Mechatronics and Robotics
Projectile Launching Competition Robot
This project serves as a comprehensive application for the lessons and skills learned in the class MCEN 5115: Mechatronics and Robotics at the University of Colorado Boulder. Specifically, this design project sought for groups to create a functional autonomous robot to compete against each other in a battle of “tanks”. These robotic tanks will be required to traverse the playing field while staying in bounds and avoiding both stationary and translating obstacles. Additionally, they will need to have the capability of identifying opposing teams based on a pink quart-sized coffee can using computer vision. This is to provide a signal to the robot to fire a Nerf ball at opposing robots to hit them and accumulate points. Several rules will also be enforced to ensure an equal playing field amongst all teams in addition to certain restrictions.
Team Mechaholics sought to meet this challenge and come out on top by creating a robot inspired by the iRobot Roomba. Through the use of motors, IR sensors, solenoids, a sonar sensor, batteries, PCBs and, the Mechaholics team successfully constructed a robotic tank capable of completing these tasks and competing in the end-of-semester tournament.
After finalizing the design of the chassis, I redirected my efforts toward the development of daughter boards that incorporate both the motor drivers and the sensor suite. I had initially designed these boards in Altium, and we planned on producing them through our own milling process to create the PCBs. However, after careful consideration, the team concluded that manually wiring the circuit boards would be a more efficient approach. This decision was driven by the desire to circumvent the lengthy manufacturing lead times associated with PCB production, thereby accelerating our project timeline and allowing for quicker integration and testing
A key aspect of my involvement in this project was designing and manufacturing the chassis. The robot is built off of a 3D-printed chassis designed in SolidWorks that provides mounting locations for all electrical and mechanical components. The main base houses the wheels, stepper motors, and locations for IR sensors and radar. These mounting locations were implemented into the 3D-printed design itself to allow for tight packaging of the driving mechanism. Above the main chassis, several levels of laser-cut acrylic will support the accompanying electronics, firing mechanism, Pixy monitor, and coffee can target. These levels allowed for electronic components to be isolated and improve the overall packaging of the system.
Mechatronics was a challenging yet rewarding class that significantly enhanced my understanding of integrating coding and circuitry with mechanical components—an area often underrepresented in the mechanical engineering curriculum. While traditional courses provide some exposure to coding and circuits, they seldom offer enough depth to master these skills. This elective class, taken alongside the core curriculum, offers a broader and essential perspective on integrating these skills into complete projects. Its open-ended structure focused on team-based, hands-on work, fostering not only technical skills but also problem-solving abilities through real-world application. This approach, while sometimes frustrating, proved invaluable for learning and growth, making it one of the most beneficial courses for mechanical engineers preparing to enter the workforce.