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Design Log

This page details the week by week progress of the design of the Snomo Project from September 25th to December 4th 2023. It serves as documentation for the project status and a record for the work that was done up until the building phase.

Team Progress

  • Wrote Software and Controls sections of the Final Report

  • Wrote a detailed design for the computer vision mask

  • Made improvements to the April tag pose estimation

  • Finished large sections of technical writing for the Final Report

  • Managed ongoing team documents, including the Bill of Materials and the Purchasing tracker

  • Wrote electrical and mechanical analysis sections of the report

  • Looked towards purchasing and planning for the Christmas break

  • Wrote detailed sections in the report about the Mechanical subsystems

  • Made plans for purchasing in the upcoming month to optimize time

  • Finalized website for evaluation

  • Finished the Final Design Report

December 4th

November 27th

Team Progress

  • Presented our Final Design Presentation!

  • Finished the design of Steering System, Drive System, Frame, Shell, and Snow pushing system

  • Formatted for presentation in the FDP

  • Created detailed software architecture

  • Finalized Electrical and Software portions of FDP

  • Made improvements to the computer mask

  • Finalized the FDP

  • Finalized different wheel purchasing options

  • Finished a purchasing protocol for the team

  • Made electrical component decision and prepared them from presentation

  • Added internal components to the E Box in CAD

  • Designed safe mounts for the battery cables

  • Decided standoffs would be the safest way to mount electronics

  • Finished Mechanical design

Team Progress

  • Near-finalized design for major subassemblies

  • Populated mechanical sections of FDP

  • Made designs more robust by applying mechanical principles

  • Near-finalized design for major Snomo components

  • Optimized water dispersal system for performance and cost

  • Updated BOM

  • Prepared Final Design Presentation for the upcoming week

  • Spec'ed boost converter

  • Finished software, electrical, and control slides for FDP

  • Made improvement to the computer vision mask

  • Designed the layout for the upcoming Final Design Presentation

  • Populated important structural slides for the FDP

November 20th

November 13th

Team Progress

  • Updated water dispersal CAD with off-the-shelf parts

  • Designed solution for tank mounting

  • Created preliminary renders

  • Set internal deadlines for upcoming tasks

  • Advanced progress on wheel research

  • Met for multiple hours with CEO of Ice N' Go and expert from Zamboni

  • Researched wheel slip sensors

  • Spec'ed current sensors

  • Created autotune program for computer vision mask

  • Computer vision testing and improvements

  • Designed custom bearing housings to reduce cost

  • Near-finalized design on Steering system, drive system, frame, drive system, and shell

  • Managed team tasks to stay on pace

  • Created an initial wiring diagram

  • Researched an implemented optical masks for ice detection

  • Created April tag pose estimation code

  • Basic motor firmware

  • Source improved electrical components

  • Designed drive system in CAD

  • Progressed design of shovel system

  • Spoke to Machine Shop to inquire about available resources

Team Progress

  • Secured sponsorship with Ice N' Go!
  • Secured sponsorship with Logel's Auto shop!

  • Added baffles to water tank

  • Caded water dispersal system and E box

  • Looking into solving potential problems related to freezing

November 6th

October 30th

  • Managed team priorities

  • Researched the purchasing of various electronics

  • Researched necessary battery characteristics

  • Completed machine shop training course

  • Created initial CAD of water tank

  • Started rough BOM

  • Sourced cameras for vision system

  • Detailed motor characterization

  • Created April Tag bounding box code for testing

  • Sourced material for frame

  • Decided on steering system design

  • Priced out mechanical components

  • Created a rough Bill of Materials for use throughout the remainder of the project

Team Progress

  • Managed Jira sprints

  • Conducted initial research into wheels

  • Iterated on initial designs of sub-assemblies

  • Researched motor drivers and IMU

  • Conducted detailed April tag calculations and camera requirements

  • 24V motor experimental characterization

  • Calculated necessary motor characteristics

  • Calculated wheel slip and move torque

  • found voltage and amp relationship of motor

Team Progress

  • Met with Prof. Mcphee to gain insight into this project
  • Presented Preliminary Design Presentation

October 23rd

October 16th

  • Finalized Preliminary Design Presentation

  • Researched approximate rink sizes

  • Researched snow, ice, and ice resurfacing parameters

  • Conducted friction calculations

  • ROS Research and setup

  • Theorize control plan and integration

  • Detailed GPS, Bluetooth Geofence, UWm, RF, and April tag research

  • Brainstormed and researched methodology for integral mechanical design subsystems (frame, steering, drive system, etc...)

  • Website completed

Team Progress

  • Sourced patents

  • Sketched initial designs

  • Seeked out mentorship opportunities

  • Turned focus heavily towards satisfying the course requirements, including PDP

  • Worked on the website

  • Organized the Mechanical team

  • Conducted preliminary research on possible specs

  • Compared Pi 4 and Pi 5

  • Sourced breadboard, protoboard, and wires for testing

  • Initial motor functionality testing

  • Researched positioning systems

Team Progress

  • Secured a mentorship opportunity with Prof. Mcphee

October 9th

October 2nd

  • Created Jira for project management

  • Created Confluence page for staying on top of meeting notes

  • Researched version control software

  • Decided on Wix as the website tool of choice

  • ​

  • Created a pamphlet to send to sponsors

  • Reached out to initial sponsors

  • Researched version control for CAD software

  • Sourced Raspberry Pi

  • Set up Raspberry Pi

  • Pi Evaluation and Workflow Validation

Team Progress

  • Secured sponsorship from CIF for use of their ice
  • Decided on software tools

  • Brainstorming of needs, goals, objectives, constraints, and criteria

  • Formulated the problem at hand

  • Researched project topics

  • Explored ice resurfacers and ice maintenance

  • Looked into local rinks

  • Researched zambonis

  • Formulated the problem

  • Researched microprocessors

  • Researched general electrical arcitecture

  • Researched  various capstone ideas

  • Reached out to contact for information about ice resurfacers

Team Progress

  • Conducted rigorous brainstorming sessions to land on a Capstone Idea

September 25th

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