A project for engineering students?

Grass Hopper

Sorry if this is in the wrong section but do engineering students still make projects for their final year .

I have an idea for a piece of equipment that would need some fairly precise making and also would include some electrical components...motors etc.
Obviously I would be willing to supply all the materials needed and a small payoff at the end when I have a usable product.

Does this sound like a runner or am I better going to a specialist firm.

PM if interested

TIA
GH

Patch85

Yes I am an engineer in my final year and we still do make projects can you tell me what it is exactly you wish to make, I am in the mechanical dept by the way if this suits you.

Grass Hopper

Patch85 wrote: »

Yes I am an engineer in my final year and we still do make projects can you tell me what it is exactly you wish to make, I am in the mechanical dept by the way if this suits you.

The projest I had in mind is a camera crane,something maybe 4 or 5 meters in length that can be quickly assembled and disassemled again to fit neatly in the back of a small van.
It would have to be rock solid but lightweight and if you wanted a challenge I would be interested in fitting a motorised head to it using whatever motors are readily available.

Sound do-able

Something like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeUeXCaqfUA

Patch85

Grass Hopper wrote: »

Something like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeUeXCaqfUA

This looks pretty interesting, mechanically there is not much to really except selecting the right material that is light weight, not corrosive, I reckon relatively cheap, and durable. This would probably be an aluminium alloy material. The costs would prob be with the motors and finding motors that will be of some quality with x number of years lifespan.
To be honest I am not sure if I would be willing to do this I need to see if its enough engineering as a Mechanical student to choose this project. Give me a week to do some research and costings. Where are you from by the way. Some details I would like is;

Max weight of the camera (carry Load)
Max Height when the crane is extended
Any other requests.

kirving

Not in LIT, but in Final Year of Mech. in DIT.

This kind of thing would be typical of a project, but maybe for a Level 7 degree if you want it simple. I don't think that there's quite enough theory (and chance to demonstrate much of whats been learned over the past 3 years) involved for a Level 8 (Manufacturing or Mechanical) project, unless there was a level of electronic control.

Still, I think if it were to be pushed in the right direction, by maybe designing for mass manufacture, using carbon fibre so it could be fitted to a backpack, or developing a control system where you could pre-program movements, it would be an excellent project. Lots of stress theory, computer modelling, material/cost calculation and electronic control if required.

Your best bet is to find the name of the course head of Mech. Eng. in LIT, or wherever and give them a ring or email and say you have a project there which could be altered slightly in one way or another to suit a student. 95% you're too late for this year's projects tho, I'm already 8 weeks into my project, and everyone has projecs sorted already, in DIT anyway.

Regards,
Kev

Grass Hopper

Patch85 wrote: »

This looks pretty interesting, mechanically there is not much to really except selecting the right material that is light weight, not corrosive, I reckon relatively cheap, and durable. This would probably be an aluminium alloy material. The costs would prob be with the motors and finding motors that will be of some quality with x number of years lifespan.
To be honest I am not sure if I would be willing to do this I need to see if its enough engineering as a Mechanical student to choose this project. Give me a week to do some research and costings. Where are you from by the way. Some details I would like is;

Max weight of the camera (carry Load)
Max Height when the crane is extended
Any other requests.

My current camera weighs in at just shy of 3kgs and although I am upgrading to camera in the new year to a lighter model I would like to future proof the jib by allowing for 5kg cameras or even more if possible without making the design and weight of the crane too big and cumbersome.
Max height put simply is again as high as we can make it but keeping the whole thing compact and quick to assemble but minimum would be around 4meters and at a push I currently dont see a need for more than 6 meters at the moment but again a design that would not limit this in future would be great.
The pan and tilt head would ideally be run using low noise motors and ones that are fluid in motion,no jerky stops or starts and ideally be controlled with a joystick as in the video above leaving a hand free to operate the zoom/record controls.
I have a suitable tripod with levelling bowl and fluid head for mounting so it really leaves it down to getting the jib lightweight and the motorised head and controls working smoothly which I'm sure is a bigger job than it sounds.

I am located in Kerry and do promotional videos for engineering companies usually involved in agriculture and also produce dvds based on machinery operators and their business'.

Below is a sample of a recent Youtube video made just for fun but might give you an idea why it is important to keep this jib simple and portable to keep pace with machines being videod but keep its motion fluid for a better end result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1hLVpCbGoc