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Spring into Summer Ambassador Competition: Robotic Banana Slug - Part 1

2021-09-22 | By Eliot Wachtel

License: See Original Project

Project Concept:

The University of California, Santa Cruz entry for the Spring into Summer Ambassador Design Competition is to construct a robotic banana slug inspired by our mascot Sammy the banana slug.

We plan to create a robotic banana slug capable of moving along the ground in a way which replicates the look of an actual Santa Cruz native banana slug. It will slowly move along the ground twisting its yellow body to turn and sensing the environment with forward facing tentacles.

Specifications:

The mechatronic slug will be battery powered, and operate autonomously, navigating and reacting to the environment in which it is placed. It will be propelled forward with electrically driven, hidden wheels and turned by a driven pulley system which will contort the body, changing the alignment of the wheels and causing it to turn.The model eye-stalks on the front will be connected to limit switches allowing the slug to react to obstructions in its path. An onboard IMU will add to the slug’s sensory capabilities, allowing it to detect falls, crashes, and attacking “predators”. All of the slug’s functions will be controlled with an Arduino Nano Every and it’s body structure will be 3D printed out of yellow TPU giving it both a bright yellow color and a flexible structure to hold all of the electrical and mechanical elements.

Plan of Action:

The plan is to select components from the Digi-Key catalog, design the PCBs and then slug structure in Fusion 360, write the code in the Arduino IDE, and then put it all together into a functional finished product.

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