Fab Zootrope

Final Project - Fab Zoetrope

The final project that me and Juliana Henno (also a continuing student from FabAcademy 2013) chose to make is a 3D Zoetrope. The idea of the 3D Zoetrope is that we could build a motorized platform that could be adjusted in relation of the blinking LED. The strobe effect generated by the blinking LEDs will cause an illusion of a camera shutter in which the flickering image(s) on the platform will give an idea of being in a constant motion without any breaks or intervals. In order to amplify the contrast between darkness and light, the platform was projected to be enclosed inside of a container. This way, the light would be blocked from outside and the only brightness inside would be provided by the Strobe blinking effect. Another reason we decided to go for this project is that it encompasses most of the assignments previously made in the course. As it will be clear in the topics below, assignments like Computer-Aided Design, Computer-controlled Cutting, Electronics Production, 3D Scanning and Printing, Electronics Design, Embedded Programming, Machine Design and Output Devices.

The microcontroller board and motor driver

To do the microcontrollers board and motor driver, I worked with this assignments:

Output - Motor drive board [ see my Output_devices]

Electronics production - FabISP to programm the board [ see my Electronics_production]

Electronics design - Microcontroller [ see my Electronics_Design]

Programming - Code to board [ see my Embedded_programming]

Networking (I tried but it didn't work ) [ see my Networking_and_communications]

My microcontroller board

Eagle schematic

Eagle board

Final Board

Programming board

Driver board

Eagle schematic

Eagle board

Final board

Micro + driver + motor

Micro + drivers + motor

Programming the board/driver Output

To programm the board/driver I modified (adapting to Attiny44 board and serial communication) an Arduino example with my tutor Kenzo Abiko help, this is the code:

/* Created 29 Dec. 2008
modified 9 Apr 2012
by Tom Igoe
modified October 2017
by Alex Gacia And Kenzo Abiko
This example code is in the public domain.
*/
#include 
SoftwareSerial mySerial(0,1); // RX, TX
const int analogInPin = A3;  // Academy driver potentiometer is attached to
const int analogOutPin = 8; // Attiny Board  output pin that
the motor is attached to
int sensorValue = 0;        // value read from the pot
int outputValue = 0;        // value output to the PWM (analog out)

void setup() {
// initialize serial communications at 9600 bps:
mySerial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
// read the analog in value:
sensorValue = analogRead(analogInPin);
// map it to the range of the analog out:
outputValue = map(sensorValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255);
// change the analog out value:
analogWrite(analogOutPin, outputValue);

// print the results to the serial monitor:
mySerial.print("sensor = " );
mySerial.print(sensorValue);
mySerial.print("\t output = ");
mySerial.println(outputValue);
delay(100);
}

InPut-OutPut from Alex Angelo on Vimeo.

The network/communication

The network/communication between the controller boards (LED and Motor) to syncronize the base movement and the light effect, was not able to do. I need more technical expertise to understand the network/communication using Attiny 44A. I had difficulties with the Arduino IDE libraries as described in my network/communication assignment. This assignment I succeed in blink a led board as a slave, but not sync the motor and the LED array.