Final Specification:

Properties:

Dimensions – 165mm x 72.5mm x 28.5mm

Number of parts – 55 (Including all wires, resistors and screws not shown on the 3D model.

Print time – 11 hours 51 minutes (According to Ultimaker cure – 0.25mm layer height, 15% infill – 100mm/s print speed)

Weight of 3D printed parts  – 76 grams.

Amount of filament used – 12.4m/ 98 grams  (Support material included)

Print cost – £2.31

Packaging:

Contents of the Controller Package:

The Controller package is sold on the Konnichiwa-Sensei website. This product was originally the “Hack” of the project and evolved to become a more fully developed part of the business model.

Package Cost: £35 – Ths price includes the Konnichiwa-Sensei game (In digital)

From the Konnichiwa-Sensei website: https://konnichiwasensai140740330.wordpress.com/

Exploded View:

This is the final SolidWorks model showing all major custom parts – plus an Arduino Uno and momentary Switches from GrabCad. Resistors and wires have been excluded but are shown in the schematics.

Assembly Drawing:

All SolidWorks files can be found in the Wikifactory page for this project at:

https://wikifactory.com/+othertodaystudio/joe-milton-brief-04

3D print layout:

Software used: Ultimaker Cura.

Bill of materials:.

Bill of Materials – Electronic parts

Controller Schematic:

This diagram details the wiring layout of the controller. Fritzing was used over other schematic drawing software as it can be understood by people without much technical knowledge.

 

Product life cycle:

The controller design and the technological choice to use an Arduino Uno and unsoldered electronics was informed by the idea of the circular economy. The finished design allows for a very high level of reuse and reusability.

From the Konnichiwa-Sensei website: https://konnichiwasensai140740330.wordpress.com/

Programmed button Layout

From the Konnichiwa-Sensei website: https://konnichiwasensai140740330.wordpress.com/

Software:

The controller relies on two different languages to enable functionality. The Arduino language, which is based of C and is normally written in the Arduino IDE, and Processing, which recompiles the Arduino code to work with the Konnichiwa-Sensei game.

Both the Arduino and Process code can be downloaded from the github repository:

https://github.com/Jmilton-PD/Konnichiwa-sensai.github.io

Development:

Micro-controller comparison:

The thinking behind this part of the project is to use basic, SOLDER FREE electronic prototyping components to build a working controller. The controller runs on an Arduino board – a basic microcontroller used in electronics to prototype systems.

The Arduino Esplora MCU development board is a board which has the exact function of the hacked controller. Based off of the Leonardo model, it has all the required components but comes at the high cost of  £41.48 – RS components – and still requires the production or purchase of an additional casing.

The Arduino Uno  is a very common and very affordable board that is often sold in “Arduino starter Kits” on online stores such as Amazon; so it can be reasonably assumed that it’s the most easily accessed of all boards.

Arduino Uno Datasheet:

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1682209.pdf

Using a smaller micro-controller chip; such as an ATtiny; without the pre-assembled baard would be idea for a fully commercial and mass produced product. However, as this project has been designed using the principles of “Distributed Design” the extra steps and coding knowledge required to program the chip makes this option impractical.

Because of the ubiquity and ease of use with the Arduino Uno, the project documentation has been written with this board in mind. The Arduino Esplora MCU Development board would also work perfectly for this – and is from a usability stand point – a better option; but is unfortunately held back by cost.

3D printing:

Kinds of Filament available:

ABS – Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Pros:

• the cheapest option at $20 for a 1kg spool of 1.75mm filament.
• Durable and Lightweight.
• Suited for electronic housings.

Cons

• Non-biodegradable – this goes against one of the principles of this project: the Circular Economy.
• Creates unpleasant fumes which would make this material unsuited to the “Bedroom” workspace”

PLA – Polylactic Acid

Pros

• Less prone to warping.
• Non toxic fumes make it more appropriate for home use.
• Made from a mixture of organic materials; including cornstarch and sugarcane.

Cons

• Overall weaker than ABS.
• May clog the nozzle of the printer.
• Moisture makes it more difficult to print.

https://3dinsider.com/3d-printing-materials/

Material Chosen – PLA 

Justification:

PLA, although weaker than ABS, can be considered less harmful to the environment, due to being made from organic materials and being more suited for home use should the user decide to print their own parts in the future.

Structural Development:

The version of the controller which used the scaffold frame, rather than the larger 3D printed case shown on the Technological Development page.

The first one is shown below:

This iteration didn’t include a final casing part, and instead used had a final cardboard casing template sent to the user in a flat form with the controller package.

This part was later scrapped for an additional 3D printed component due to the structural weaknesses in the scaffolding detailed below.

The first version of this part had two indented clips on the top that would be used to hold the finger plate part shown below. These at their base, these clips are only 0.5mm thick and would often break off during the 3D printing process. Furthermore, the entire upper section was liable to snap off while removing the support material – obviously making it an unsuitable design

Some basic SolidWorks simulations show the key stress points on this version of the model.

In response to this, the indented clips were removed and support ribs added to the design. These ribs both reinforce the upper section, and provide the same role as the finger plate part – allowing them to be removed from the design.

Further simulations on the updated part shows the reduction in stress across the parts which broke in the the first version.

The cardboard template was replaced with a a 3D printed part that encases the entire unit. This provides far more strength than a cardboard coer does while matching the aesthetic of the controller..

 

Final Render: