4th year university project ideas????

[tomohawk]

I am currently about to start my 4th and final year of a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Massey Uni, palmy, NZ) majoring in Automation and Control, and need an idea for my final project as i need to come up with an idea soonish so i can start planning ect.. I want my project to involve electronics (picaxe driven maby??) and also mechanical but have no specific ideas....
If anyone has done or has any good ideas that would suit my project, any ideas would be greatly appreciated...

Cheers

Tom

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[Rickharris]

robotics? There is a lot of subject there. Small robots, Swarm behavour, inter relationships. Learning vehicles,

have a look at <A href='http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbolt/edz.htm' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>

This could lead to and or include factory automation, AGVs, Robot arms lots of directions. A brows through the google directory for Technology/robots/research will show you lots of current research.

[hippy]

I was thinking the same - A self balancing two-wheeled robot always looks impressive.

Edited by - hippy on 1/23/2006 9:51:33 PM

[Technical]

After a self balancing two wheel robot?...

http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/05/wowwee-reveals-next-gen-robosapien-two-others/

[Stan. SWAN]

Tom -now you're talking! I've had no end of flack re Picaxes for serious projects &amp; welcome a grass roots uptake as proof indeed that they're suitable. Hope you've read the great Jan. 2006 &quot;Silicon Chip&quot; article on Picaxe 40X use in a Holden concept car?

Since you're just up the road from my own Massey (Wellington) base perhaps we'd better toss ideas around in 1:1 email. As a result of having supervised numerous final projects, I FIRST recommend WRITTEN topic clarification with your official supervisor, as misunderstanding on level &amp; focus may otherwise arise leading to much frustration...

Naturally your electronic /programming/ technical skills need consideration- don't begin anything too ambitious if you're still a microcontroller novice! Stan

[BeanieBots]

Obviously I second the robotic theme, but the most important aspect is that it MUST be something YOU are interested in. Unless you have a genuine interest in the final goal, enthusiasm will fade at each hurdle rather than intensify.

[tomohawk]

Cheers guys, i am still just a novice at the microcontroler at present but this forum is very helpful and am becoming more familiar with electronics side of things.. Stan, what is an email address i can get hold of you with?
Cheers

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[Stan. SWAN]

Click the little &quot;Show Profile&quot; head. I've emailed you anyway. Stan

[Jeremy Leach]

I've been interested in the idea of optimising wind generators to extract as much energy out of the wind as possible. And also temporary storage of the energy (to smooth out fluctuations and enable a steady drive, by lifting a heavy mass etc.)

It might be a bit ambitious, but maybe there's scope for a simple PICAXE managed control system to adjust rotor pitch etc. A green theme would be topical these days ? ;-)

[Stan. SWAN]

Jeremy - interesting idea! This'll rapidly get WELL off topic, but other &quot;poorman&quot; wind energy storage technique involve pumping water to a height, or compressing air in old truck tubes. Neither is that efficient compared with electro chem batteries. From my experiences I feel too much wind energy may mean oversizing, &amp; you're better off dumping the Joules into heating water...

[Jeremy Leach]

I can't confess to knowing much about wind generators, but it has been something I've mulled over a bit.

I've always thought that you'd need some sort of automatic gearbox, or adjustment of rotor angle, to extract energy efficiently - e.g at very low windspeed the rotor only trickles energy into the energy store ...in high wind it transfers much more energy per rotation. I'm sure it's a pretty complex subject really.

Mechanical gearboxes would be a bit tricky to make ...so I've thought that you could use some form of waterpump with a set of digitally controlled outlet valves to control the height the water rose to. In windy conditions you open the valve that sends the water to the top of the tower. At low...to the bottom. Have vertical storage sections...

I just think there are quite a few ideas relating to wind energy, that fit quite nicely with a control and automation theme.

[c6jones720]

If you guys are going to do a wind turbine for electricty generation then there is a wealth of information on the internet. If you're trying to generate electricty you are best off looking at a horizontally alligned turbine