Mechanical Design 101

Six-bar Retrieval Linkage for an ROV

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:03:04 +0000

This six-bar linkage was designed to extend from the body of an underwater ROV to retrieve and stow objects positioned by a robotic arm.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Six-bar Trash Dumping Linkage

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:00:10 +0000

This compact six-bar linkage is designed to lift and dump a trash can. Eddie Lee, Peter Lim, Khemara Tep and Kevin Hung worked on the design and construction of the prototype.

This is the SolidWorks animation:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a video of the operation of the prototype:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Six-bar Shelf Linkage

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:46:19 +0000

This six-bar linkage is designed to move a shelf from a position down and forward to a stowed position up and away.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Monitor Six-bar Linkage

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:45:50 +0000

This video shows our latest model for the six-bar linkage that deploys and stows a television monitor. This was designed and built by Eddie Lee, Peter Lim, Khemara Tep and Kevin Hung.

This is a SolidWorks animation of this six-bar linkage:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a video of the prototype:
Click here to view the embedded video.

2010 Formula SAE California

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:24:23 +0000

The Formula SAE California collegiate race car engineering competition opened June 16, 2010 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Student built racecars from all over the world can be seen in photos from this first day of the event. Here is a link to photos of the first day and a link to the 2010 event guide

Pictures from Day 2 can be found at the SAE SoCal facebook page.

PIctures from Day 3 are now available as the Facebook album.

The results are available at the link FSAE California results.

Autonomous Table Soccer at UCI

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:40:05 +0000

The student project for UCI’s MAE 106 mechanical systems laboratory uses a pneumatic kicker to deflect two balls away from its own goal and push them toward the opponents goal.
Click here to view the embedded video.

Theo Jansen’s site

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:18:25 +0000

My link to a video of Theo Jansen’s walking machines seems unreliable, so it is best to go directly to the source: Theo Jansens Strandbeest site

You can access his videos on the page: film

For example, this video is available:
Click here to view the embedded video.

Technical information for mechanical components

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:55:36 +0000

Stock Drive Products Logo

Stock Drive Products has an array of downloadable catalogs with technical information for a range of mechanical components. See the link: Stock Drive Products Catalogs

2010 UCI Energy Invitational, Irvine CA

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:14:27 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

The UCI Energy Invitational has competitors run on a course that combines highway, autocross and metered idle sections with only $1.00 of the energy of their choice. This year six entrants competed on May 23, 2010. Teams from UC Irvine, UC Davis and Cal Poly Pomona formed the collegiate class, and an inventor’s electric three-wheeler, a first generation Honda Insight and a Smarte Car formed the enthusiast class.

Mechanism Generator

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:45:25 +0000

If you are interested in the Mechanism Generator SolidWorks add-in, then please contact Alex Arredondo. You can contact Prof. McCarthy for Mathematica design routines.