Week 1: Sketch a possible final project, using some of the design tools.

One possible project is to make a portable, motorized, rechargeable, smart, hand-spinning "wheel".

Here's a picture of a prototype that I made last year. It uses a nice brushless DC motor with a back emf controller. Good motor, but the controller does not work well at low speeds. Here are some of the things that need to be done to make this cheap, useful, and easy to make:

1. Better motor controller. Cheaper motor? Brushed DC motor may be OK. In that case, control is simpler!

2. Improve mechanics: better way to drive - perhaps directly attach motor to shaft. Better friction belt.

3. Packaging - put the whole thing in a laptop-sized box (or use a laptop case). Motor pops up on a hinge as it opens.

4. Some electronics for display of speed. Speed control (wireless foot switch?) control of acceleration? Other smart features?

5. Battery charger and battery. I remember that the prototype should be able to run for some hours on a laptop battery.

6. New spindle arm. Needs to be light and low friction and strong. 3D printer material maybe. How about a mold?

Here is an Inkscape drawing of the spinning machine. 

Inkscape:

Straight lines drawn with Bezier tool and control key.  Odd.
Can convert objects to path.  Don’t know yet how to get lines established around a path created this way.
Not quite as nice as MacDraw, but has the same feel!