EASELECTRICEASELECTRICTeam 4

Adam Frank Jackie Jon

IntroductionIntroduction Planning a Design

General Requirements: An electrically adjustable easel that can be safely used in a community of cognitively impaired individuals.

Should be light-weight and movable in 3 planes of motion and controllable tilt operations (i.e. front to back, side to side, and up and down)

Overview of Client, Harry Grim Moderate Cognitive Impairment (MR) Limited Arm Movement and Dexterity Received “Painting Easely” project developed

by UConn students in 2002 Flaws include:

Too large and heavy Safety concerns involving speed of movement Control settings

Specifications Safety Features:

Automatic mechanism to stop movement of easel beyond its maximal excursion

Master switch to turn device on/off Powered by a wall switch Slow movements so there is sufficient time to control

device due to delayed responsive skills of the artist No exposed cords or wires

Control Features Detachable joysticks to control easel movement

from a wheelchair Master switch located on the back of the device Simplistic controls that can be easily

maneuvered by individuals with MR

Size Restrictions Requests for Device Dimensions

Tabletop arrangement with room for Harry’s feet From floor to lap, allow approximately 27”

Lightweight Transportable design making the device easy to store Canvas Size should be adjustable

Min: 8” by 8” Max: 30” high by 38” wide

Initial Design Materials:

Require a lightweight, sturdy, and cheap material for frame

Wood: Too flimsy, not ideal for electric movement PVC: Again, too flimsy (used in former project) Stainless Steel: Heavy, expensive ALUMINUM

Initial Design Aluminum Advantages

Lightweight Cheap Weldable Sturdy Available in different shapes, lengths, and forms of

stock

Initial Design Aluminum Characteristics

Alloys- 1000,2000,3000,4000,5000,6000,7000 series aluminum

Fabrication- bending, drilling, punching, tacking, welding, tapping

Finishes- mill, anodized, mechanical, painted Types- extruded, drawn, miniature, welded

Initial Design Aluminum Shapes:

Channel Square Tubing Angle

Initial Mechanical Design Movement driven by up to 4 linear actuators. Heavy Duty “Drawer-like” tracking for stability

and guidance

Initial Mechanical Design Sturdy 2-inch square tubing base Clamped under table for added stability

Manually adjustable Servo-motors

Initial Mechanical Design 2 part design for movement:

Base – Responsible for front and back movement Carriage – Moves forward and back in base and

allows for vertical, horizontal, and tilt motions.

Initial Mechanical Design Other ideas for movement include:

Cam system or pulleys to amplify movement of actuators

Enclosed screw drive or rack and pinion system instead of actuators for linear movement

Pneumatic or hydraulic actuators instead of electronic

Initial Mechanical Design Different drawing surface attachments Will separate into 3 “flat” parts for storage:

Base Carriage Drawing Surface

Initial Design – Electrical System Client requested the use of

joysticks to control motion of easel

Design ideas – Hard Wired vs. Digitally Controlled

Use of Relays to accommodate low voltage/current joystick and higher voltage/current actuator

Initial Design – Electrical System Circuit requires safety mechanisms including:

Master On/Off Switch Fuse or breaker Limit Switch to constrain range of motion Possibility of attachments such as canvas light Method of organizing and concealing wiring etc.

Budget is Most Limiting Factor $750.00

24” Actuator estimates: Around $100 a piece Sliding Tracks: Around $25 a piece – 3 required Aluminum/ Steel Stock: most will be provided by

Independent Welding Inc. Joysticks: $12 a piece (2) Relays: $40

Summary Goal is to create an easel that meets the needs

of our client and is less expensive than current products.

Mechanically we are looking for a safe and simple design.

Materials need to be strong and lightweight. Electronics need to be simple yet able to

properly control the device.

References http://www.argylein.com/cgi-bin/search_dies.pl

?words=EQUALANGLE Mouser Electronics Catalog 2005