My Interactive Realtime 3D Meccano® Project
Page 1 : Beginnings, testing and feasabilities.
Page 2 : Building No.10 Set's Lifting Shovel
Page 3 : This page.... "Aunt Sally" Fun Machine
Page 4 : MeccanoRAMA
Page 5 : Meccano Mechanisms
Page 1 : Beginnings, testing and feasabilities.
Page 2 : Building No.10 Set's Lifting Shovel
Page 3 : This page.... "Aunt Sally" Fun Machine
Page 4 : MeccanoRAMA
Page 5 : Meccano Mechanisms
The "Aunt Sally" Fun Machine
As I mentioned in my blog, I'm building this little fun machine to demonstrate, not only how virtual Meccano can be used to make a simple interactive game, but also to demonstrate the physics of collision between the different parts. A reference to this model can be found at the NZMeccano website. The machine consists of six "Aunt Sallies" or dolls pivotally mounted on a carriage that can be driven to and fro along the bed of the machine, bringing each doll in turn in front of a slide mounted at thr front side of the model. The game consists in placing a Wheel Disc in the slide and so timing things that the Disc runs down the and strikes one of the dolls, knocking it over. Each competitor is given seven Wheel Discs and with these he tries to knock down all six dolls as they move along. To do this requires skill and good timimg in releasing the Discs at the correct moment.
22/02/2012
The non-complicated base structure is now in place
09/03/2012
Well, I've now added in the drive assembly which will move the dolly trolley along its rails.
During this process I decided to throw out the crates and workbench top, and replace them with a round table on which I placed the model. This gives one the freedom to walk around the model and view it from any angle.
The bulk of the drive assembly consists of a reduction drive to reduce the high speed of the motor to a more sedate level for hauling the trolley (not yet built) along its rails. The reduction drive is made up as follows:
1) A 0.5 inch pulley on the motor shaft linked to a 1.5 inch pulley = 3:1 reduction
2) This causes a 0.5 inch pulley to drive a 1.0 inch pulley = 2:1 reduction
3) This causes a 15tooth pinion to drive a 60tooth gearwheel = 4:1 reduction
4) This causes a 19tooth pinion to drive a 95tooth gearwheel = 5:1 reduction
Total reduction = 3:1 x 2:1 x 4:1 x 5:1 = 120:1 reduction
This final drive causes sprocket wheels to drive a chain which will haul the dolly trolley backwards and forwards.
From a software simulation point of view, the most time consuming and difficult part of this stage was in assembling each link of the chain and getting it to move (more or less) in synch with the other moving parts of the drive assembly.
Anyway, you can see for yourselves by watching the video below.
I've also added a download of a program demonstrating all the above.......you will be able to walk around the model, start/stop/reverse/forward the motor, and really examine the detail of the structure. I must point out that a Windows based system is required, as well as a good nVidia graphics card, installed in a more recent computer !
1) A 0.5 inch pulley on the motor shaft linked to a 1.5 inch pulley = 3:1 reduction
2) This causes a 0.5 inch pulley to drive a 1.0 inch pulley = 2:1 reduction
3) This causes a 15tooth pinion to drive a 60tooth gearwheel = 4:1 reduction
4) This causes a 19tooth pinion to drive a 95tooth gearwheel = 5:1 reduction
Total reduction = 3:1 x 2:1 x 4:1 x 5:1 = 120:1 reduction
This final drive causes sprocket wheels to drive a chain which will haul the dolly trolley backwards and forwards.
From a software simulation point of view, the most time consuming and difficult part of this stage was in assembling each link of the chain and getting it to move (more or less) in synch with the other moving parts of the drive assembly.
Anyway, you can see for yourselves by watching the video below.
I've also added a download of a program demonstrating all the above.......you will be able to walk around the model, start/stop/reverse/forward the motor, and really examine the detail of the structure. I must point out that a Windows based system is required, as well as a good nVidia graphics card, installed in a more recent computer !
| meccanoauntsally_driveassembly_installer.zip |
04/01/2013
Project completed.... a year later..... but better late than never!
There are a number of intensive physical interactions taking place here, so the workload on the CPU and graphics system is pretty high. For this reason, to obtain a decent and plausible speed, you will need an up-to-date computer with a mid to high range Nvidia graphics card to handle all the PhysX physics processing.
Here's a video, demonstrating the action:
Here's a video, demonstrating the action:
And a demo to download (approx 19Mb):
| auntsallyfunmachine_installer.zip |
