Instructable Post

http://www.instructables.com/id/Mechanical-Winged-Top-Hat/

What I did 12/1 - 12/4

Since we're coming down to the last few days of the assignment I'll do a few updates:

Thomas gave me a link that provided me with a layout for my arduino circuit and the code to program the arduino:

• http://tinkr.de/blog/hack-a-canon-camera-and-controll-it-with-an-arduino/
• Instead of the camera the top two wires (green and blue) are going to the switch wires. Use a low value resistor like 100Ω.
• Then you need to figure out how to program the photocell to turn the trigger  pin to high.

So I laid that out using a bread board. My plan was to add attach the circuit via the override button but that didn't respond. Instead, I found if I hooked the arduino circuit to the photocell wires, then the arduino could control the rotation. 

What I did 11/28 - 11/30

After thanksgiving I was able to show Thomas how much progress I had made on the wing motor.

Basically, there is one on/off switch (that's the big red button). So you can push that once to turn it on and the gear shaft goes through a single rotation (making the wings go up and down). To stop it from goes on forever, there is a switch near the propeller which switchs the motor off once it goes around once. This does not actually switch it off (everything is still powered) so the red button needs to be pushed once again to turn it all the way off.

To override this switch is a button which will override the single rotation (though you have to push it each time it goes around in order to make it continuous otherwise the switch continues to turn off the motor).

Other than turning the device on and off again, there is another way for the motor to be activated. This is the photocell, which, as previously mentioned, only works via a strobe light. 

11/28 - 11/30

The major issue which I had to deal with was the lack of an arduino. Thomas wanted there to be a device put into the circuit so it could be controlled/automated. So I spent a class period researching how to do that.

The other thing I dealt with was how to get the piece into the previously shown hat. The crankshaft is longer than the hat so both sides are sticking out (thus the existence of the propeller). My solution, based on measurements/geometry, is to cut off half of the top of the hat so the box frame of the device can go in (the wings and their hing mechanism as well as the propeller can be unscrewed). Half of the top of the top hat will be cut so it opens. One side (the one with the propeller) will be where the top hat "opens". It will also have a slit down the side where the crankshaft can go down after you stick the other two points inward (said slit might be moved to the back with the wings depending on preference).

On wednesday, I soldered a 6 volt battery holder to a connector which can go in the arduino to power it. I also included a switch in this circuit so it can be turned off and on.

This leaves arduino circuit to deal with.