The iterative "design/build/test/repeat" formula highlighted in the projects described at this website is integral to our thinking-outside-the-box approach to robotic design, as
the multifarious challenges associated with any new design concept can not generally be anticipated before the first prototype is built. Thus, multiple
design iterations and prototypes are often necessary to mature any given concept rapidly.
As a result, investigations of this sort would be impossible without modern CAD programs
(e.g., Solidworks, Pro/ENGINEER, and
CATIA), which are instrumental in making the iterative design process efficient, and advanced shop equipment
(laser cutters, CNC mills, and 3D printers), which fundamentally reduce the labor involved in the construction of new prototypes.
Consider, for example, the hundreds of complex pieces that comprise
iceCube, including its four large gimbling flywheels and the rigid frame on which they are mounted.
These parts fit together with extremely tight clearances, with vey little wasted space inside the sphere.
This design would have been impossible without an accurate CAD model.
As another example, consider the carefully-designed compound curves of iFling, which are instrumental in guiding the ping pong ball from the ground into the storage cage with a minumum of moving parts. The plastic body of iFling went through 25 significant design iterations inside a period of two months, and evolved from a
naïve initial prototype into a mature, well considered design during this short period. This design evolution would have been nearly impossible to achieve without
advanced CAD tools. Further, once the design was matured in CAD, initial prototyping was quite straightforward using 3D printing technology.
Copyleft 2011 by Thomas Bewley. Some rights reserved.