Playdough Automation Line

This project was to design and build a Playdough automation line in a semester for a robotics class, coding in RobotC and building using VEX Robotics hardware. As my team’s project manager, I was to create and manage task deadlines (through the use of a Gantt Chart) for all aspects of the team project, as well as handle matters of discipline and warnings regarding teamwork and respect amongst the 9 members of the team.

The automation line itself was split into 4 parts: preparing the cups, dropping Playdough into the cup, capping the cup, and packaging the cup. The team was split up into mini groups of 2-3 to do each part. There were five stages to the project: research, planning, building, coding, and testing.

For research, the team learned more about modern automation line designs used by companies in their respective factories. Members noted design elements that they would consider for their own part of the automation line.

For planning, each of the team’s mini groups took their own research and sketched multiple designs for their own part. I had all the groups meet with their preceding and succeeding groups (in regards to their portion within the automation line) to ensure designs of each part of the line would be able to combine with each other. Designs would first be approved by me before being passed on to the teacher for approval to continue onto the next stage of the project.

For the following stages, building and coding, each mini group designated a member (or two for the group of 3) for each stage. The member designated to code would first assist their partner in building, before switching to coding their portion of the automation line midway through the building portion of the timeline.

For building, as mentioned earlier, each part of the automation line would be built using VEX Robotics hardware. Based on sketches created during the Planning phase, all group members would begin building their portion of the automation line. Sketches would be readjusted as applicable and groups would request to meet with me or other groups within the team to discuss any issues or confusion on how their part could be properly combined with preceding or succeeding parts.

For coding, this task would start for designated members halfway through the building phase. Members would code, using RobotC, their part of the automation line in order for it to complete its respective operation. Ideally, this stage would be completed at the same time as the building stage so each group would be able to first test their respective part of the automation line. However, this did not happen, so both builders and coders had to assist their partners in order to complete both stages to meet the team’s deadlines.

For testing, the team would first undergo unit testing, where each group would test their own parts of the automation line until each part successfully works as expected. After all unit tests passed, then the full assembly line would be assembled and tested as a whole. It was at the end of this stage when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, so this stage was not able to be fully completed. Our team’s automation line was able to be combined but not fully tested. Likewise, we were not able to present our project as initially intended.

Overall, this project gave me experience with working with a team, handling project management matters, and completing a full project from initial research to a successful working end product. This was also the project that compelled me to major in computer science, as I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process of the project, especially the coding aspect of it.