In conclusion, the motion of the mechanism was functioning as intended. It was quite similar in motion to the model of the mechanism that was constructed in PMKS, which is a positive sign that the mechanism was manufactured and assembled properly. While the mechanism did turn out to be quite successful, there were a few signs from the entire process that indicated that the proposed mechanism could have turned out to be even more efficient if dealt with properly:
- 3D printed parts can be very rough and have a lot of debris after the printing process. This contributed to a lot of heavy joint friction and difficulty of movement initially. As mentioned earlier, the use of sandpaper and petroleum jelly really helped the mechanism move more freely. Laser cut wood or aluminum would have much a much smoother structure and joints, which would cause a mechanism produced by this method to move much more freely.
- Another major obstacle for the project was the different dimensions of the blue and white slider paths. While the wooden sticks helped the elevation difference between the two paths and the nail filer rounded out the rough intersecting edges, this remedy was still far less than ideal. For optimal results, the two slider paths should have fit perfectly, or one single long path should have been printed instead.
- More time and resources for a final prototype could have also made a substantial impact. While the orange crank handle improved the motion of the mechanism, having more resources and accessibility could really have helped the design further. While this was very difficult by working on the project remotely, I would have for sure 3D printed new and improved parts for my final prototype if I were in Austin this semester.
While this project has come to a close, that does not in any way mean that this is a concept that is permanently finished. Future work can be implanted to further improve the design and experiment further to observe what can make the device easier to work with. A major new addition that can be implanted would be the use of an Arduino servo motor to drive the system. This could further improve the motion of the system in comparison to a crank handle as a motor will always drive the link at a uniform velocity and force. Natural human error can cause fluctuations in force and velocity, causing these values to not be constant over a period of time. In addition, this can make the project much easier to work with and demonstrate, as it will be much easier for a motor to automatically drive your system rather than having to do everything manually.