SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 15

This week, we constructed the second full controls system for pod #2. We were able to test this system and prove that it worked just as good as the first one. In addition, we did more track testing with the track team and worked on some binding issues that the bogie had going around turns.

In the next week, we are preparing our third and final bogie as well as getting ready for Maker Faire and completing our senior project report. Today was our last class meeting and we are presenting to the general public this Friday.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 14

This week we were able to test the full track, bogie, and controls system. We ran a bogie around the closed track and were able to read the RFID tags and observe the servo switching. Once we began testing, we soon learned of minor changes that needed to be made. We then made these changes and perfected our controls system

In the coming week, we will be assembling the next two pods and getting our systems ready for Maker Faire. We need to ensure all three pods work and pack it up along with everything we will need for field repairs.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 13

This week, we put our controls system to the test using the actual bogie and a turn section of the track. The controls system performed well and we were able to prove that our concept worked. We showed that it would switch and make its way around whatever section of the switch we wanted it to go. We also found out that the bogie has plenty of power and it moves very fast. Because of this, we are able to slow down the speed of the bogie and use the maximum speed for testing and troubleshooting purposes only.

Now that we know the controls system works, we are going to spend the upcoming week creating PCBs that plug directly into our Arduino. We have already ordered and received the PCBs, so our next action will be to solder the header pins in place. My specific task will be to solder the new wires that we will need to reach from the servo and motor to our bogie.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 12

This week, we gave our second presentation about our project. We focused mainly on the progress we have made since the last presentation as well as stressing how much testing we need to do in the coming weeks. In specific, my part was to detail our timeline as well as discuss what we need to see from the other teams and what we will do if it doesn't happen.

As for progress, I have implemented collision detection into our Arduino program this week. However, from here on out, there is no more room for progress toward the design of our controls system. Now, we much focus our entire attention on making sure our system is fully tested. For the next week, we will be assembling a bogie and track section and testing a section of our code.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 11

This week, we are preparing for our second presentation of the semester. In addition to filling out our slides and practicing our presentation, I am gathering information that we will be using in both our final presentation and our final report.

For the rest of the semester, we will be focusing on testing our system and writing the final report. We have given ourselves more than enough time to finish the final report. However, we do not yet have a track or bogie to test with, so we will need to come up with an alternative means of testing our system. We will be doing this in the coming week.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 10

This week, school was not in session and we had spring break. I did not contribute much to the project this week, however, we did collaborate with other teams and plan out what we would do for the rest of the semester. We believe that we should begin testing in the middle of April. With this timeline, we should have plenty of time to test everything before Maker Faire.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 9

This week, we planned out how we would set up our notification LED. We decided to get an RGB so that we could use the different colors to indicate different states of the controls algorithm. In addition, we talked about what we should be doing over break and decided if there was anything we needed to meet for.

In the coming week, we decided not to meet since it will be spring break. This is mostly due to the fact that neither the bogie or track is ready for testing and testing is the majority of what we have left to do. Instead, we will brainstorm and collaborate with the other teams to make sure everything will go smoothly from here on out.