This week our class split up into our individual project teams to start working on our initial sketches and/or first prototypes. If necessary, teams worked with CAD to design necessary parts to print.

Our team decided to create a bot and after multiple discussions and sessions of brainstorming, we wanted the bot to be used at MakerLab to record a person’s idea/story/feedback. The goal for our bot is for it to capture that as feedback for future improvement of the MakerLab and also for publication of these stories. Our bot will mostly likely be triggered by a push of a button (sensors if we have enough time) that will start a series of different actions that will enable it to serve its purpose. Our bot comes from several ideas, including the blab droid, as well as the TJBot.

Our team had already worked on initial sketches that were already quite detailed. We also already had the design needed for the parts that needed to be 3D printed (blueprints and design from the TJBot). So we were able to start printing out the inside parts for our prototype (possibly will be used in our future). We have already started looking for our needed parts and have acquired some of what we need (Raspberry Pi), LED display, camera, SD card for the Raspberry Pi. We do still need to figure out what type of materials we want for the outer structure of our bot.

Our team, this coming week will need to go to the FabLab to figure out the dimensions of our bot, as well as the how the laser cutting design will work out. Taofik has been playing around with the coding of the bot, while Tiffany and I have been figuring out the logistics of the design and how we’ll go through with the design (as well as the material needed).

I’ve learned this week that prototypes do not and should not be perfect. The more flaws and imperfections your prototypes have, the better it will be and have the potential to be better. Prototypes should continue to change and give the creator an opportunity to make a better product.