16.7 Final Prototype
The final prototype of the fully assembled Morse Code Encoder, complete with all mounts, links, motors, subsystems, and fasteners installed can be seen below. As you can see, we were able to effectively iterate on our design and include the changes and improvements needed for success.
This demonstration video shows the mechanism in action. The video illustrates the hardware as well as the different aspects of the electronics in action. The DC motor driving the crank can be seen completing one full revolution to allow the marker to run through its gait profile. We can also see the second DC motor moving the paper to allow for spaces in between the “dots” and “dashes” and give the mechanism fresh paper to write on. Lastly, we see the servo motor adjusting the target motion profile by shifting 49 degrees in the slotted arc. This shift changes the motion profile the marker inscribes from a “dot”, characterized here by a short stroke, and a “dash”, characterized here by a long stroke. As the mechanism runs, the encoder inscribes the sequence “dot, dot, dash” and “dash”, which spells out the characters “U” and “T” respectively in Morse code onto the paper, clearly demonstrating the system’s dynamic response.
The image below shows the paper with the encoded message, transcribed and translated into American Morse code.
A brief explanation video and a slideshow used to present the information in a shorter format is available below: