Wrist Multitool

Over spring break from school I decided to build a multitool that I could wear in a shop were it would always be quick and easy to grab and use for just about anything.

The Wrist Tool is an early version. I have adapters on it for screwdrivers and socket wrenches. The top also has an english hex set cut in it. And what tool would be complete without a bottle opener.

The entire thing is 3-D printed. In the future I'll add holders for the screwdriver set on the inside of the tool.

Useful Robots

I recently started a blog called 'Useful Robots.' In it I outline robots that can be purchased and used by anyone who wants one.

The reason I made 'Useful Robots" was because there was really no place online that gives the average consumer or businessman an insight into what automation solutions are available to them. So I give profiles, not on research or the next big thing, but on the robotic mowers, or factory assistants, or vacuums that are ready to use right out of the box. It isn't cluttered with what a nerd would love, just with what an average person needs to know to buy.

Tour PNADDER

Tour PNADDER (Path Navigating Autonomous Differentially-Driven Escort Robot) is a project that I was a part of, as half of my senior project. The name is pronounced 'tor-nader.'

Tour PNADDER is meant to be a robotic tour guide for the Embry-Riddle campus. Guests will eventually be able to select a destination and the robot will lead them there.

Since, I came in at the half-way point of this project,  I did not have input on the initial designs, mechanical or otherwise (i.e. the name). My job, therefore, has been to design and develop the vision system that the robot is to rely on to navigate.

The vision system consists of a single Logitech webcam plugged into a Linux computer. I have to develop code, using Python and Open CV, that will let the robot know where it is with respect to the edge of any sidewalk on campus. I have never done anything with vision systems prior to this project.

The white lines display what the program believes 

to be the edge of the sidewalk.

The green line is a set-point to be used for localization

Performed on an indoor calibration grid I made.

So far, I have been able to implement a draft program that is able to run several filters on the video (Canny, Hough ...) to determine exactly how far the robot is from the edge of the sidewalk. This info will then be fed into a trajectory generator that will tell the robot where it needs to go.

I am still working to finalize the code. It runs a little slowly and has my error checking still in it. I'll post it when I'm finished.

SlantBook and Phone

What would a cellphone and a laptop made by Slant look like? I decided to design and phone and a laptop the way that I want those devices to be. The result are digital mock-ups of the SlantPhone and SlantBook.

The SlantPhone

Who says the flip-phone is dead. Use it as a normal phone or watch videos without crouching over the display (and what video is rectangular anyway, a square display still give you all the size you need). Also scroll and control one display with the other.

Set the SlantPhone up sideways to show feeds while your at your desk

The cylinder hinge adds battery, cooling, and ergonomic capabilities to the SlantPhone that a typical smartphone doesn't.

You don't need a case anymore because the phone can take care of itself.

To really use it as a table piece let it support itself.

I will be 3-D printing this model of the SlantPhone just to see what it would be like in the real world.

The SlantPhone would also be separable. So that you could take a call with one half and browse with the other as if it were two devices. Each display is 3x2.5 inches.

The SlantBook

Basically, a larger version of the SlantPhone. The SlantBook would not have a keyboard. Just two touch displays which allows for a completely dynamic user interface. After all a laptop is limited by its keyboard and mouse, a tablet loses half of its display to a keyboard, and a tablet with a keyboard is just an under-powered laptop. The SlantBook has none of the problems of those devices.

Rugged Prosthetic Arm Concept

I have wanted to build a heavy duty prosthetic for awhile. So I decided to get a basic concept design in CAD.

In the Slant Rugged Prosthetic 0.8, the elbow is supported by a bike spring. I downloaded the spring part, because of that the spring is a quite a bit larger than I would use in practice.

All the pieces of the arm are machined aluminum plates. This drastically reduces production costs of the prosthetic.

This arm is intended to be used by amputees with an active lifestyle. Its won't break and certainly won't short circuit. It could be used on snowmobiles, bikes, or water skis to give the amputee greater control and balance on the vehicle. It also allows for the user to perform heavier duty lifting, such as moving 2x4's, something no other prosthetic could withstand.

The passive design is a limitation since the arm is stuck in a particular static position, until the user basically leans into it. This is fine on an ATV, but not when moving boards around. (Check out my exoskeleton to see this problem in action)

Fortunately the design can easily be changed from using a spring to using a linear actuator. A slight adjustment in the fastening locations on the arm and a person would have a super strong arm, which would only require a very basic controller to operate.

But most of all this arm would be cheap. Maximum manufacturing cost would be around 200-400 dollars.

The next step will be to layout the manipulator and its attachment.

ERAU Housing Internal Site

This was a basic functional website that I had intended for the ERAU Department of Housing and Residence Life to utilize for internal communication and collaboration. I created multiple tools and portals that were meant to make the Resident Assistant job easier.

I was an RA when I built this site. The department didn't want to run with it. So it was a failed project, but still a useful one. If you would like to take a look go ahead and visit it. The password it "hi'

Note: ERAU is not affiliated with the creation of the site in any way. I edited some of the website's functionality to protect department information.

Personal Submarine

This is a project that I found from a few years ago that I thought would be cool to share.

It is a design for a faceted personal submarine. It would have what are essentially trolling motors on the end of each fin. The two from fins can be angled by the pilot to turn and even submerge the sub because of the V-like design.

While not shown in this first Google Sketch-up Design the sides of the sub would have ballast tanks that would make it neutrally buoyant so the motors could take over.

The windows would be supported by steel bars so that the large panes don't have to support the water pressure entirely.

The faceted design was to make sure that the sub would be cheap to manufacture. You could just weld the panels over the internal frame. No molding.

This project could be changed to a pull behind sub, where it it is towed by a boat and the fins force it under the water. But then it would need to be a little sleeker. And the front fins need to be moved forward no matter what. So sue me I designed it in an hour.

Jotters

Who says the notebook is dead? Jotters is a project I started to keep one of my favorite mediums going.

Notebooks haven't changed for decades, and they suck! The paper is thin, the binding is flimsy and constantly deranged, and they really don't capture the imagination.

I made Jotters to be the perfect notebooks for students. They have hardcovers, specially designed interiors for a variety of purposes (i.e. note-taking, drawing) and have QR links to Jotlink a web directory of many of the web's best student resource sites. (Though Jotlink is still in development)

Purchase a Jotter

Armchair Thought

Armchair Thought is a project I started to try out podcasting. It is a show where I take 15-20 minutes to just talk about a particular idea, concept, or problem. The rule I have is that the topic is has to be something that is completely fresh or unconsidered to most people. My goal is to give listeners interesting talking points, about all kinds of topics, when they are in a group or at a conference, etc.

Cardboard Robot

I was playing with the idea of a cheaper robotics platform. So I cranked out this head and hand using some old shipping boxes, servos, and an arduino.

Personal Logo

I had some spare time one day. So I decided to create a personal logo. This is what came of it.

The White Cap logo is really based off of my wardrobe. I never take my white cap off except for meals and to be respectful to people. I have worn glasses for most of my life, so they definitely needed to me included. Other than that there was about 15 minutes of work put into this logo and no more thought. It was a fun project that might come in handy a little later on.

RE-Lecture

RE-Lecture is a YouTube channel I created and curate with advanced engineering problems that I make when I do my homework.

How often do you look for a video to get help on your homework. Probably pretty often. But the trouble is, as you get into tougher stuff the videos become more of the lectures that your professor already gave you and less of an answer to your problem.

RE-Lecture is a way to cure this, by keeping the student's perspective on problems so that the videos can help other students. I am working to get other capable students involved in filming their homework so that when someone in a 400 level class needs help they don't get a lecture from a professor, but an explanation by someone else who also had to figure it out and understands what they're going through.

We lecture is also great for those making the videos. I have turned the channel into a revenue stream and explaining my work out loud so that others can understand helps me retain it better as well.

The first batch of videos I made had terrible sound. But since I'm getting over 1000 views a week now I have upgraded my equipment to make RE-Lecture a professional channel as opposed to an amateur one.

Here is one of my first and most popular videos on a robotics topic.

Wooden Gear Winch

This was a project in my Machine Design class. We had to make a super basic winch, which is boring as all get out. So I decided to make the gears out of wood, it was battle to convince the team, but totally worth it.

I used a band saw to carve them out of 5 ply construction board. They worked great and the winch made a great clacking noise when it ran.

We ended up being the only winch that worked perfectly on the first try. We also lifted the maximum weight available. We still don't know what the winch's limit is but it is well over 200 lbs.

It was ugly as all get out, but we were in a hurry. Function over form in this project. It only costs 35$ of pulleys and raw materials.

The large flap was  a widow-women brake

Slant Concepts

Slant is the reincarnated version of Universal Mechanisms. While still basically in development we are operating with what we have.

Slant is a product micro-production and development firm. We focus on the creation of a quantity of ideas instead of a quantity of product units. Meaning we like to try one thing and if it doesn't work we move on to the next. Instead of working to develop the "One-Hit Wonder" of products we work to create good products for niche markets. We are the opposite of the mass production model.

Since Slant is based on micro-production we focus on the creation of products that can be stored digitally, which eliminates the need to store physical inventory. This means that we do a lot of 3-D printing and self-publishing. Something is made when it is purchased.

I currently run Slant alone from a dorm room. But when I need help I bring in friends and free-lancers. I suppose that 'we' is really just the rolodex of people that have helped when Slant was UniMech and will be helping with the development of Slant in the future.

Launch

Launch is a student-run incubator that I am starting on the ERAU Prescott campus.

The Space Economy

The Space Economy was a blog that I began in the spring of 2014. It is meant to be a place to share potential business ideas and future ramifications related to creating a thriving space economy.

I have a steady readership, which I have built by pulling social media strings, and I plan to eventually turn the blog into a book when there is enough material.

This project is absolutely one of my finest and favorites.

Precarius Stacking Game

Precarius is a game a designed to be a game to learn how to build stuff and have fun. It was something that I created when I was bored. I am moving toward manufacture and intend to ship at the end of the summer of 2014.

Pot Hooks

These pot hooks were something that I threw together to replace cloth potholders and oven mitts. I wanted something that would not be burned and could be washed easily with other utensils. So I made something that could get a good hold on any kind of handle. I use a pair of them in the kitchen but they are also pretty handy for camping.

"Precarious" Engineering Game

"Precarious" is basically the reverse of "Pickup Sticks" or "Jenga." Instead of taking pieces away until the tower falls, players add pieces until the tower falls.

Players build from the two "foundation" blocks attempting to create an unstable structure that will force the other player(s) to cause it to collapse while not doing so themselves. The stucture is "collapsed" whenever any piece other than the "foundation" blocks touches the tabletop. Since there are limited pieces, players must make the structure become precarious quickly in order to win before the game becomes a draw from lack of pieces.

It is a lot of fun to play because it can either be very strategy intensive, for the expert, or just a pastime, for the average player. Changes in the arrangement of the "foundation" blocks changes the difficulty and type of structures. It can even be played alone to set records of highest tower or most pieces. It is incredibly versatile.

I am planning to begin building game sets and probably selling them on Etsy. I'll add a link when I'm ready.

Power Claw

The Power Claw was an early prototype for an ultra-strong prosthetic/exoskeletal hand. It had over 100 lbs of gripping force using the simple linear actuator assembly. It was made from solid steel which made it far too heavy to be usable, but I was able to get a feel for the proportions and the effectiveness of the gripper arrangement.

This type of prosthetic, once fully developed, is for those who wish to have an extremely active and dirty lifestyle. Most prosthetics today are dexterous by very delicate. I wanted to work on the other end of the spectrum for those who will want to ride snowmobiles and work in construction.

The Power Claw would also be useful as a kind of "metal glove" for those that want to have a tougher hand for certain jobs.

I intend to re-work this hand in machined aluminum. I've also have found linear actuators that are faster, stronger, and more compact. This prototype will probably be added to the SPExs suit prototype.