Lessons Learned

• Tolerances in the manufactured joints and linkages add up
• When designing linkages, a trial-and-error approach can sometimes produce superior results to an analytical approach.
• Concentric cam shafts are easily misaligned under bending moment
• Vibrations cause nuts to unscrew. Thus, lock nuts should be used
• Hook design is critical for hooking and unhooking. The dynamics needs to be examined further.
• Joints built from screwing bolts through holes in linkages are sturdy and have little play in small scales.

Tips for Future Groups

• Don't assume that the motion of a system will perfectly match the simulated model.
• Make sure to check feasibility of design with quick prototypes
• Use laser cutters for quick and quality prototypes.
• Unless you can solve the issue of misalignment, do not build concentric cam shafts
• Use CAD or visualization strategy to make sure your parts are what you think they are before fabricating.
• Don't be afraid to try different designs.

Acknowledgements

We want to thank Professor Rohit Varghese for doing an amazing job teaching this course. His lectures were engaging, the material was easy to understand, and he always went out of his way to give us valuable lessons about real-world engineering.

We also want to thank our TAs: Sid, Victor, and Ashwin. They were there every week to guide us through the process of completing this project and to help us make full use of the resources available to us.