Second Place Design Category
Students: Kris Boswell, James Labelle, Ethan Marti, Eric Rine
Advisor: Dr. Mizanoor Rahman
Individuals , particularly those with physical injuries or accumulated wear and tear from years of work, face challenges when changing tires on vehicles. The objective was to develop a functional proof-of-concept prototype that effectively demonstrates the use of the innovative tool or robot designed for assisting people when changing tires on vehicles.
To achieve the objective of developing a tire-changing robot, several key mechanisms and components were researched and developed for integration into the design. This includes a lead screw activated scissor lift mechanism to enable vertical movement. This scissor lift allows the robot to adjust its height, ensuring that it can reach and align with various vehicle types and tire sizes. A belt and pulley system, coupled with a motor, is employed to facilitate the rotation of rollers and the tire itself. A joystick interface is integrated into the system, allowing users to intuitively control the rotation of the tire. The core of the robot’s control system is based on Arduino microcontrollers. Detailed Solidworks schematics were created to illustrate the design and structure of the robot and its individual components, and a proof-of-concept model was constructed to show the product’s functionality. The group developed a dynamic model for the robot and analyzed the dynamic characteristics of the robot design and evaluated the performance of the physical prototype. The results showed satisfactory dynamic characteristics and performance of the prototype.
Keywords: Automobiles, tire replacement, tire alignment robot, electromechanical design, dynamic system, performance evaluation