PROBLEM3.3.

1
DESIGNPROBLEM

POEBLOCK3
4/26/2016

by:
JaewooKim

Team:JosephChiang,RileyMcBrearty,DaynaAlaina

DESIGNPROBLEM

The3.3.1DesignProblemProjectaimstochallengePLTWstudentsbypresentinga
taskinwhichstudentsmustdesign,model,andtestadevicethatwillseparaterecyclable
materials,representedbymarbles,giventhesesixconstraints:
(1)Theseparationprocessmustbefullyautomated,testingstudentsknowledgeof
theROBOTCsoftwareandtheVEXhardware.
(2)ThematerialsforthistaskmustonlycomefromoneVEXkit,unlessapproved
bytheinstructor.
(3)Thesolutionmustsuccessfullyseparatecommingled,ormixed,recyclable
materialsintoindividualholdingbins.
(4)Thesolutionmusthavethematerialsunderfullcontrolduringtheentire
process.
(5)Therecyclablematerialswillberepresentedby4differenthalfinchmaterial
spheres.totaling16marbles,withextracreditgivenfor5materialswith20marbles.
(6)Thesolutionmustbeefficientwitha2minutetimelimittocompleteone
sortingproces
s.

BrainstormingIdea

Mybrainstormideaforthe3.3.1Problemiswasasfollows:Assumingthereare
only4marblematerials,themachinesortsoutmarbleswithtwomethods:(1)amoving
magnetanda(2)lightsensormeasuringtheamountoflightpassingthrougheach
marble.Theconveybelt#1stopsatregularintervalssothattheelectromagnetcanmove
ontotheconveybeltandattractanymetallicmarbles,steelinourcase.Whenit
completelybacksout,themagnetisunpoweredtodropthemagneticmarbleintothe
holdingbin1.Otherwise,thelightsensorsortsthemarblesunaffectedbythe
electromagnet,byhowmuchlightpassesthroughthem,andthusaresortedintotheir
respectivecontainers.
Ifthereare5materials,thereisavariablethatwillkeepthelightsensorvalueof
thelastlyrecordeditem.Ifthenextmarblessensorvalueissimilartotheprevious,but

notthesame,thesolutionwillsortthe1stmarblethroughAandthe2ndmarblethrough
Bonthemotorizedaxle.

DecisionMatrix

Name

Complexity

Hardwar
Build
Reuseability e
Software Effectiveness Resources Time Total

Dayna

2,2,3,

4,4,4

1,2,2

3,3,3

3,3,3

4,3,4

2,2,3

20

Jaewoo 2,2,2

3,3,3

2,1,2

4,3,3

3,3,3

2,2,3

2,2,2

17

Riley

3,3,3

2,2,2

3,3,3

3,3,2

3,3,3,

2,2,2

19

Joseph 3,3,3

4,3,3.

2,3,3

4,4,4

3,3,3,

3,3,3

2,3,3

21

4best

2,2,2

1worst

DecisionMatrixRationale:
Ourdecisionmatrixwasbasedon7criterion:(1)complexity,(2)reusability,(3)hardware,
(4)software,(5)effectiveness,(6)resources,and(7)buildtime.(1)Complexityaddressedwhether
ornottheideawastoocomplex,andthustoocomplicatedtobuild.(2)Reusabilityaddressed
whetherornottheideawouldbeviableforcontinuousmarblesortingpast20marbles.(3)
Hardwareaddressedhowhardthehardwareconstructionwouldbe.(4)Softwareaddressedhow
difficultthesoftwaredevelopmentwouldbe.(5)Effectivenessaddressedhowsuccessfultheidea
wouldbeinsortingmarbles,preferablyatleast5types.(6)Resourcesaddressedhowmuch
materialandsupplieswouldberequiredforthesolution.(7)BuildTimeaddressedhowlongthe
ideaconstruction/developmentwouldtake.

DaynasSolution:
Daynassolutionwasbasedonalargeconveyorbeltthatwouldholdamarbleineach
individualcompartmentandsortwithalightsensorandamagnet,uponwhichmarbleswouldbe
sortedontocontainerbinsonaconnectingconveyorbelt.Fromadesignstandpoint,thedesign
madealotofsensegivenitsverymechanicalandconcretefoundationoftimedconveyorbelts,
althoughcomplexityandhardwarewasanissueasitwouldbeadifficultbuildgivenallthe
componentsneededtoconstructseveralfunctionandlinkedconveyorbelts.

JaewoosSolution:
Mysolutionwasbasedonaconveyorbeltsystem,wherethemarbleswouldfirstgo
throughtheselectionofamagnet,andthenalightsensor,uponwhichtheywouldtraveldowna
ramptoanotherconveyorbelt,wheretheywouldbesortedintotheirowncompartmentbins.

Althoughtheideawassimple,theimplementationwouldvebeenmuchharderandthusthe
designwaslessviableasafinaldesign.

RileysSolution:
Rileyssolutionwasbasedonaseriesoframpsandconveyorbeltsthatwouldfeedinto
compartmentbins.Thedesign,frommyview,wasconfusing,butitseemedthat,ifimplemented,
theconstructionofthedesignwouldbefarlesstroublesome.

JosephsSolution:
Josephssolutionwasbasedonarampthatwouldbefeedintoamagnet,whichwouldsort
magneticmarbles,andthenagatewithalightsensorifthemarblewasnotmagnetic.Fromthere,
themarblewouldbesortedintoitsrespectivestoragebinonaconveyorbeltthatheld4storage
bins.Thewastheleastcomplexoutofallthedesigns,andtheconstructionseemed
implementable.

FinalDesignSolution

Themarblesrolldowntheramptothemotorizedgate,whichwillreleasethematspecific
intervals.Themagnetwillpullsteelmarblesawayfromthepathandintothebox,storage
container5.Therestofthemarbleswillcomedowntothe2ndmotorizedgatetobesortedbythe
lightsensor.Theinfofromlightsensorwilldeterminewhichboxthemarblewillbesortedinto,
withtheconveyorbeltmovingtheboxpositionsasnecessary.

DesignModifications

PROPOSEDFINALDESIGN,FORREFERENCE
CONTINUETONEXTPAGEFORMODIFICATIONS

Additionofamakeshifthopper:
Insteadofacircularcupwitharampleadingdowntothefirstencountered
gate,ourteamdecidedtouseamakeshifthopper,whichreplacedthecups
roleattheexpenseofgreatlydecreasingrampspaceforthemarble.I
attributethismodificationtotimeconstraints,ashopperwasfareasierand
fastertoproduceandimplementthananangledcupsystem.

Thehopperinquestion,whichreplacedthecupsystem.

Constructionofone,twobladedgatesystem:
Insteadofatwogatesystem,wheretherewouldbeonegateforthemagnet
sortandanothergateforthelightsensorsort,yourteaminstead
implementedonetwobladedgatesystemwhichparsedthroughalineof
marblesandsortedthembasedontheirlightsensorvalues.This
modificationwasmostlikelyduetothelackoftimeandspace.

Therampleadingtothetwobladedgatesystem.Thelightsensorisplacedbeneaththe
baseplatform,lookingupintothespacebetweenthetwobladesofthegatesystem.The
flashlightisvisibleinthebackground,leftofthegatesystem.
Removalofmagnet:
Inourfinaldesignconstruction,themagnetaspectofoursortingmachine
wasdroppedduetotimeandspaceconstraints.Forinstance,therewouldof

beennoreasonablespaceforthemarblesunlessanotherbranchwascreated
tosupplementthebaseplatform,butsuchanoptionwasimpracticaldueto
timeconcerns.

FinalDesign

Picturesofthefinalsolutionforreference:

FinalDesignDescription:
Ourfinaldesignwasabletosortzeromarbleswithabout80%ofthemarbles
makingitthroughthesystem.Theinabilityforthesolutiontoatleastmeetsomeofthe
projectcriterionwasduetoinefficienciesanderrorspresentwithinthesoftwareaspectof
thesolutiondevelopment.Theentireprocesstookroughly30seconds.

ROBOTCProgram

DesignProcess

1. DefinetheProblem:Identify,validate,andjustifytheproblemand
considerdesignrequirements.
a. Therelatableactivityistheacknowledgementandconstructionof
brainstormingideasbasedontheinformation,objectives,procedure,and
constraintsgivenbytheProblem3.3.1DesignProblempacket.
2. GenerateConcepts:Research,Brainstorm,andselectanapproach:
a. Therelatableactivityistheindividualbrainstormingeachgroupmember
hadtodotocreatetheirownversionofamarblesortermachine.Another
activityinvolvedwasthedecisionmatrix,whichwasusedtoassess
individualandgroupbrainstormingideas
3. DevelopaSolution:Createadetailedandjustifieddesignsolution:
a. Therelatableactivityisthefinaldesignourgrouphadtoagreeonasa
whole,andthesketchourgrouphadtocreateofit,whichisaformofa
technicaldrawing.
4. ConstructandTestPrototype:Constructandtestaprototype
a. Therelatableactivityistheconstructionofthesolutionbasedonboththe
agreeduponfinaldesignandalsomoredynamicadjustments/corrections.
5. EvaluatetheSolution:Evaluatethesolutionseffectivenessandreflect
onitsdesign.
a. Therelatableactivityisthepostconstructionassessmentofthesolution
beforethefinalpresentation/duedate.
6. PresentSolution:DocumentandCommunicatetheproject
a. Relatableactivitiesaretheinclasspresentation,theindividualproject
reports,andportfolioworks(weebly,googleetc.)

Reflection

1. Whatwouldyourteamdodifferentlywithyourdesignsolutionand
why?
Ifwereweregivenanothershot,Ithinkourteamwouldvefocusedonmore
reliableandstructuresolutionmethods,ratherthanassumingathisissimpleandshould
workapproach.Furthermore,Ithinkwewouldadheremoretothefinaldesignrather
thanimplementingalotofimpromptumodifications.
2. Whatwasthemostchallengingaspectofthisdesignproblem?
Themostchallengingaspectofthisdesignproblemwastheimplementationofthe
lightsensor,asitdidnotbehaveinthemanneritsspecificationswouldimply.For
instance,ithadadetectionrangeofsixfeet,yetwasverysensitivetolightcontactand
couldbeeasilytamperedwith.
3. Whatdidyoulearn?
Ilearnedtheimportanceoffollowingguidelinesanddesignplans,alongwiththe
carefultreatmentthathastobegiventoVEXcomponentstoensurethemostperfect,
workingorder.
4. Whatweresomeofthechallengesofworkinginadesignteam?
Somechallengesofworkinginadesignteamwereovercomingpersonal
preferences,externaldistractions,delays,tardies,andjugglingthefinaldesignand
impromptuand/orpracticalmodifications.