Thursday, August 5, 2010

COCONUT TREE CLIMBER

A HOBBY PROJECT
Abstract: Attempt to design a coconut tree climber machine. Description: Main Components : BELT1, BELT2, BELT3, Robotic Arm, Leaf Cutter, Pipe Pairs X , Pipe Pairs Y

{Fig.1 .Skelton of Coconut Climber}






1.Working

{Fig.2}

The system works in two phases:

Climbing phase
Climbing phase does the climbing of the coconut tree. As shown in Fig .1, the machine has 3 belts. The user intialy has to place the machine at the bottom of coconut tree and tie the belts across the tree in a loosely manner.

Stage 1:When user press the Climbing phase switch belt 2 and Belt 3 tightens and machine's pipe pair X is tied tightly to the tree. The microcontroller orders the machine to start up motor M and it
{ Fig.3}
makes the pipe Y to be lifted up as shown in Fig.4. As the pipe Y
lifted to it maximum the belt 1 is tightened.


Stage 2:As a next step belt1 is tightened, belt 2 and 3 are made loose. The motor N's blade wheels are connected to two pulleys, which initially is wound with two seperate plastic strings, whose one end attached to Motor M and pipe X, the other end tied at fixture of motor N. Now when motor N rotates, the strings are wound over the pulleys and it lifts motor M and pipe pairs X (Fig. 4)
{Fig.4}
As stage 1 and stage 2 repeats the machine climbs the coconut tree. To handle the bends of the coconut tree the pipe X pair and pipe Y pair joining points can be made tiltable as shown in Fig. 5

Between the two motors is fixed the battery to run the two motors. Also the programmed microcontroller board placed to control the ON and OFF states of motors M and N. The Wi-Fi module board is also designed to place near microcontroller board,which accepts the data from the camera and sends to the user at the ground. {Fig.5}

The belts 1,2 and 3 are wound to three platic rods(p1,p2,p3) respectively at one end and other end tied in a fixed rod. As p1 rotates the belt 1 gets winded over p1, the belt1 becomes shorter and thus tighter tied to the coconut tree. To loosen the belt 1 the rod p1 is rotated in reverse direction. Similarly we use p2 and p3 rods to adjust the belts 2 and 3 respectively.

Reaping phase

The reaping phase is handled by the user controlling the coconut climbing machine. There are four micro cameras placed in the machine. Two cameras(C2 & C3) are placed at the top portion of the pipe pair Y. The other two cameras are placed at the Robotic Arm and Leaf Cutter modules of the Coconut

2.2.1.Robotic Arm
{Fig.6}
The Robotic Arm is designed to reap the coconut. It can be controlled by the user looking at the video communicated through network. There will one camera(C1) at the arm of the robotic arm module.

The Robotic arm has four type of joints as shown in Fig.6
Joint 1(J1): The joint 1 is designed to rotate 180 °
Joint 2(J2): The joint 2 is designed to rotate 360°.
Joint 3(J3): The joint 3 is desined so that it can rotate on its on axis 360°.
Joint 4(J4): It is a folder for the figures of robotic arm, it can rotate up to 60°.
2.2.2.Leaf cutter
The Leaf Cutter is designed to cut leafs of the coconut tree. Like robotic arm, it can also be controlled by the user looking at the video communicated through Wi-Fi network. There will one camera(C4) at the arm of the robotic arm module.
The Leaf Cutter has three type of joints as shown in Fig.7{Fig .7}
Joint 1(LJ1): The joint 1 is designed to rotate 180 °
Joint 2(LJ2): The joint 2 is designed to rotate 360°.
Joint 3(LJ3): The joint 3 is designed so that it can rotate on its on axis 360°.
Working of Leaf Cutter : The Leaf Cutter has a saw blade arm which can rotate the blades and cut the coconut leaf truncks as shown in Fig.7. User can place the saw near the coconut leaf trunck by controlling the movements at LJ1 and LJ2. Once the arm is properly placed touching the coconut leaf trunk, the user can select the leaf-cut button for starting the saw rotate. As soon as the cut-stop button in Leaf Cutter module is pressed the saw stops rotating and is place back in its initial position
The machine will climb down only when both Robotic Arm and Leaf Cutter are in Intial Position and CLD switch in remote is pressed.
The rotation at the all joints J1...J3 and LJ1...LJ3 is handled by the motor N. The chains from wheel blades of motor N is connected to wheel blades at the joints. Just like gear change in vechicle the chains fall in different wheel blades for each joints which is controlled via the joint selection mechanism in the users remote. The chains and wheel blades are present inside the internal body of mechanical hands of Robotic Arm and Leaf Cutter as shown in Fig.6.

Limitations :
1.Too Many wheels and chains reduce efficiency
2.High Cost
3.I used battery to run motors, but is it sufficient or power from ground is possible-(have to work out)
4.Lack of domain knowledge as I am a computer science engineer.

Conclusion:

This design is not a complete design in terms of efficiency and cost factors. I just want 2 share my thoughts to u. I am working on better designs...

That s all about my hobby project.