7) Conclusions and Future Work

Conclusions:

Overall, we were quite satisfied with how well the mechanism performed. The final prototype met the following objectives that were outlined at the beginning of the project:

• Semi-circular path- ✅
• Non-constant velocity, fastest when returning to the pool- ✅
• Powered by singular motor rotating at a constant velocity- ✅
• Mimic appearance of inspiration artwork- 50%
• No larger than desktop sized- ✅

        Here, it is noted that the mimicked appearance objective was only partially satisfied by our mechanism. This judgment was based on the limited effectiveness of the mechanism to actually scoop and pour water. Unfortunately, the swinging bucket design was not an ideal method of performing this task, and is noted in “future work” as an area of improvement.

Future Work:

        For future iterations of the mechanism, we would likely revise the path of the end effector so that the actual pouring motion is facilitated without having to rely on a swinging bucket. We anticipate that this could be done with the same general linkage set-up currently being used but with adjusted pin locations and link lengths. Ideally, a rigid bucket and a more emphasized tipping motion by the end effector would be a more effective solution. Additionally, greater effort to waterproof the acrylic tank during the manufacturing phase would be needed to allow the mechanism to contain water for extended periods of time.