The Supreme Machine

Design Overview:

The ME 2110 competition for Spring 2018 mandated that a machine be designed and built to fulfill a number of tasks. The goal of this machine involves creating a device that is capable of expelling Thanos, bringing Hulk home, collecting infinity stones, sorting rocks and infinity stones, and securing the gauntlet.

In order to determine the best way to complete these goals, several planning tools such as a house of quality, function tree, and morph chart were utilized. Using these tools, five design alternatives were developed and evaluated to determine the most effective final design concept. An evaluation matrix was used to rank each design based on certain criteria such as gauntlet retrieval, compact size, and fast operation.

Competition Objectives:

The machine must autonomously push Thanos out of the universe
Bring Hulk into the universe
Sort the infinity gems (positive points) and rocks (negative points)
Safely retrieve the gauntlet from the teleportation chair

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Competition Constraints:

The machine must fit in a 12’X24’X18’ box
It can only be powered by five mousetraps, a charged pneumatic tank, power from a controller box, and gravity

Sort the infinity gems and rocks
must finish the four main objectives in under 40 seconds
maximum production cost of 100 dollars

Planning Tools

House of Quality

According to the house of quality, the most important explicit or implicit engineering requirements were: structural strength, operation success rate, and production cost. In order for the machine to withstand testing and multiple rounds of competition, structural strength is very important. Production cost is another engineering requirement. The machine has a limit of 100 dollars which limits the purchase of certain materials. The house of quality also outlines customer requirements. The most important customer requirements include durability and retrieving the gauntlet. The machine must be able to run multiple times without fatigue.

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The function tree outlines a plan in order to achieve the main objective of obtaining points. In order to obtain points, the machine must fulfill the subfunctions. Subfunctions include expelling Thanos, bringing Hulk home, bringing the gems into the universe, and taking the gauntlet from the teleportation chair. However, each subfunction does not have the same impact on the main function of obtaining points. Taking the teleportation chair has a bigger impact on the final score than expelling Thanos. Obtaining the gauntlet may double or even triple gem points. However, not expelling Thanos only leads to negative thirteen points. Ideally, all subsystems will work and all subfunctions will be attained. Some subfunctions may be sacrificed to maximize the number of points.

Function Tree

Prioritizaton Matrix

The prioritization matrix gives the team a better understanding of specific tasks needed to design and manufacture the machine. Performance testing is more important than buying materials. While buying materials is important, testing the machine will help to find possible problems that may occur during competition. Manufacturing is also very important and has the second highest priority.

The Gantt Chart helps to create a weekly timeline of required tasks for the duration of the project. For example, rescuing Hulk is a task for the second week of the final design project. While combining all the parts into a final machine is a task for the last week before the competition. Each week has a new task or goal. Week 3 and 4 are important in creating a mechanism that collects gems. All of the weekly tasks help to build a final product at the end of 6 weeks and organizes the work needed to be finished each week.

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Gantt Chart

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In order to streamline the design process, the specifications sheet organizes

predetermined technical features and associated target values. For this design project, the specification sheet offers a template for designing subsystems and the whole system. Many of the specification are determined by the customer in the official instructions.

The morph chart details multiple solutions for each subfunction. For example, pushing out Thanos can be achieved in multiple ways. The machine can roll a weighted object down a ramp, use a kicking mechanism, use a guided ramp, or even use a linkage system to push Thanos. Similarly, grabbing hulk can be achieved in multiple ways. Hulk can be obtained by using a lacrosse arm mechanism that pulls and puts a net around Hulk. Hulk can even be pulled into the universe by an arm that utilizes a slapping mechanism to pushes him. The morph chart displays multiple ideas and ways of fulfilling the function of obtaining points.

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The job responsibility matrix in figure 6 is a vital part of the team’s overall success in order to complete the project. With the right allocation of each member’s skill, the project will be more organized and on-time. By dividing manufacturing, programming, report writing, video production, and Solidworks modeling amongst group members, each aspect can be specialized. Each component will inevitably be better and created on-time if each member has specialization.

Selected Design

Rocks were rubber balls that would hit the second wall, which was higher and would fall through the hole. Gems were plastic and diamond shaped. They would hit the first wall, avoid the hole and fall under the second wall. Gems would be stored in the machine and balls would fall into next team's universe.

Alternative Design #1

Gems would fall between walls and be collected. Balls would roll on top of the walls, like using them like rails, then fall through the lower ramp and into another team's universe.