[23/07/18] MONDAY
I finally figured out how to solve the connection problem. I made a few corrections to the main code, verified it by using the simulation board and tested it. After confirming that my app works as intended, i uploaded the code to the real machine to test my app. The test was successful. My app works perfectly, and it works coherently with the control panel of the machine (built in buttons).
[24/07/18] TUESDAY
I studied the materials which were given to me for my internship training program. Based on my training plan, I am required to listen to a few presentation from the engineers. I approached an engineer who is in charge of training me on metal materials and design, to enquire him for the presentation. He planned to have the session on the following day.
[25/07/18] WEDNESDAY
I studied on using an arduino lcd keypad shield and i made wrote some codes to test it out.
I did some research for my own project.
My lecture session is postponed to the next day as the engineer in charge was busy.
He gave me a material to read as preparation for tomorrow's presentation.
I spent my time reading it.
[26/07/18] THURSDAY
I brainstormed ideas for my own project.
Project idea : Robotic arm with circular saw attachment to drones
Aim: to assist in harvesting fruits on tall trees [eg: coconuts, petai, mangoes, etc..]
Benefit:
- a better alternative than the conventional way of climbing trees/using ladders & poles, which poses potential dangers
- drones have high max transmission distance (allows for harvest of very tall trees)
- no commercially known product available yet
Challenges:
- Power consumption
- Weight of the arm (stability issues in flight)
Task:
- Find out how much force is needed to harvest fruits
- Find out voltage/power consumption of circular saw
- Find suitable size of circular saw
- Design arm with minimum weight and power consumption
From my research on drones, I've found out that using middle-range drones would be close to impossible. Middle-range drones do not have the power to carry much load. Hence, I decided to create the arm for high-end drones, which have much higher max takeoff weight. Through online research, I have found a few drones which may be suitable for this project. I managed to find a full 3D CAD model for these drones. Hence, I plan to analyze the dimensions of the drone and decide on designing my robotic arm.
On the evening, I attended a lecture session on metal material and design by an engineer here.
[27/07/18] FRIDAY
I recorded the dimensions of necessary parts of the drones from the obtained CAD model. The drones that I studied on are DJI S1000 and DJI S900.
These drones have higher MTOW (max takeoff weight) than most. Hence, this allows for the attachment of any additional parts.
I studied on types of motor, types of small circular saw, and the power consumption of the motor. I believe that the arm requires an additional power supply to function, since the voltage output of the drones will not be sufficient. The weight and placement of the power supply is another subject for me to consider.