14.6 (Cat)clusions, Tips, and Future Iterations

yes, I did mean to type that it was not a typo.

Conclusions

Although the project was far from easy and we experienced numerous pitfalls, overall, the process was smooth for us. This is especially surprising given our challenges with the previous build assignments. We believe those challenges we faced allowed to have success. We started earlier, planned more efficiently, and were able to use our increased experience in laser cutting, Arduino coding, linkage design, and lots of super glue. Ultimately, our group's triumph hinged (get it like the hinge we used) on our accurate and approachable scope. We chose something that was both feasible for our undergraduate level of experience and exciting for us to manufacture. Our cats loved this toy, so this project was a massive success!

Tips for Future Robotic Enthusiasts

• START EARLY. Seriously, although this sounds obvious, this will change build assignments from a fun passion project to something that will literally suck the soul out of your body.
• Don't expect it to work perfectly the first time. Our machine worked perfectly in theory. However, unaccounted factors like weight, gravity, and the weaknesses of hot glue prevented that theory from completely coming to life.
• Be flexible. Building off of the last tip, don't try to jam square pegs into round holes (literally or figuratively in the case of this class).  When changes inevitably need to made, it is always better to readjust rather than trying to force it into working.
• Choose something approachable for you level of expertise. Certain machines may be too challenging to make work within the time constraints of the class. Remember, the machine needs to literally work in addition to theoretically working. 
• Remember that this is supposed to be fun. We saved this tip for last because it builds upon all the other tips and, in our view, is the most important. Not following the previous tips could lead to frustration and sadness. However, if you keep in mind that this what engineering is all about, you will find the project incredibly fulfilling.

Future Iterations

There are many adjustments and features that could be added to make this a better product. Firstly, swapping the super glue for fasteners and bolts would make it much more durable for cats to rough around with. Another important feature that we would add is to change the materials for both the cam-walls and the cat toy to reduce noise. The inspiration for this project centered around nocturnal cats, so the machine being loud is very contradictory. Swapping out the joystick for buttons would also solve our false-positive issues. Finally, we would like to add more modes. There was much discussion about adding a random mode that would stop, slow down, and speed up without requiring user input. Additionally, adding a motion detector would allow the machine to turn on/off when it detects the cat.

Acknowledgements

We would first like to thank Kermit and Prince, our inspirations for this project and the sweetest kitties in the world. We would also like to thank Dr. Symmank and Aayush for teaching us the fundamentals which became imperative building this robot. We would like to shoutout The Hairless Cats (Group 3) for always being there to answer clarifying questions if we had them. Finally, we extend the largest thank you in the world to Connor. He was always available, prompt, helpful, and encouraging throughout this whole process and did an outstanding job being there for both us and every other group.