“EARTHLING” - Concept Prototypes & Early Steel Prototype Builds
Experience at WWR started with building a physical mockup prototype of a project called “Earthling”, an autonomous robot that was initially intended to be the size of a small car or crossover and used in extreme environments and conditions. Wood and plastic model was used as a starting scale model, which was then partially copied over into a sheet metal form; this sheet metal form was used for initial code trials and was the basis of the “full size” version of Earthling.
(photos of the smaller metal Earthling model to be added soon)
ENVIRONMENTAL SENSING CLUSTER HOUSING - Initial Prototype Design
This project was brought in by an external client and was initially planned to be designed to accommodate a specific methane sensor and a control board. The project grew in scale to accommodate multiple sensors, to which I took the approach of a design to be serviced akin to replacing a lightbulb - the entire inner core would be unscrewed out of a mounted housing like removing a light bulb from its fixture socket. I decided that a Neopixel LED ring would be helpful for a status indicator visible from the underside, with the understanding that this sensor cluster would be mounted fairly high up and would require a ladder to access. The color or color patterns used could indicate working status (good, faults, etc.) or indicate alerts in relation to the sensors on board.
Not shown: “stevenson screen” cover that I also designed to fit over the housing and be stackable for adjustment to suit different sensor configurations (could add extra rings for taller groupings, for example).
Photos:
Top: Sensor cluster housing concept with partial outer ring
Above: addressable LED ring to be used as a visual status indicator from a distance
Below: a custom feature allowing for a switch to indicate if the case has been fully closed.