Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
18 A Transformer
 Haobo Li
Jingcheng Liu
Shiqi Yu
Tinghua Chen
 Xiaoyue Li design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
 Rakesh Kumar
**TEAM MEMBERS:**

- Jingcheng Liu [jl138]
- Haobo Li [haoboli2]
- Tinghua Chen [tinghua3]
- Shiqi Yu [shiqiy2]

**TITLE OF THE PROJECT:**

A Transformer

**PROBLEM:**

In some cases or scenarios, humans can not reach the location or area, so we need adaptive robotics to reach that area instead of us. The robotics that we will introduce and build is Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robotics (MSRR). MSRR can be used in many scenarios, like space exploration, disaster response, undersea inspection, education, entertainment and art. Because MSRR can reconfigure its shape and modules, it can be used for space exploration missions, where they can reconfigure themselves to adapt to different tasks and environments, and they can also repair themselves and replace damaged modules. In disaster scenarios, MSRR can adapt to changing environments or narrow and complex landform, help with search and rescue missions. In the undersea scenarios, MSRR can also work and help with inspection or building piers and tunnels. The other aspect application of MSRR is education, entertainment and art. Because MSRR can be assembled and reassembled to create different configurations, it can be programmed to create interactive artworks and installations.

**SOLUTION OVERVIEW:**

We are aiming to build a modular block system with self-reconfigurable features. Our solution will include easier lighter devices, fluent transformation and easy-to-operate interface. It’s an innovation in the field of MSRR, especially in education, entertainment and art. More concisely, we will use electromagnet to control the mechanism of block robotics. Different block robots are controlled by a central host computer through wireless signals. MCU in block robots receive signals from wireless module and control the circuit to apply positive or negative current to the electromagnet to control the rotation or suspension of the block entity. When the modular block robotics come into application, we can also install different modules on different block, but they are further study and exploration which are not included in this project.

**SOLUTION COMPONENTS:**

- Wireless control module: This module will be designed to transmit command signal from host computer to block robots. After the signal is received at the remote side, MCU in block robots will process this signal and convert it to control signals on its ports.
- Electrical control circuit: Electrical circuits will get input signal from an MCU port, then use it to control the state or polarity of 6 electromagnets on the block surface or 8 electromagnets on the corner which have 5v voltage and 3kg force.
- Mechanical entity: A 3D printed cube and 12 metal sticks on the edges. Metal sticks on the edge serve as hinges to attach different cubes during the rotation.

**CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS:**

- Wireless control module can send and receive signals, transmit data and commands from host computer to remote robotic side.
- Wireless signals can be decoded in the MCU and converted to control signals in the circuits.
- Electrical control circuits can apply the voltage we want to the electromagnets.
- Block entities can rotate smoothly around the joint of block robots with an degree of 90 and 180.
- The block entities are firm and the electromagnets, metal sticks, circuits are fixed in the block.
- Commands are useful and efficient and the dynamic process is fluent and steady.
- The interaction interfaces are simple and aesthetic, easy to understanding and control.

**DISTRIBUTION OF WORK:**

- Jingcheng Liu - Electrical Engineering: Wireless and MCU control
- Haobo Li - Electrical Engineering: Mechanical entity and installation
- Tinghua Chen - Computer Engineering: MCU and control circuits
- Shiqi Yu - Computer Engineering: Commands and codes, interaction interfaces.

Logic Circuit Teaching Board

Featured Project

Partners: Younas Abdul Salam, Andrzej Borzecki, David Lee

The proposal our group has is of creating a board that will be able to teach students about logic circuits hands on. The project will consist of a board and different pieces that represent gates. The board will be used to plug in the pieces and provide power to the internal circuitry of the pieces. The pieces will have a gate and LEDs inside, which will be used to represent the logic at the different terminals.

By plugging in and combining gates, students will be able to see the actual effect on logic from the different combinations that they make. To add to it, we will add a truth table that can be used to represent inputs and outputs required, for example, for a class project or challenge. The board will be able to read the truth table and determine whether the logic the student has created is correct.

This board can act as a great learning source for students to understand the working of logic circuits. It can be helpful in teaching logic design to students in high schools who are interested in pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Please comment on whether the project is good enough to be approved, and if there are any suggestions.

Thank you