Alexis
Kolar
Purpose: Design, model, and machine a car
Process: To begin this project I first hand-sketched a few general ideas to decide the overall shape of the car I wanted to design. Next, I went to SolidWorks and started designing. I ran across several issues when it came to scaling while modeling in SolidWorks, so I decided to overlay pictures of a car on several planes to use as reference dimensions. To get the curved surfaces of a car, I created sketches on parallel planes along the length of the car and lofted them together. For more
Personal Projects
Model Car Project
Purpose: Design, model, and machine a car
Process: To begin this project I first hand-sketched a few general ideas to decide the overall shape of the car I wanted to design. Next, I went to SolidWorks and started designing. I ran across several issues when it came to scaling while modeling in SolidWorks, so I decided to overlay pictures of a car on several planes to use as reference dimensions. To get the curved surfaces of a car, I created sketches on parallel planes along the length of the car and lofted them together. For more complicated curves, I used 3D sketches.
Once I was finished with my SolidWorks model, I exported the model to CAM software and machined the model on the Shop Bot CNC. I did a trial run of my tool path on foam to make sure the cut resolution was appropriate without taking multiple days to run. When I was satisfied with my foam version, I cut the toolpath on wood.
Challenges: Modeling complicated surfaces, modeling to the proper scale, getting smooth contours when machining, time constraint with the machinery
Had a small mishap when running the toolpath on my wooden version, there is small hole where the toolpath cut too low because I hadn't zeroed the machine properly
Result: Designed and created a successful car model with smooth contours
Final SolidWorks Design
Foam Car Prototype
Final Wooden Car
FIRST Robotics Stronghold Challenge
Purpose: Design and build a robot that would shoot foam balls into high and low goals and traverse obstacles
Process: This was a team build in which we brainstormed in a group and then broke out into smaller groups where each group designed and built a separate function of the robot.
My group was focused on designing and building the shooter mechanism. I worked with a mentor to create the design for the mechanism and then I transferred the ideas to a design in SolidWorks
Challenges: Competition requirements including cost and time restraints, limitations for available space to incorporate mechanism
Result: Gear box designed with worm gear set driven by CIM motor that drives rack and pinion to move spring loaded plunger, which was then released with a pneumatic ball clutch to shoot foam balls
Stronghold Robot
Shooter Mechanism