/
15.6 Conclusions & Future Work

15.6 Conclusions & Future Work

How the Project Went

Our project was somewhat successful. Two of the three original mechanisms for the entire project ended up being built due to time constraints. Also, the main crankshaft could not be fully integrated in the end. However, the entire dragon was successfully built, and all mechanisms that were placed inside the automaton worked as intended! Overall, the mechanism was able to reach our end goal of mechanically imitating the flapping motion and jaw/head movement of an “actual” dragon.

Did We Accomplish Our Objectives?

We achieved most of our goals:

  • We completed the cam/gear follower + four-bar rocker mechanism for the wing

  • We completed the slider crank + four-bar rocker for the head and jaw

  • We successfully created a model that was visually appealing and was similar to that of a dragon

  • We successfully achieved one singular input with multiple outputs.

Next Steps for Improvement

To improve the design, we would:

  • Complete the link between the gear shaft input and the follower so that the entire mechanism is connected

  • Spend more time on tolerancing so there all link fit a little tighter

  • Utilize more time for the visual aspect/shell of the dragon

Lessons Learned

  • Iterations and prototypes are important for proper function

  • Simpler the mechanism the better

  • Simulation does not always reflect reality

  • Include tolerances because mm differences in measurements can decide the outcome

Future Work

  • Include a tail mechanism for more realism and complexity

  • Minimize the size of certain mechanism so that we could make the overall automaton more compact

  • Include LED and sensors for realism

Tips for Future Groups

  • Send in purchase form immediately

  • Plan everything out on CAD as soon as possible

  • Create multiple iterations and test in all scenarios

  • Get ahead of timeline, towards the end of the semester, students(especially grad students) get very busy

Acknowledgements

We thank our instructor, teaching assistants, and lab staff for their guidance and support throughout this semester and the duration of this project.