Week 1: Plan and Sketch a Potential Final Project and CAD
Have you ever wondered how rocks form and how old they are? Most rocks are older than our country and human civilization.
This makes me think about how extraordinary rocks are and the stories they hold. A single rock can be carved into a statue of a god, worshipped by many, or used as a foundation stone for a massive project. From making fire in ancient times to modern geothermal extraction, rocks have always been essential to us.
Have you ever considered how much rocks have given to us? To honor their contribution to human civilization, I wanted to create a smart rock pet. This way, I can look at it every day and appreciate its role in our existence.
Image generated using DALL-E 3 and the prompt: "A smart rock pet with two eyes and a smart sensor that can see people coming and speaking, reacting according to people's reactions. The rock is placed on a platform like a box where all the electronics are stored."
Vision
My plan is to carve out a large riverbed boulder or a nearly round rock. This rock will sit on a 3D-printed box that will also contain other essential electronics and minicomputers. The main features of this pet rock will include eyes that light up when someone approaches or when it hears someone talking. Additionally, it can track people’s movements, so the eyes will follow anyone moving in front of it. If time and resources permit, I’d like to add speaking capabilities as well. I envision this project as a blend of art, technology, and engineering geology.
Potential Difficulties
To make this project work, I have to learn and develop skills I do not possess right now. These include:
- 3D printing
- Carving the rock
- Electronic assemblies
- Design and fabrication of the digital components
- Writing code for the chip level
- Image correlation
- Sound detection
I am ready to take this opportunity to learn as much as possible and gain an experience that I will remember throughout my life.
CAD
I’ve used CAD before, but mostly the 2D versions. I’m not quite good at 3D CAD software like Fusion360. I’ve designed simple components with it, but those designs didn’t require much CAD knowledge. Recently, I created a simple platen for a biaxial setup in our lab for the Brazilian test. I didn’t machine the platen myself; I got help from the MIT machine shop.
Final project concept in CAD
This STL file will be updated in the coming weeks.