Week 7 – An Important Bye Week

Welcome back to my blog! This week was a crucial “bye week”, by which I mean that important progress was made on the TapCap without any tangible results. Mainly, I solved a major production issue for the prototype and figured out the theoretical setup of the electronics. This next week will be used to convert these findings into something more tangible.

Last week, one of the main problems with the prototype was the incorrect sizing. The CAD seemed to have the correct sizing before printing:

(0.90 inches outer diameter, and 0.8 inches inner diameter). Even with the correct sizing on the model, the print was off by a few tenths of an inch, which in this case, was extreme. After troubleshooting with my advisor Mr. Magno, we eventually deduced that the error was in the unit conversion between inches and millimeters between the CAD file and the printer we’re using. This week, we’re working to reprint it with accurate sizing.

This week, I also focused on the automated opening/closing of the valve to let water through the device. I researched into the wiring of motion sensors and how I could connect a push-pull solenoid, and I am waiting for the parts to ship in to actually test out the circuitry.

Push-Pull solenoid, image courtesy of uxcell on Amazon.

Motion sensor module, image courtesy of HiLetgo on Amazon. Over the course of the coming week, my plan is to set up the electrical connections and test out the next iteration of the TapCap prototype. I’ll see you all next week!