Request for Proposal: Lunar Agricultural Zone (LAZ)

This project reflects real life scenarios; the robot must be able to handle minor imperfections in the course.

Note: Only the materials contained in the price list for VEX parts for robot projects may be used. To use other parts, get permission from a faculty member, and also to determine the cost of the additional parts used that are not in this price list.

Introduction and Overview

In 2021, humanity faces the problem of feeding its growing population. Currently, half of the Earth’s habitable land (51 million km2) is used for agriculture, leaving little for much else. To combat this, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has turned to lunar agriculture. With a surface area of over 37 million square kilometers, the moon has the potential to farm over 70% of the Earth’s current supply. Due to the slow period of rotation, stationary crops on the moon will be exposed to 27.3 days of continuous sunlight then darkness. In order to have greater control over the sunlight exposure of crops on the moon, NASA has issued an RFP (request for proposal) for a rover capable of traversing the Lunar Agricultural Zone, the newest solution to world hunger. This rover would traverse the unsmooth terrains of the moon, locate various crops, and determine if they should be moved depending on the levels of light exposure detected. By keeping rigorous control of the light exposure of the crops, NASA hopes to create an environment capable of sustaining plant life on the moon.

The objective of this mission is to locate and collect all plants in the Lunar Agricultural Zone overexposed to sunlight. To complete the given tasks, either the gyro, touch or ultrasonic sensor can be used to increase the accuracy of the rover movement. After the overexposed plants are obtained, they should be transported to an area of less exposure.

Specifications

Design a root using Fusion 360 as your primary design tool. Your team must build a model of your design using the materials provided. Your team must also create an Arduino program that will direct the robot’s movements. A cost estimate of the robot’s components and labor costs must be provided. All revision to the original design must be recorded and explained. This includes technical design drawings as well as cost estimates. All revisions to the Arduino program must be recorded and explained.

The LAZ robot must be able to move autonomously over the course, pick up the three different samples, and transport them to their designated area. The mechanism used to pick up the samples must be designed and built by the team (the use of prebuilt VEX claws is prohibited). The robot should fit within a 15in x 15 in footprint (larger robots are allowed, but discouraged). Projectile (catapult, slingshot) designs are not allowed. These specifications must be met for final Commissioning.

The robot’s Arduino program may not be altered or switched during any part of the mission. Likewise, the robot must be fully autonomous, and therefore cannot be touched by any person during testing. Please refer to the course syllabus for all due dates.

Please note that any attempt to physically step on the course will result in a point penalty in your final project grade due to safety precautions.

Course Layout

Figure 1: Labeled View of the Lunar Agricultural Zone

Microsoft Project

You must create a schedule to manage your time in Microsoft Project. You can learn Microsoft Project by doing the MS Project Skill Builder. This schedule must include all tasks related to the project from the start of the project to Submission. The MS Project schedule should include the following:

Minimum of 20 tasks.
Milestones should be clearly indicated on the project plan (duration of zero days).
Each task must include the person responsible for completing the task (resource names).
Use the "Copy Picture" function to include the project plan in the presentations. Do not take a screenshot.
Gantt chart must be displayed alongside the tasks list (fit onto one slide).
Gantt chart must clearly show a progress line.
Clearly state during the presentation whether the project is on-time, behind schedule, or ahead of schedule.

For help in planning the project, review the manual page How to plan the schedule and calculate costs for a project.

Drawings

All drawings and sketches should be made using the Assembly tool in Fusion 360. It can be downloaded for free on a personal computer using an NYU email, or accessed from any computer during Open Lab.

Using Fusion 360, create four drawings of the robot: front, top, most detailed side, and a drawing of the gear train(s). Sensors, motors, and gears must be included in each drawing. Smaller pieces such as nuts, bolts, and axles may be omitted from the drawings. If the robot does not use any gears, make sure to explicitly state that in your presentations. Each revision of the design must be documented and all changes must be presented during Milestone presentations.

Figure 2: Example Drawing of LAZ robot

Model

You must build a scale model (1:1) of your design. The following materials will be provided:

VEX steel pieces and claw
Basic electronics prototyping kit(Reference VEX wiring guide)
Sensors
Motors

The finished robot must not exceed a footprint of 15 in × 15 in. There is no height limitation. Additional materials can be supplied by your TA.

Figure 3: Example LAZ Robot Model

Cost Estimate

Once a robot design is complete, a cost estimate must be generated that specifies the cost of all the materials and labor required for the construction of the design. Tabulate this cost information clearly in an Excel spreadsheet, using the materials cost list provided. Help in calculating the cost is available by reviewing how to plan the schedule and calculate costs for a project. The costs for the parts can be found on the price list for VEX parts for robot projects. The cost estimate should include the following:

Labor cost breakdown with hours and rates
Consolidate low-cost pieces: axles, beams, bricks, bushings, connectors, gears, plates
Consolidate electrical components: microcontroller, breadboard, wires, battery, motor shield, etc
Itemize high-cost pieces: sensors and motors
No decimal places; this is an estimate after all. Round appropriately
Total cost must be shown in the bottom right corner

Engineering Notebook

While working on your project, you are expected to keep a record of all work done, as well as future plans and goals. In order to complete a Benchmark assessment, show your Engineering Notebook to the Open Lab TA completing your assessment. For Final Submission you must have it approved by an Open Lab TA in a Word Document (DOC or DOCX) format. A guide to writing the notebook, as well as a basic overview of its expectations and frequency at which you should log in your notebook, can be found on the Keeping an Engineering Notebook page.

Extra Credit

LAZ Groups have multiple opportunities for extra credit. These include: After completing all commissioning requirements, bring all the samples back to their original starting position.

Completing Benchmark A, Benchmark B, or Submission early, or
Completing your respective SLDP's 3D printing extra credit task as described in the Prototyping Guide.

Refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for exact point values. Creativity and innovation are always rewarded. Original designs will receive extra credit.

Milestones, Benchmarks, and Deliverables

Preliminary Design Investigation

The Preliminary Design investigation (PDI) is extremely important, as it lays the groundwork for your project. You will be outlining your project idea, inspiration, and goals.

The PDI must include:

Cover Page
Project Overview
Goals & Objectives
Design & Approach
Cost Estimate
Project Schedule
Relevant Pictures

An example PDI template can be found here. The PDI is due by Benchmark A. Do not forget to include the items listed above. Use this link to access the VEX PDI Rubric.

Milestone 1

See How To Give a Milestone Presentation for the format of a Milestone presentation.

Milestone 1 should act as a presentation of your Preliminary Design Investigation. Without simply replicating your report in presentation format, take the key points to present in a concise and clear manner. The section formatting should be similar to that of the report. It is important that you outline your project goals and show that your project is realizable. This includes:

Project description
Design approach
Mission statement
Preliminary CAD drawing of robot
Cost estimate
MS Project schedule
Progress update: current state of the project

Look Ahead: What tasks are planned between now and Milestone 2?

Benchmark Assessment A

Benchmark assessments evaluate the progress of the project. Benchmark Assessment A is due at the end of Model Shop Session II. There are penalties for not completing on time. Refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for more information. To pass, the design must complete all of the following:

Robot collects the first sample and deposits it in the correct location
Preliminary Design Investigation
Submit an .STL and a .gcode file of the team logo or extra credit print through the 3D Printing Submission portal on the EG website
- The prototyping guide contains information on the 3D printing requirements and guidelines.
- The protolab schedule is available on the prototyping guide
Updated Engineering Notebook

Milestone 2

See How To Give a Milestone Presentation for the format of a Milestone presentation.

Milestone 2 will be a project progress update. You must explain all changes and developments made thus far, particularly in regards to Benchmark A. Include whether or not you were able to complete your Benchmark A requirements, and if not, explain why. Also, highlight any changes you plan on making to your design or project, in general. Your Milestone 2 presentation must include:

Project description
Design approach
Design changes since Milestone 1
Mission statement
CAD drawings: top, front, most detailed side, isometric, gear train
Flowchart of Code
Circuit Diagram
Cost estimate (previous and current). What changes were made?
MS Project schedule (previous and current). What changes were made?
Progress update: current state of the project (time, budget, etc.)
Look Ahead: What tasks are planned between now and Milestone 3?

Benchmark Assessment B

Benchmark Assessment B is due at the end of Model Shop Session III. There are penalties for not completing on time. Refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for more information. To pass, the design must complete all of the following:

Robot collects the first two samples and deposits them in their correct locations
Have an .STL and a .gcode file of the team logo or extra credit print approved through the 3D Printing Submission portal on the EG website
The prototyping guide contains information on the 3D printing requirements and guidelines.
The protolab schedule is available on the prototyping guide
Updated Engineering Notebook

Milestone 3

See How To Give a Milestone Presentation for the format of a Milestone presentation.

Milestone 3 will be the last project progress update. You must explain all changes and developments made thus far, particularly in regards to Benchmark B. Include whether or not you were able to complete your Benchmark B requirements, and if not, explain why. Also, highlight any changes you plan on making to your design or project, in general. Your Milestone 3 presentation must include:

Project description
Design approach
Design changes since Milestone 2
Mission statement
CAD drawings: top, front, most detailed side, isometric, gear train
Flowchart of Code
Circuit and Schematic Diagrams
Cost estimate (previous and current). What changes were made?
MS Project schedule (previous and current). What changes were made?
Progress update: current state of the project (time, budget, etc.)

Look ahead: What tasks are planned between now and the completion of the project?

Commissioning

Refer to the syllabus for the commissioning deadline. There are penalties for not completing on time. Refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for more information. To pass, the design must complete all of the following:

Robot collects all the samples and deposits them in their correct locations
Robot meets all specifications
Have an .STL file of the team logo or extra credit print printed through the 3D Printing Submission portal on the EG website
The prototyping guide contains information on the 3D printing requirements and guidelines.
The protolab schedule is available on the prototyping guide
All 3D prints must be approved by a Protolab TA
Updated Engineering Notebook

Final Design Report

The Final Design Report (FDR) provides a comprehensive overview of your project process and developments from initial brainstorm to finished proof of concept. All project expectations and outcomes must be clearly detailed in the document. This report will also provide you with documentation experience useful for completing your Senior Design final report and other projects. The Final Design Report must include the following documentation:

CAD drawings
Wiring Diagrams
Commented code
Project schedule
Cost estimate

Use this Final Design Report template with the following outline:

Introduction
Purpose of Project
Background
Requirements
Physical Components
Software Components
Procedures
Software Setup
Software Troubleshooting
Milestone and Final Product Requirements
Benchmark A Requirements
Benchmark B Requirements
Final Submission Requirements
Human Resources and Training (e.g. TA expertise utilized, etc.)
Results
Benchmark A Results
Benchmark B Results
Difficulties Experienced
Conclusion
Results of Project
Future Improvements

Final Presentation

The final presentation will be a technical briefing, similar to the milestones, but also serves as a sales presentation explaining why your company should be selected instead of the competition. Please include the following:

Problem statement
Solution overview
Company description and qualifications
CAD Drawings
Flowchart of Code
Circuit and Schematic Diagrams
Cost estimate
Microsoft Project schedule
Video demonstration
Why should your company be awarded this contract?

Submission

All SLDPs must submit online. Please visit https://eg.poly.edu/finalSLDP.php for login information and the link to the Project Submission form. Students must be logged into the account provided at https://eg.poly.edu/finalSLDP.php. Submitting with your NYU account or any other account will generate an error. Submissions may be edited at any time before the deadline. Please note that submission times are based on the last submission. Submissions that qualify for Early Submission will lose the Early Submission Extra Credit if the submission is edited after the Early Submission deadline. Please note the deliverables for this project are as follows. If any of the following items are omitted, you will be penalized. Be sure to click SUBMIT at the bottom of the form.

Submission deliverables:

Final presentation
Final Arduino program
Final Circuit Diagrams
Initial sketch
All the drawings of your design (initial through final)
Video
Final MS Project Schedule
Final cost estimate
Resume(s) (No fictitious resumes will be accepted.)
Final Engineering Notebook

Early Submission

If you submit your project one week early, you are eligible for a bonus that will be added to your final semester-long project grade. You must submit all deliverables one week before the submission deadline (see syllabus for exact date). The deliverables received early are the ones you will use in your presentation. No adjustments to the deliverables submitted will be accepted.

Late Submission

Late submission is not allowed. If you do not commission or partial commission by the deadline set forth in the syllabus, you will not be allowed to submit and will receive a 0 for the project grade. In order to receive partial commissioning, two TAs must analyze the project and determine its level of completeness in terms of commissioning requirements. Please refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can we step onto the course as it is hard to reach the middle due to its size? A: No. If needed, you can have a TA assist you. Q: Can we bump the course if the robot gets stuck? A: No. You can't bump the Moon, so bumping the course is not an option. Q: Can we use rubber bands on the wheels for more traction? A: Yes! This is highly encouraged, especially when dealing with slopes, bumps, or anything with a degree of friction. Q: All the VEX parts are really big. Is there a size constraint? A: There is a soft size-limitation of 15in x 15in. If you slightly exceed this constraint, it is ok, but you will have difficulties due to the sizing of the course.

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Lunar Agricultural Zone (LAZ)

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