Nt1310 Unit 8.1 Summary
8. CONCLUSION
8.1 SUMMARY
The final device is an Arduino-based ball sorter that uses a two-stage approach to sorting the balls. The device starts by isolating a single ball and measuring its weight. Afterwards, the device categorizes the ball based on the measured weight and deposits it in the appropriate receptacle.
Through an iterative process, the preliminary design was refined into the final design based on multiple phases of testing and analysis. Several improvements in durability were implemented and saw the design progress from a cardboard-based to a wood-based design. There were also various improvements made to the sorting process itself, with sorting effectiveness and efficiency improving after each iteration. The final design met …show more content…
all the design objectives while complying with the outlined constraints.
Team 12 learnt multiple lessons throughout the design process.
The first lesson learnt is the importance of durability when constructing a device. Although the preliminary design was functioning, it’s lack of durability meant a completely new device was constructed for the secondary design. The emphasis placed on durability for subsequent iterations resulted in a device that remained structurally sound despite repeated transportations. The second lesson is the importance of effectively integrating separate systems into the final design. The parallel construction of the computer system and the mechanical system allowed the final design to operate as a single unit that was both accurate and efficient. Without this integration, the final design would likely have been unsuccessful.
8.2. RECOMMENDATIONS
Reducing the project cost is also possible in the future. The load sensor and load cell amplifier (Hx711 Amplifier) were purchased from Canada Robotix. Although there were cheaper suppliers, their products were unavailable within the project timeframe. Purchasing these parts from a different supplier at an earlier date in the project timeline will reduce future project costs.
Additionally, the performance of the device during final testing showed that to maximize sorting accuracy, pre-calibration is required whenever sorting a new set of balls. However, to ensure accuracy without pre-calibrating, an increased ball sample size is necessary to develop more precise weight ranges for
each ball type.
8.1 SUMMARY
The final device is an Arduino-based ball sorter that uses a two-stage approach to sorting the balls. The device starts by isolating a single ball and measuring its weight. Afterwards, the device categorizes the ball based on the measured weight and deposits it in the appropriate receptacle.
Through an iterative process, the preliminary design was refined into the final design based on multiple phases of testing and analysis. Several improvements in durability were implemented and saw the design progress from a cardboard-based to a wood-based design. There were also various improvements made to the sorting process itself, with sorting effectiveness and efficiency improving after each iteration. The final design met …show more content…
all the design objectives while complying with the outlined constraints.
Team 12 learnt multiple lessons throughout the design process.
The first lesson learnt is the importance of durability when constructing a device. Although the preliminary design was functioning, it’s lack of durability meant a completely new device was constructed for the secondary design. The emphasis placed on durability for subsequent iterations resulted in a device that remained structurally sound despite repeated transportations. The second lesson is the importance of effectively integrating separate systems into the final design. The parallel construction of the computer system and the mechanical system allowed the final design to operate as a single unit that was both accurate and efficient. Without this integration, the final design would likely have been unsuccessful.
8.2. RECOMMENDATIONS
Reducing the project cost is also possible in the future. The load sensor and load cell amplifier (Hx711 Amplifier) were purchased from Canada Robotix. Although there were cheaper suppliers, their products were unavailable within the project timeframe. Purchasing these parts from a different supplier at an earlier date in the project timeline will reduce future project costs.
Additionally, the performance of the device during final testing showed that to maximize sorting accuracy, pre-calibration is required whenever sorting a new set of balls. However, to ensure accuracy without pre-calibrating, an increased ball sample size is necessary to develop more precise weight ranges for
each ball type.