Hi everyone, I hope you have had a good week. I will be announcing our Design Challenge winners on Monday but ahead of that I wanted to share a wrap-up of everyone’s hard work over the past weeks and months.
Firstly, congratulations again to everyone who took part in the Start A Movement Design Challenge. It has been amazing to see initial ideas turn into fully-functioning projects. Everyone has really pushed to make the most of the kit, overcome different challenges, bring their plans to life, and support their fellow Challengers.
So, let’s just take a moment to appreciate all the work that everyone has put in. I’ve written a short summary of each project in the group and linked over to the full project or the latest update whenever I can. Just in case if you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out each of these in full :) In no particular order, let’s kick off with…
Rsc – Satellite Tracking Ham Radio Antenna Rotator
Rsc has worked on several different antenna rotor control systems for ham radio and used the kit from this challenge to make a mini antenna rotor that interfaces with satellite tracking software and automatically points a direction antenna at a chosen satellite. Take a look!
RParkerE – Pick N Place Machine
RParkerE wanted to build an affordable, small scale, pick and place machine that has a customizable frame which could be taken by hobbyists to build and use themselves. An Nvidia Jetson Nana connected to a Pi Camera will enable object recognition and detection as well as ensuring parts are properly aligned. They have the motor controls and vision system working and hope to soon integrate these together and start testing.
dougw – Connector Tester and Thread Tapping Machines
Dougw first created a connector and cable tester system that can perform cycle testing on connectors to determine their wear characteristics by mechanically connecting and disconnecting connectors repeatedly and accurately until failures start to occur. Then, a thread tapping machine was created to save time and tedious thread tapping activity when 3D printing. The builds required using two, precisely synchronized stepper motors so that the tap screws into a hole without applying any axial force to the threads. Very cool and well worth watching the video demonstrating this taking place!
taifur – Accessible Sewing Machine
This is an assistive tech project to enable someone who cannot use a sewing machine with a standard foot pedal to instead control it using one of their hands. Instead, a flex sensor fitted to a finger with 3D-printed rings controls the stepper motor which turns and presses a wedge onto the pedal - speeding up, slowing down or stopping the sewing machine as needed. Have a watch of the demo video if you haven’t already, it is great seeing it all in action.
fyaocn – RangeDetect Rover
The rover is capable of avoiding obstacles and changing direction to find a path forwards to make its way from one place to another. Very cool project and the sensors on the front really give it that ‘Mars Rover’ look.
crisdeodates – Automated Star Tracker
Speaking of other planets, crisdeodates looked to the skies and used the kit to build an automated star-tracking module, consisting of a pan-and-tilt system that can accurately focus a telescope to the right azimuth and elevation of a known heavenly body. I’ve been informed a project post will be coming soon including more detail on their build.
Gough Lui – Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) by Stepper-Control of a Variac
Using the kit, Gough Lui made an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) by creating a computer-controlled adaptation of an old Yamabishi electric Variac, attaching the stepper motor on top via a 3D-printed ‘hat’. A fantastic project which was achieved in spite of challenges and includes really neat videos and thermal imagery for you. If you haven’t already, definitely make sure you check this out.
amgalbu – Octoscope
For this project, amgalbu mounted a wireless camera on a slip ring driven by the stepper motor and controlled by the TMC5272 controller, over and around a 3D printer. The integrated camera provides a 360-degrees view of objects as they are being printed. Take a look at the full project post for plenty of references and links on how they accomplished this :)
pandoramc – Metallurgical Image Acquisition Stage Design
Pandoramc created a mobile stage for XY movements in a metallurgical microscope for capturing high-quality images. It consists of a one axis stage controlled by the TMCL-IDE for displacement and the camera software for acquisition. Check out the full project post for images galore, videos and to see how they incorporated a second stepper motor.
sunnyiut – MicroDose-Efficient Syringe Pump for Controlled Fluid Delivery
Infusion pumps are critical for administering precise amounts of medication or fluids but purchasing them can be cost-prohibitive for rural and low-resource healthcare settings. Sunnyiut aimed to create a low-cost, simplified, easy-to-use version of a syringe pump.
meera_hussien – Smart Conveyor Belt for Sorting System
meera_hussien began working on a small-scale, modular replica of an industrial conveyor belt system, using IR sensors to detect objects on the conveyor and diverting them into designated bins with servos.
vpvypham1994 – VitalTrack: Adaptive Radar-Based Health Monitoring System
Vpvypham1994 started developing a compact radar system for vital sign tracking, utilizing the TMC5272 motor control technology to ensure precise radar movement for continuous and uninterrupted measurements, using a 9V battery for enhanced portability.
mariodl99
mariodl99 developed a 3D-printed exoskeleton assisted device for individuals, inspired by other exoskeletons that rely on myoelectric sensors. Be sure to check out the videos included in this project summary!
So there we are! I’ve done my best to provide a wrap-up of as many projects as possible but I’m conscious that some folks are still working on theirs which is amazing. If I have missed the latest update on your work, DM me and I’ll be happy to update this post :)
A big congratulations again to all of our Challengers. It won’t be long until the announcement of our prize-winners. Have a great weekend!
