Design Review Part 1: Detailed Plans for the Desk Toy

For my final project, I am going to create a desk toy with a trinket of some sort that moves up and down. My vision for the project is to make something simple, yet still interesting to look at. I want it to express my interests outside of engineering.

There are a number of materials that I will need in order to make this project:

• Acrylic, for the box
• Acrylic or PLA, for the trinket
• Switch
• Arduino
• Battery
• Motor
• Wiring
• Support material for the trinket
• Miscellaneous hardware

There are two different aesthetics that I hope to incorporate into my project; one for the box, and one for the trinket. For the box, the aesthetic that I will be going with is “minimalism”. Generally, minimalism in art is described as “sleek, geometric works” and having an “emphasis on the physical space occupied by the artwork” [1]. This applies to my work because I am very conscious of how large the box will be, where it can fit/should fit, and making sure it won’t detract from the main focal point which is the trinket. For my project, a box is just a box. There won’t be any decorative or intricate details, and it will most likely be one solid color. It really only exists because it is necessary to hold all the electronics and to serve as a sturdy base.

[1] https://www.theartstory.org/movement/minimalism/

As far as the design itself, I plan on using MakerCase.com in order to create the template for the laser cutter. The picture below shows an example of what my box will look like. However, I will need to edit the files or make a second set of laser cuts in order to add holes that are not shown here. Specifically, a hole for the switch in the front, a hole for the trinket in the top, and a removable section in the back for access to the batteries. As of this moment, the exact dimensions have not been determined, as it highly depends on the electronic configuration.

The aesthetic choice for the trinket is fandom. Generally, a fandom is any fanbase for a certain piece of pop culture. The pictures I have included below encapsulate the fandoms that mean the most to me. They are (from left to right) Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, space in general, My Chemical Romance, and Good Omens. There are a lot of options that can explored by using a fandom for inspiration. Favorite characters, logos/insignias, quotes, etc. I’m very excited to explore this aesthetic and choose something that I feel really represents who I am outside of engineering. I’m ready to let my nerd flag fly!

Image Sources:
imgur.com/gallery/aOClkcy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HP_-_Harry_Potter_wordmark.svg
https://inkbox.com/products/dominion?artist_name=kiryadi
https://www.mychemicalromance.com/
goodomensillustrated.com/

One of the biggest design challenges I have is figuring out how to make the trinket move up and down. So far, I see two different paths that can be taken. The first, which I had discussed in a previous post, is to use a one-way motor and a specially shaped bar that would allow the trinket to move up and down. Much like a merry-go-round setup, this would alleviate the need for multiple commands from the Arduino. However, it is problematic because it creates an issue with balancing the trinket. The second option is to use a traditional two-way motor. This would mean that I would not have to worry about the balancing issue for the trinket, but it would mean more complicated controls.

Image Source: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Carousel.html

Presentation (also linked in Design Review Part 2 post)