1. Ryan O’Connor

2. The Problem  The problem identified is that it is difficult to effectively lay down straight and accurate foul lines on a baseball field, making it difficult for player and umpires to distinguish between batted balls which fall fair or foul down these lines.  The equipment used to draw these lines is heavy, difficult to push, and generally uncooperative

3. The Solution  I have devised a machine that uses electrical motors to pull a chassis along a guide-wire, allowing it to pull a basin of chalk and a can of spray paint for the dirt and grass portions of the line, respectively.  The wire would reach from home plate to the foul pole, and would be strung very tightly to minimize path deviation.

4. The Project  The Project was initially planned to be a production-based project with a functioning robot  The robot was to be built from steel components and a single AC motor that would be incorporated into a gearbox that would drive a pair of pulleys on the top of the machine.

5. The Project  The primary objective of this project is to produce a functioning robot system capable of traveling in a straight path while laying down chalk and spray paint for baseball foul lines

6. The Engineering  Electrical – The robot will be powered by a DC battery mounted on the chassis. This battery will be used to power the motor that will drive the gears that pull the robot along the guide wire  Mechanical – The motor will be incorporated into a gearbox that will allow for the pulley system to pull the robot along the wire

7. The Budget  The original budget for this project was about $50.00  My plan was to use parts from my SRC project last year to build the chassis and gearbox  I would spend the $50 on scrap and sheet metal that would be used to build the superstructure  All chalk, paint, and the basin would be provided by the Landstown Baseball team

8. The Budget  Unfortunately, I had to wait until December to confirm whether or not I would be able to use the chassis  I was then informed that I could not  I then looked into potentially buying the parts myself

9. The Budget  The robot chassis would cost between $350 and $550  Each high-torque motor would cost between $50 and $150  The gears, hardware, and electrical supplies would total to approximately $50  In total, a functioning machine would cost between $500 and $900 to build

10. The Budget  This budget made self-funding the project entirely unfeasible  I was then forced to reevaluate my Senior Design Project

11. The New Project  As such, I had to transition my functioning project to a series of 2D and 3D CADD drawings (Computer Aided Drafting and Design)

12. The Learning Curve  Unfortunately, in nearly four years at Landstown, I have never taken a CADD class, and have never used the intricate, advanced drafting software needed  As such, I had to teach myself how to use AutoCAD to produce 2D drawings  I also had to teach myself how to use Autodesk Inventor Professional to produce my 3D drawings and models

13. My first “CADD”

14. My initial technical drawings

15. The Design Process  I began by designing the chassis for the robot, based on the GearsED  I measured the specifications from the GearsED chassis I used last year

16. The Design Process  I used these specifications to design a to-scale model of the chassis

17. The Design Process  I took these designs and created a 3D version, along with two axels and 4 wheels to complete the chassis

18. The Design Process  After completing the Chassis, I devised the superstructure of the robot

19. The Design Process  I again incorporated these designs into my 3D model of the chassis

20. The Design Process  After the Superstructure was complete, I designed a model of the motor that I would buy and utilize in my robot

21. The Design Process  I then took the motor and incorporated it into the superstructure assembly