Design Prototype I

This prototype served to demonstrate the feasibility of a mechanical gimbal and the proposed method of deployment. The assembly process was also subsequently reevaluated in order to completely remove the usage of adhesives, as adhesive materials caused the ball bearings to be misaligned, resulting in the gimbal having issues rotating with the dummy weight used.

Future iterations were likely to see the outer gimbal platform being composed of metal (likely aluminum), with the ball bearings being press-fitted into the platform and into the gimbal base caps. This would have removed any possibility of misalignment caused by the use of adhesives. Additionally, the various wooden dowels shown would have been replaced with 0.25" metal rods (also aluminum), which could be purchased from various online vendors at a reasonable price. Preliminary research suggested that 2x 1l long 0.25" diameter Aluminum Rods could be purchased for as little as $3 USD before shipping. These rods would also likely be press-fitted into their respective slots. While the final design would eventually be modified, this prototype ultimately allowed the team to confirm the viability of using a passive method for rotating the camera system normal to Earth's gravitational vector.

Due to errors within the design process on the side of the Electrical Division, the final design would be modified extensively to allow for the inclusion of a 6-inch antenna. These changes are present within Prototype II, outlined below.

Physical Payload Prototype I

The above image depicts the first prototype for the Payload's mechanical gimbal. Note that this image does not contain the method for deployment which utilized a NEMA 17 Stepper Motor.

Design Prototype II

The second prototype (right) contained most of the finalized gimbal systems and used placeholder wooden rods to keep the system together. Later revisions of the design saw the M2 screws that would have been used to hold the aluminum variants of the wooden supports being replaced with two threaded rods. This was due to the Mechanical Division becoming extremely uneasy about the expected shear stresses acting onto those tiny screws under maximum rocket acceleration (~21 G's).

Physical Payload Prototype II

The above image depicts the second prototype for the Payload's mechanical gimbal. This prototype served to allow the Mechanical Engineering division to begin assembling the mechanical systems to determine aspects that required redesigns and miscellaneous revisions.

Design Prototype III

The third prototype (right) was generated while the team was designing the payload's deployment system. This system would house the NEMA 17 Stepper Motor, which would be deploying the payload system out of the rocket body tube, effectively seperating the payload from the rocket's parachutes completely, avoiding damages caused by the rocket being dragged around by the primary parachute. This prototype allowed the team to ensure that the design generated on paper made practical and logical sense in reality. This prototype was used to fit the NEMA 17 and her associated sensors, power systems, motor drivers, and onboard computers (namely a Raspberry Pi) These components would be attached to the acrylic electrical platforms, which are the clear panels shown in the image to the right.

This prototype used 3D-printed end plates as a placeholder for the aluminum bulkheads that would eventually be used to encase the system. The 3D-printed standoffs would not be replaced due to their structures being supported by custom-built quarter-inch screws, which were hand-crafted from 1/4" 20 all-threads and corresponding nuts. Importantly, the acrylic platforms allowed for increased internal space for various components, and it allowed for the Electrical Division to be able to easily troubleshoot their electronics. These transparent platforms would prove extremely useful while running design tests leading up to the rocket's final launch in Alabama.

Physical Payload Prototype II

The above image depicts the prototype of the payload's deployment bay. This design would not see many changes following the prototype's debut; however, the endplates would be replaced with Aluminum bulkheads to protect the electronics from black-powder charges, which would be responsible for the main parachute's deployment.

Overview

The team's design utilizes both passive and active orientation capabilities to ensure that the Electrical Components of the challenge system are able to adequately receive and act upon various transmissions delivered by NASA. The system uses a passive quadruple-bearing gimbal system to passively rotate the electronics normal to Earth's gravitational vector. This system also has a protective cover that spins down first to ensure that the electronics are not damaged by debris. The system then employs an active motor to elevate a camera platform such that both the camera and the antenna are above the local surface, ensuring reliable surveillance and transmission capabilities. The design also includes a Rotating Thread-Rod Deployment System (RTRDS) to completely separate from the transport vehicle during deployment. The RTDS uses a NEMA 17 Stepper Motor to push the payload out of the rocker body tube, preventing the systems from being damaged as a result of the rocket's parachutes pulling the system to various areas.

Images

Full system from chute connection to nosecose.

Final Design Demo

The above video depicts the payload being deployed out of the rocket body tube. After it has been deployed, the camera systems are enabled and the system begins executing NASA's commands. The deployment has been sped up significantly. In real-time, deployment takes about 1.5 minutes.