About the Process
Our team during a brainstorming session
Individual and Team Goals
Before working together on this project, our team outlined some goals for our product and ourselves.
Initial sketches and brainstorming
Ideation
After pivoting from two different original ideas, our team came together to SPRINT on a new idea that we could all get excited about and collaborate on.
First prototype
First Prototype
Our first prototype was made so that we could get feedback on initial design as well as understand the dimensions of what a larger version would mean. It was quickly made and got the team excited about building more refined versions.
We used a motor controller with a potentiometer to control the rotation of our motor. At this stage we also started designing a locking mechanism for attaching accessories, though we eventually moved away from this, it was good to have something manufactured and on hand to get motivated by.
Testing our second prototype
Second Prototype
Our second prototype served as a proof of concept for both the form and the function of our initial design at a larger size. We used materials that made it easy to build and had a lower torque motor than we ended up needing. H
The prototype was encased in a PVC tube acting as a shell. We used a 12V battery to power a DC motor via an LM298 H-bridge controller, which received signals from an Arduino Nano. The Nano also took inputs from an on/off toggle push button and an up/down toggle push button. Additionally, a photoresistor turned off the motor once it had buried 1.5' into the sand.
PCB design in KiCad for board
Building the Final Product - Electronics
Taking the lessons we learned from our first prototype, we started building the final product with new materials.
Our initial prototype's wiring was done on a protoboard. For the final product, we designed a custom PCB to house our electronics, providing a more robust and organized design.
Calculating the force required to bury the spike using a force sensor
Building the Final Product - Motor
We learned that the torque of our motor wasn't up to the task of burying itself in sand. We calculated the required torque and made adjustments.
Using a drill to drive our spike, we identified the optimal torque setting. We then measured the force required to make the drill skip at that torque setting with a force sensor to guide our motor selection.
The white acrylic shell for the Root
Building the Final Product - Encasing
The final product for the showcase had an acrylic frame supported by aluminum L bracket to join all of our components. The internal acrylic allowed us to mount electronics, motor mounts, and the battery holder securely withing the Root.
The ROOT app mockup in XCode
Building the Final Product - SMART LEDs
We incorporated LED matrices as part of the SMART component, enabling dynamic interaction with users.
Using an ESP32 microcontroller, we programmed the LED matrices to display various modes, such as UV Index, Party, and Relax. These modes were controlled via a Bluetooth-enabled mobile app that allowed users to switch modes seamlessly.
The final product iteration of the Root
Post-Showcase Work
After the showcase, we focused on refining the design and addressing feedback.