The post details here have been shifted to my 'About Me' page. This is an update with the intention to put forth my very beginning understanding of what is a 'technical project', when undergoing engineering at MIT - Manipal followed by the further posts related to my recent projects/task works till date.
Being then on the threshold of graduation, we i.e. our project team thought that it would be more prudent and beneficial to undertake a project that would incorporate and encompass most of the essential features of Mechanical Engineering especially design, drawing, cost estimation and fabrication.
'Automatic Guiding Device' - a mechanical oriented yet automated was to be the project in hand for us. A further improvisation by the use of electronics could have been undertaken but with monetary limitations, we then students found the guiding device to be more appropriately workable on the mechanical basis. In this context we had thought to develop the device that would cover a specified floor area in an orderly manner, be simple in operation and at the same time accomplish a task with no human intervention.
We had the utmost pleasure yet felt uneasy when presenting our project report at the viva-voce because it was for the first time, we stood on the dais of the college seminar hall and the audience hearing us were to be our faculties. A great learning outcome was that we experienced for the first time that to be a passive listener was far more easy but to speak in front of an audience and that to all alone was very difficult especially when it came to delivering a topic and carrying the audience with you. That when achieved as I know now would automatically lead to a healthy 'Question/Answer' session which then could conclude with positive ratings/reviews from the professors. The saying 'A task well begun is half done' proved itself on the day of the viva-voce.
Our project was well appreciated but was categorized as a purely theoretical paper concept as we were unable to demonstrate the workability of the device viz. traverse a straight path till its meeting the wall (designated obstacle) and again traverse a straight path after taking a U - turn on meeting the wall (refer the drawings for details in pdf. file attached). The device taking U - turn was not a problem as there were already several available toys in the market then (as a ready proof of their working) that worked on such mechanisms. But in regard to the straight path traversal, I still remember having been asked by a faculty during the periodic project reviews whether if he were to roll a coin on the ground would it traverse a straight path without deviating? Although there were four wheels on the device we were not able to come up with anything concrete on the 'steering' aspects thereby rendering our project as purely conceptual. To add insult to injury, we inexperienced students made the terrible mistake of welding the roller bearings (outer race) on to the housing that jammed the bearings much to the alarm of the workshop technicians whom we had mistakenly overlooked that made us look really silly. However, our presentations at the viva-voce helped outweigh these practical incompetencies that we harbored then.
I therefore take this opportunity again to acknowledge feelings of deep gratitude to our then Principal Prof. Alladi Prabhakaran (on behalf of all the staff from various departments), Head of Department (Mechanical) Prof. H.K.V Rao (on behalf of all our department staff) and not to mention our project guide Mr. K.M Nanjundaiah (Reader, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT - Manipal), Mr A. V Hebbar (Workshop Superintendent, MIT - Manipal) and all the workshop technicians for their valuable suggestions, effective guidance and the kind co-operation extended by them throughout the course of the project. Without their effort and timely help our project would not have been a success. Many now may have attained superannuation and settled in their hometowns away from the campus, but surely they must be connected to the internet at their respective homes. Helpful support from friends and well wishers encouraged us at various stages of our project and this was to be the most important learning outcome of our project work.
Let me present a brief synopsis of the project in as it was written (no formatting/editing done) and if you all (Amit, Vinay and Austin) are able to connect with me here today, I have the project report as pdf. file attached below for your reference.
SYNOPSIS
The automatic guiding device can guide a vehicle along a preset path by itself. Once turned on, the vehicle does not have to be touched till it reaches the end of its path; the preset path is such that it enables the vehicle to cover a floor area in an orderly manner. All the components of the device are mechanical in nature.
The core of the mechanism comprises a curved slot and sliding block. The front axle passes through the sliding block, so that as the sliding block slides along the curved slot, the direction of the vehicle is changed. The probes which sense the boundary walls and activate the guiding device are actuated on impact with the wall.
This guiding mechanism can be used in an automatic guided vehicle used in material handling in industries. It also can be used to clean a floor, mow a lawn and other similar functions which require covering a floor area by mounting the appropriate device on the vehicle.
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