Progress Report/To do list

I completely forgot that we needed to have an updated on the blog by Monday, so here's my (slightly late) to-do list.  Luckily, my favorite thing to do for this class is to make to-do lists, so I have one from Monday, as well as our updated one (as of Thrusday 12/3).

On Monday, what we had done was our MCM.  Here's our to-do from then:

- Find a way to connect the arm to the screw
- Assemble motor box
- Create support for the "other" end of the screw
- Evaluate feasibility of bin flap
- Figure out motor coupling
- Manufacture a way to make the arm telescop

As the week went on, we decided that the bin cover from our original design might not be worth the effort to make.  Most of the machines we have seen have been the "arm in the slot" variety.  The only type of machine that would have a good chance of getting a ball in the slot is one that had a flinging motion over the whole apparatus.  We decided that the only way we'd really do that is if we had an excess of time sometime between then and Monday (which it turns out we won't have).  So we had simplify the design a little bit to eliminate the flap.

Here's what our plan for the week was:

Monday - During lab - create "nut" for attaching screw and arm.  Tap and make sure it runs on the screw
Tuesday - Cut plywood and plan motor box
Wednesday - Manufacture screw end
Thursday - Make sure whole assembly fits in the arena
Friday - Tie up all the loose ends and test

So for now, our loose ends seem to be:

- Build the motor box (leaving room for battery pack, remote control, etc)

- Assemble the end of screw

- Telescoping motion creater (pin of some variety)

- Way to pull up the flap and arm at the end of the screw (we have some ideas)

- Assemble remote control

The good news is that our cars basically block a lot of the "car" variety of machines.  Most of them only move with the slot's direction and won't be able to get around the screw.  We just need to make sure the screw doesn't get misaligned if they run into us.

Hopefully we will get this done by Friday evening, or else we'll have an early morning on Monday to make sure it's all done by 10:30.