Summary

Purpose:

I worked in a team to design a Python-based passenger check-in system and a mechanical system to transport luggage from the conveyor belt to the airplane. This project served as my introduction to the principles of coding and assembly.

Problem Statement:

The goal is to achieve the smooth transfer of luggage from Plate A to Plate B. This process involves picking up the luggage using the Q-arm, adequately supporting it during the transfer, and efficiently moving it between the two plates.

Objectives:

Luggage effectively gets transferred from Plate A to Plate B
The Actuator must support luggage weight and drop at correct coordinates of the plate
Should be designed coherently with sturdy, lightweight parts
Time taken to transfer luggage from Plate A to B should be reasonable

Constraints:

All mechanism parts must remain behind the restriction line when in resting position
Must utilize either a linear actuator, rotary actuator, or both
Must be capable of supporting the luggage weight
Must ensure secure luggage delivery without intense shaking or wobbling during transfer

Functions:

Q-arm picks up luggage and places it in appropriate landing area
Actuator mechanism transfers luggage from Plate A to B
Python code compares two text files and summarizes data about passenger boarding in a text file
Python code creates a visual summary of passenger boarding using Turtle

Team’s Work and Personal Contributions

CAD Model

To achieve our goals of time efficiency, coherent design, and lightweight construction, our team developed a hinge transporter system. This mechanism would receive luggage from the Q-arm, rotate to its maximum extension, and use the resulting momentum to deliver the luggage onto platform B.

CAD model of the hinge transporting system

Concept Sketches

I was responsible for creating the concept sketches of the design. After thorough discussions with my team members, we combined our separate ideas into a single rotary mechanism for transporting the luggage. I took this into consideration when designing the sketches to ensure everyone’s ideas were incorporated and utilized.

I created two versions showing the retracted and extended positions to demonstrate the mechanism's motion. The design shows how it initially rests behind the restriction line and, through the rotary actuator's movement, extends to Platform B.

Key components of the design:

Hinge: Transports the luggage from platform A to B
Linkage: Ensures the hinge stops before platform B
Support: Stabilizes the hinge in its resting position
Rotary Actuator: Rotates the hinge until it reaches platform B and extends the linkage to its maximum length

The mechanism in its retracted position before the restriction line

Engineering Drawings

Exploded view of the mechanism

Parts list required for the mechanism

Skills

Soft Skills

✅ Time Management

Managed time efficiently and proactively
Tracked and met all project milestones and deadlines

✅ Leadership

Demonstrated leadership by actively communicating ideas and seeking feedback to enhance my team contributions.

✅ Project Management

Organized and led regular team status meetings
Monitored progress toward project milestones
Led team responses to technical challenges to meet deliverables on time

The mechanism in its extended position when rotated by the rotary actuator

I took the lead in creating the engineering drawings, which were crucial for showcasing a detailed and dimensioned view of the entire mechanism. These drawings demonstrated how each part contributed to the final design. My responsibilities included:

Effectively communicating our design concepts through clear and precise drawings.
Specifying the exact dimensions and placement of each component to ensure accuracy.
Producing individual engineering drawings for all major components of the mechanism.
Combining these drawings to generate an exploded view of the complete system.

Technical Skills

✅ 3d Printing using PrusaSlicer

Exported CAD models to PrusaSlicer and adjusted key settings, including support structures, prior to printing

✅ Coding Q-arm/Rotary Actuator using Python

Developed and tested Python code to determine precise Q-arm coordinates
Programmed precise timing controls for the rotary actuator to ensure optimal hinge rotation

✅ Computer Aided Design using Autodesk Inventor

Utilized CAD skills developed during labs to create the initial mechanism design
Created engineering drawings with dimensions and an exploded assembly view

Reflection

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” - Margaret J. Wheatley