Project Da Vinci 1

Eliezer Martinez-Palafox, Thien-Kim Duong, Bassel Hamieh

Dr. Kenneth Bagley
Design in Society
10 March 2014
Reflection: Project Da Vinci Robotics
Throughout the term we have seen the effects that design and conceptualized problem
solving can achieve. It is important to notice the many facets in which we were taught to design.
We must first acknowledge the problem, move to brainstorming ideas and then forming options
that become solutions to the problem. It is in fact this very process of rationale that allowed our
group to make the proper decisions while building the several projects throughout the term. The
process seemed very natural as it began with simple conceptual and exploratory assignment, yet
it slowly evolved into higher critical thinking that produced some top notch work. It is through
this progressive nature of the term that we were able to naturally produce excellent products of
whom we were ecstatic about. In this term we discovered an effective process that allowed us to
become a highly competitive, which leads us to believe that comprehensive planning process,
proper organization and creative thinking leads to successful and competitive products.
We began with a simple product that required us to become familiar with the robot and
the software as well as the mechanics of the initial brainstorming process. It was very simple to
be completely honest as it basically the NXT and a couple of wheels on
the side. It was truly the software aspect of it that made us stand out. In
this initial instance, we were judged on the complexity of our software
and its functional purpose. In the beginning our thoughts on this very
particular sensor that looked like eyes, it eventually made sense that it
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would become an internal component of our final product. We noticed how much it seemed to
have its own life but in truth we loved the fact that it resembled Wall-E and so it became such
and we even added a sound effect that sounded as such. Yet, this was only the beginning of a
series of events and cases that would lead us to ever so better projects.
We continued to make great progress with the projects that headed our way, as our
methodology continued and success fallowed. It would not be genuine to say that our methods
were easily encouraged in the group but we were efficient if anything, and in that way we were
able to achieve major advances in our design. The
second project allowed us to fashion with kinetic
and static potential energy which made us scratch
our head quite some time. It was maybe the fact
that our goal was to complete the project in such a
quick fashion that maybe we could have had
greater success but experience has taught us well
to maybe sacrifice time, for a higher level product. In this case we came quite close to being the
most successful team as we came very close to the all-time record so as a team we are very
pleased with the work weve done therefore we must consider the many downfalls of this project
and reflect what we could do differently for upcoming ones.
In comparison to all of the other projects, the fallowing assignment was in many ways a
better expression of the process than anything else. We had to come up with a highly effective
device that could pull another device over a line. At the beginning of this one we saw the many
possibilities for designs as it was in fact a very interesting concept. Collectively we knew we
needed to use the idea of gear ratio to pull with the least amount of force, yet get the most
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amount of torque. It was in this project that our unity struggled to remain together as with
anything, opposing ideas met in the center, yet with proper timing
we had it all figured out. Once more we came very close to taking it
all, alas we didnt but it did show how our process and problem
solving was properly placed in the project and the focus that we had
on producing high quality products. It has been the collective
experience that we must akwlodege what the problem is and then
asses all the possibilities to make the best product possible that will
yield the desired results. It was once more the case of a process that allowed us to be on top of
the league and be a worthy contender. With all of these projects, the end result was to create
contraptions that would compete, but like in life, not everything is about competition as our last
two products will show.
Finally at the end of it all we had to come up with something that would resolute the
fantastic season that we have been having and tight up a fantastic performance by our products.
We were met with a challenge to create an assistive device that would take a Lego person from
one level to another. We considered an elevator, a conveyer
belt and our choice, the robotic arm. It brought down the lego
person from a higher level down and then facilitate something
in front of it by conveyer belt. We noticed this would lead into
the next project of assistive technology, but did not considered
how it would be implemented since we had a preexisting
design idea for the final robot so we just had fun with this one.
As one of our team member would put it, It was the lovely
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story of a Lego man and his lady friend on date. As you may realize, we kind of got creative with
this one. As we finish our last assistive robot we came back to basics, and realize that we could
use the original design process. We decided to create an assistive guide robot. It is meant to
guide a blind individual and not crash. It is an interesting concept that we have made into the
final project. We hope that it will function as planned and that it will be as high as a product as
we want it to be.
Through this term we were able to create some interesting products that made us very
proud as a team. We were able to show the process of design that we had used. It was a direct
reflection of how proper process and critical planning reflects on the products we produce.
Overall the things that made us successful is our courage to go into a systematic process that
allowed us to create fun and functional objects that made us stand out in the class. It was
definitely an experience to see the many creations come to life but at the end of it all, the
fundamental pillars of design still held their ground in the expression that was our many robots.