The focus of ME112 (Mechanical System Design) was to learn about common electrical and mechanical components. In this course, I learned about gears,
linkages, bearings, and motors through both project based learning and analytical analysis through problem sets.
Our final project, pictured here, was to design a robotic bunny capable of hopping up a ramp in 30 seconds with the most rabbit-like gait possible. In order to do this, we needed to spec a motor and power supply, design and analyze a linkage system capable of exerting the force needed to achieve this. Below is a video of our final
solution. One motor is used to power both the front and the back legs. The front and back legs were connected by a lkong linkage. The motor is powered by the 4 AA batteries. Using masonite and binder posts we put
What I enjoyed most about this class was getting the opportunity to take the material that we learned in lecture and apply it to the projects we were given. Additionally, I learned a lot about how to work effectively in teams such as how to divide work, run effective meetings and how to keep everyone focused.