Overview

Adafruit Titan

Over summer 2019, I learned how to build physical objects through Berkeley's prototyping and fabrication class (DES INV 22). We learned different ways to fabricate through weekly projects, including laser-cutting, soldering, and 3D printing.

The "Titan", named for its ability to overcome anything in its path, was my culminating project of the course. Click here to see the final prototype in action!

Inspired by the vehicle from Tron Legacy (Light Runner)

Timeline

July — August 2019

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Partner

Edward Chen

Objective

Process

Chassis prototype

Motorizing and wiring

Wheels

Refinement and testing

Complete an obstacle course, including:

varied terrain
four-to-one incline slope

Chassis

Prototype 1

Low-fidelity

Prototype 2

Making a laser-cut, movable prototype

Prototype 2

With top-flap attached

Prototype 3

Modularizing the chassis with finger joints

We wanted to make the new chassis without glue so that we could easily put it together and take it apart if needed. To do this, we created finger joints across the entire frame, which became an intricate process since the joints needed to be carefully sanded to have the right fit.

The other change, which you can see above, was curving the side of the body to reduce the stress on the chassis.

Motorizing + Wiring

Wiring

Hover to see the wiring placed in the chassis~

Initial test run to check the bluetooth controls

This test checked out the wiring and remote control. We wanted to use the acrylic wheel as a hub for the main wheels, also to strengthen the connection to the motors. This was not best design decision since the acrylic broke quickly, so we decided to build our own motor hub.

Wheels

Acrylic made to precisely fit motor

V1: Main wheels connected with acrylic

V2: Stronger outer wheel hub (wood)

Coating wheels with plasti-dip for a rubber-like grip to increase traction

Final Adjustments

Finally, we could test out our vehicle with some of our own obstacles. We did not have an idea of what the final obstacle course would look like, but we designed the "Titan" so that small obstacles wouldn't be a problem. With its rubbery traction and jagged wheel edges, it could also easily climb a 4-1 incline slope.

However, the vehicle was moving too slowly in our initial test. Our final step was to reduce weight of the chassis to give the motors more torque, making the wheels more powerful and able to climb steeper surfaces.

Hover to see the new schematics put together~

The hexagonal design was multi-purposed. It not only made the vehicle lighter, but made it easier to adjust the inside wiring. On top of that, it looked awesome.