SICK LiDAR Rotating Mechanism
Oct. 2018 - Dec. 2018
Project Description
The final design project for my Computer Aided Graphics and Design class entailed designing a mechanism that could rotate a SICK LiDAR LMS 291 about an axis that passes through the center of the internal mirror wheel (as seen in the image below). The project required a written report documenting how the mechanism works, detailing specific aspects of the design process (design concepts, design selection, cost analysis, etc.), and creating a model on SOLIDWORKS to better convey and communicate the mechanism visually. The class was given the liberty of assigning any application to their mechanism, so my teammate and I decided to assign ours to topographical analysis of land by welding the mechanism onto the nose of a helicopter.
Personal Contribution to Project
For this project, my contributions included conducting background research on similar mechanisms to derive inspiration and ideas, sketching a design concept, writing the majority of the design report, and creating a final cost analysis table. In addition, I created various assemblies and drawings for the mechanism on SOLIDWORKS.
Shortcomings & Lessons Learned
I realized the importance of meeting in person with team members for group projects. We accomplished much more when we met up in person rather than working individually and communicating via cellphone. Also, assigning tasks and meeting in person to ensure the completion of a task creates a greater sense of accountability. There were occasions where one of us would fail to meet personal deadlines for the project and communicating that failure via cellphone would not feel authentic. Due to our lack of in-person meets and sincere accountability, we were unable to complete the project in its entirety before the deadline. This experience taught me the value of in-person communication and accountability when it comes to effectively completing a task. Also, I learned to read project constraints and specifications very carefully, realizing that certain details are left ambiguous in order to have students ask for more information or to provide creative liberty when designing, and the importance of designing with aesthetics in mind.
Results
Despite being unable to add the last few SOLIDWORKS drawings to the report before the deadline, the report received a very high score for its attention to detail and practicality. In actuality, the project was more theoretical since there was no actual manufacturing necessary; however, we were required to create a realistic mechanism, which we were able to accomplish successfully with a report to substantiate the decisions made.
Overall Experience & Skills Attained
This project helped me to incorporate the SOLIDWORKS skills taught throughout the course of the class into a practical design project. I further developed my technical writing and communication skills, along with learning to follow the design process.