Shoulder MkIII
 Rendered CAD assembly |  Other angle |  Shoulder in the context of the entire Carbon-6 MkIII Arm |
|---|---|---|
 Assembled shoulder (other angle) |  Assembled rover at competition |  Assembled shoulder (note some changes made after the previous renders were made) |
Sturdy shoulder and base to carry the arm
Sep - Dec 2019
I helped upgrade the Shoulder MkIII from the previous iteration in a team of 4. By removing a large moon gear controlling the shoulder actuation and replacing it with a planetary gearbox with a higher gear ratio, we were able to reduce backlash and increase compactness and torque/power, as well as simplify our wire routes. We also ran extensive FEA to topologically optimize weight reduction on the aluminum plates. In this project, I learned the basics of SolidWorks, the entire design process from start to finish, and how to work in an engineering team, as this was my first engineering project.
​Results:
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Increased torque by 5.19% and reduced backlash, complexity and footprint by replacing moon gear with worm gear
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Optimized weight reduction on aluminum plates and reduced base size with FEA, reducing overall weight by 17.9%
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Simplified and streamlined wire routes through frequent collaboration with the Electronics Subsystem