Conclusion
Our final prototype was a success in some ways and still a work in progress in others.
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On the electrical front, the RFID and ultrasonic sensors functioned to our expectations. After running tests, the RFID sensor was able to distinguish between two different RFID tags, and successfully reported whether access was granted or denied, accordingly. Further, the close command was initiated only after the ultrasonic sensor detected a range between the pet and itself being greater than 30 cm. The only issue we had was the motor selection, as the stepper motors did not have enough torque to lift the lid and acrylic window assembly. Furthermore, it was unfortunate that both stepper motors could not initiate a rotation at the same time, rather they had to be operated one at a time.
Key Takeaways:
- We jumped the gun with manufacturing and assembly, and therefore experienced multiple integration issues with the final product. The key takeaway here is that we need to finalize the CAD, including electronics, before beginning manufacturing and assembly.
- We tried to make a very professional product from the beginning, although we should have realized that prototypes do not necessarily need to look nice.
- Although a full semester has been allotted for the project, considering the delays in procurements and multiple last minute changes, we had roughly a week for final assembly. In the future we need to a lot more time for design.