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We manufactured the D-shaft by hand with a manual mill according to the specified dimensions on our CAD, though as with any process, nothing is perfect. The two ends were different from the dimensions in the CAD, meaning that we had to play around with the tolerancing of the ternary shaft press-fit slots until we had a tight enough connection. For the links and base plates, we recut them with 1/4" acrylic. We 3D printed the grounds, standoffs, end effector, and mount for our motor and Arduino.
Figure 9. D-Shaft and Ternary Link Connection
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To mount our ball, we needed a solution that would allow for free motion of the ball once it is hit, similar to how a golf tee normally falls after impact from a club. With tips from the TAs, we chose to source rubber golf tees for our solution. This solution ultimately allowed us to calibrate the position at which we wanted our ball to be hit, and it also ensured that we would have a robust method to hold our ball. Additionally, the team printed additional 1.1" standoffs in order to optimize the height at which the end effector made contact with the ball.
Figure 12. Ruber Golf Tee
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