fingerprints recognized by the fingerprint scanner connected to the hammer. Thor Hammer
This project illustrates the use of electromagnets for lifting heavy objects and transporting from one place to another. Our project is unique because it is fun and really cool.  This hammer works based on a pre-registered fingerprint that has been programmed by the Arduino. When the fingerprint matches, the solid state relay disconnects the magnets . When someone grabs the handle, the capacitive sensor, the electromagnet activates and the hammer is glued to the metal.

b. Background Research

           We were largely inspired by the theory behind how Thor’s Hammer works and wanted to come up with a model that could explain the science behind it. Our research involves                 referencing videos and reading articles and blogs where other individuals have developed designs that we wish  to implement. There have been numerous inventors who have               tried to build the hammer based on its ability to be lifted up with specific conditions. One of the designs is that the hammer uses a magnet to stay attached to the ground while             requiring a fingerprint to deactivate the magnet.  Our proposal is based similarly on this theory using a capacitive touch sensor which activates a solid state relay to operate a                  transformer electromagnet that glues hammer to metal. This is then deactivated by the fingerprint scanner which is programmed to recognize our pre-registered fingerprint. 

.      2. Design 

1. System Overview
   Fingerprint Scanner: scans the fingerprint detected on the surface of the hammer, and if the fingerprint matches the the one given to the the scanner, it would continue to trigger the relay.

Arduino Uno: controls the voltage across the relay

Solid-State Relay: acts as a switch in the circuit to activate or deactivate the magnet

Microwave Transformer: activates or deactivates the magnet, depending on the signal it has been given

 Capacitive Touch Sensor: when the hammer is being touched, the sensor would detect the pressure and change the capacitance of the element. This would in turn activate the magnet.

       b. Design Details - Block Diagram 

                               


     3. Parts

• Arduino Pro Mini 5V ($9.95)

• Sparkfun Fingerprint Scanner ($35.95)

• TTP223 Capacitive Touch Sensor ($7.99)

• 4N35 Optocoupler ($0.60)

• 3.7 V 150 mAH Lithium Battery ($5.95)

• 4 AA Battery Holders ($0.75 each)

• 4 12V 1.2AH SLA Batteries ($12.50 each)

• Crydom CMX60D10 60V 10A Solid State Relay ($19.95)

• 2 Drawer Pulls ($4.48)

• Microwave Oven Transformer ($39.90)

• Scrap Wood 

  4. Possible Challenges

One possible challenge that might happen during the project is that the hammer’s cover might have dramatically weakened the electromagnetic power, thus making the attractive force between the hammer and the surface weak enough. As a result, the hammer could be lifted without the use of a fingerprint scanner. Another problem is that the electromagnetic hammer requires high voltage to work appropriately. Therefore, we must be careful about wirings in order to avoid a short circuit and potential electric shock. The third challenge is that the fingerprint scanner might not detect the fingerprint correctly if it is too dirty on the scanner’s surface.

5. References
E. Hagan, “Only You Can Lift This DIY Hammer Of Thor,” Popular Science, 01-Jul-2016.   [Online]. Available: www.popsci.com/only-you-can-lift-this-superheroic-hammer/. [Accessed: 22-Feb-2020].

Instructables, “Electromagnetic Mjolnir (From Thor's Hammer Prank),” Instructables, 21-Oct-2019. [Online]. Available: www.instructables.com/id/Electromagnetic-Mjolnir-From-Thors-Hammer-Prank/. [Accessed: 22-Feb-2020].

Radio Times, “How to make your own real-life Thor's hammer to trick your friends,” Radio Times, 10-Nov-2015. [Online]. Available: www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-10/how-to-make-your-own-real-life-thors-hammer-to-trick-your-friends/. [Accessed: 22-Feb-2020].

Youtube, “How to Make Thor's Hammer - Mjolnir,” Youtube, 6-Nov-2015. [Online]. Available: www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=642&v=WVzlHa5CQnA&feature=emb_logo. [Accessed: 22-Feb-2020].