Final Report Part 1: Cardboard Grabber

Introduction

This post I will discuss about my original plans to pivot once the it became clear during the COVID closures that my project would not be able to be completed to fit my vision that I set out in the previous weeks. I had planned to design a 3D, wearable arm that went from the shoulder down that fully enclosed the arm and hidden controls to work the individual fingers of the arm. This was going to require precise cuts, support structures, and a hefty amount of adhesive materials. With all of these required materials and machines no longer being available, I had to sacrifice this idea of the design and go back to an outer 2D shield that simply hid the outside of the arm to the spectator’s view.

Vision

I still wanted to find a way to achieve the ironman aesthetic I had originally set out for, and finding a way to achieve this in quarantine proved challenging. I then decided to move towards the ironman mark one armor, which had very visible welding marks on the outside.

Timeline

For my new timeline, I had to reshape the goals and milestones of the project:

1-8 APR: Source available cardboard and adhesive material throughout the house

9-14 APR: Cut, shape, and mold the aesthetic design for the supporting arm

15-21 APR: Add in aesthetic techniques to achieve the Mark One iron man look

22 APR: Present final designs to class

Construction

The way I planned to achieve the mark-one look was to incorporate fire. I used a kitchen torch to burn the cardboard to create lines and patterns that resemble the armor, as well as make it appear as there were welding marks on the arm itself.