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From the above MATLAB code, we calculated the below link lengths and angles.
| Link Names | Link Lengths (mm) | Link angles (deg) |
1 | "ground x" | "5.643" | "323.3201" |
2 | "ground y" | "-0.511" | "-29.27814" |
3 | "input" | "3.3625" | "100.6081" |
4 | "tri_top_bottom" | "7.3597" | "45.88632" |
5 | "tri_top_left" | "3.571" | "53.24242" |
6 | "tri_top_right" | "3.8454" | "39.05772" |
7 | "middle" | "2.4721" | "12.97377" |
8 | "output" | "5.045" | "150.92" |
9 | "tri_ground_top" | "5.0201" | "173.3195" |
10 | "tri_ground_left" | "7.4328" | "103.3482" |
11 | "tri_ground_right" | "7.4087" | "63.80848" |
This data was used to create a Solidworks SolidWorks model of the mechanism.
SolidWorks Model
The Solidworks SolidWorks model encountered a few iterations discussed in Manufacturing and Assembly section.
In order to make the model more modular for future edits, all the link length relationships from joint to joints were linked to the global equations folder.
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All the original lengths from the MATLAB code previously shown were saved in the equation and divided by a gain. The gain was to make the input link 10cm, then it would scale all other links to their respective proportions. It also allowed the team to change the overall shape of the links without affecting the integrity of the geometry. As can be seen in Manufacturing and assembly, the teams switched from a high surface to a bone structure.
The team was provided a high-speed 12V Pololu motor. The input link is directly connected to the motor. The spacing between the grounded links is also crucial for the correct movement of the output. For such a design, the motor had to be elevated to exactly 1 in, and the correct distance was positioned with the holes on the base of the mechanism.
It's important to note that although the T and the top 3 link joint seem symmetric, they are not.
The sides of the top 3 link bar have a 12 mm difference, and the T-link has a 1 mm difference. The orientations for these links were also taken into account when manufacturing.