Pneumatic Arm
The Pneumatic Arm project was very similar to the Electronic Circuit labs in that it was mostly an experimental project to understand the basics of pneumatics. Students were given a Lego kit and instructional building packets. The mechanical arm had to be able to pick up a ping pong ball, place it on top of a tall can, and place it back on the tabletop with minimal human interaction.
The Pneumatic Arm project was another partner project. Students worked with the same partner that they had for the Hill Climb Lego Car project. Pictured to the left is the arm that my partner and I built. It used three pistons - one controlling the rotation of the arm, one controlling the height of the arm, and one controlling the opening and closing of the claws. The air flow to and from each piston was remotely controlled by three levers.
This project was relatively simple, given that the construction process was guided by instructional booklets. It was also a more relaxed project, being more focused on learning pneumatics than competition. My partner and I first built the arm according to the booklets, but then made a few adjustments so the arm could reach higher.
My take-away from this project was learning the basics of pneumatic systems. By building the pneumatic arm, I gained an understanding of how compressed air can give mechanical systems a great advantage.
This project was relatively simple, given that the construction process was guided by instructional booklets. It was also a more relaxed project, being more focused on learning pneumatics than competition. My partner and I first built the arm according to the booklets, but then made a few adjustments so the arm could reach higher.
My take-away from this project was learning the basics of pneumatic systems. By building the pneumatic arm, I gained an understanding of how compressed air can give mechanical systems a great advantage.
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