CLASS PROJECTS | jennifershum

Capstone Robotic Cake Decorator 2017

Automated Robotic Cake Decorator

Goal: Design an automated solution for the home cook to automatically frost a cake based on an input design.

Action:

brainstormed various concepts for dispense mechanism
linear-screw piston-cylinder system selected as a optimal solution for frosting dispense: displacement rather than force mechanisms allows for consistent extrusion with varying viscosities
researched different options and performed calculations on motor torques and displacements to determine feasible component selections
testing of system, experimenting with different Arduino parameters for motor controls
tackle and solve problems that arose during process- such as minor deflection due to moments that caused slight bending in system

Results:

functional rosette extrusions
system that moves reliably without binding
goal - to serve a frosted cake for capstone day
Won 1 of 2 senior capstone awards for design and completeness of the project.

Materials Processing and Selection 2017

Researched and reported back with papers on a wide variety of materials processing techniques and selection criteria as part of graduate level technical elective course. [in progress summer 2017]

Sample topics included:

Processing techniques for flat sheets of different materials
Unique properties and processing of Vitreloy (an amorphous alloy of the BMG type)
Direct Metal Laser Sintering Review Paper Proposal
Silicon-Cu matrix composite for use as conductive polymer seal (using CES selector tool)

"Mission to Mars": WPI VEX Competition

Goal: Design a robot that can collect "sample" blocks from the "Mars" playing field and return them to team's collection area.

Action: Design & run robot

helped in design planning: considering shovel options, arm options, and more with the final selection being a flipper-like motion that scoops up blocks with a continuous motion then dumps them out from the back
testing 4+ materials for flipper design to identify a material with enough give to bend but enough stiffness to move the blocks
competition day motor swapping/fixes/robot operation

Results: Final robot was functioned and did well in competition

Final seed of competition and were able to pick our partners for the finale rounds
Exceptionally good design for fast, rapid block collection
extra - using "dump" side of the robot as an arm, the robot could flip itself up onto a platform/ledge at the end of the match for bonus points

Other Class Projects

Please feel free to ask about prior projects completed:

FEA analysis for ceramic cup under static and dynamic loading
Matlab/ImageJ analysis for computing center of mass of 3D lion femur CT scan
Boston Building Resources office redesign - cad organization remodel
Temperature Regulation and SmartClock using c++/matlab/ardunio
Racket Code & Typeaholic Program Design
Writing - Advanced Writing in Technical Field (writing portfolio link)

Capstone Robotic Cake Decorator 2017

Automated Robotic Cake Decorator

Goal: Design an automated solution for the home cook to automatically frost a cake based on an input design.

Action:

brainstormed various concepts for dispense mechanism

linear-screw piston-cylinder system selected as a optimal solution for frosting dispense: displacement rather than force mechanisms allows for consistent extrusion with varying viscosities

researched different options and performed calculations on motor torques and displacements to determine feasible component selections

testing of system, experimenting with different Arduino parameters for motor controls

tackle and solve problems that arose during process- such as minor deflection due to moments that caused slight bending in system

​

Results:

functional rosette extrusions

system that moves reliably without binding

goal - to serve a frosted cake for capstone day

Won 1 of 2 senior capstone awards for design and completeness of the project.

Materials Processing and Selection 2017

Researched and reported back with papers on a wide variety of materials processing techniques and selection criteria as part of graduate level technical elective course. [in progress summer 2017]

​

Sample topics included:

Processing techniques for flat sheets of different materials

Unique properties and processing of Vitreloy (an amorphous alloy of the BMG type)

Direct Metal Laser Sintering Review Paper Proposal

Silicon-Cu matrix composite for use as conductive polymer seal (using CES selector tool)

VEX Robotics Project (hs)

"Mission to Mars": WPI VEX Competition

Goal: Design a robot that can collect "sample" blocks from the "Mars" playing field and return them to team's collection area.

​

Action: Design & run robot

helped in design planning: considering shovel options, arm options, and more with the final selection being a flipper-like motion that scoops up blocks with a continuous motion then dumps them out from the back

testing 4+ materials for flipper design to identify a material with enough give to bend but enough stiffness to move the blocks

competition day motor swapping/fixes/robot operation

​

Results: Final robot was functioned and did well in competition

Final seed of competition and were able to pick our partners for the finale rounds

Exceptionally good design for fast, rapid block collection

extra - using "dump" side of the robot as an arm, the robot could flip itself up onto a platform/ledge at the end of the match for bonus points

Other Class Projects

Please feel free to ask about prior projects completed:

FEA analysis for ceramic cup under static and dynamic loading

Matlab/ImageJ analysis for computing center of mass of 3D lion femur CT scan

Boston Building Resources office redesign - cad organization remodel

Temperature Regulation and SmartClock using c++/matlab/ardunio

Racket Code & Typeaholic Program Design

Writing - Advanced Writing in Technical Field (writing portfolio link)