Falmouth Robotics students build unique panto prop

The brief was to create a conveyor belt to act as the main part of the production line for “creating raindrops for the giant” in the performance. After initial meetings with the Hall for Cornwall team, we created some 3D models in Fusion and started planning the production. We opted for a design consisting mainly of metal with 3D-printed pieces and PVC pipe to act as rollers. Ben ordered all the parts, and shortly after, we were able to start building. The robotics lab is fairly small, so introducing a 3-metre project was fun. Once the raw construction was complete, we moved it into the corridor to continue working, which is where the pictures were taken.

The electronics, led by Maya, utilised deep cycle scooter batteries encased in an acrylic, 3D-printed box with neatly labelled controls.

Did you run into any issues?

One thing none of us expected was how laborious the actual build of this project would be. In the end, I cut around 200 pieces of PVC pipe as we refined techniques and adjusted lengths. Securing each individual screw, bracket, and roller took countless hours and many late evenings in the lab. Some other students were understandably irritated by the constant noise of the drill and hammers! Failed attempts and design changes also resulted in a significant amount of 3D filament being used up — our discard pile was a fun collection of random, comically sized pieces.

The most stressful part initially was figuring out where to obtain a belt. We feared it would be prohibitively expensive, not of high enough quality, or take too long to arrive. As a last resort before committing to an external company, Ben asked Peter Doubleday, a Senior Technician in the Fashion & Textiles Institute, for help. Amazingly, he was able to produce a belt to the exact required length in a suitable material within a week, which was perfect. Being able to produce that in-house took a lot of weight off our shoulders.

We also had issues keeping the belt centred, as it frequently jammed by riding up on the edges. After extensive trial and error, we resolved this by shaping the rollers into a barrel form and adding guides.

How are you finding the Robotics course?

I have quite enjoyed my time studying robotics at Falmouth. In the first year, we worked on a fun and creative project, designing small robots or controllers which saw me create a drivable Henry Hoover. In the second year, we’ve been developing entries for the Micromouse competition, which has been both enjoyable and useful. Learning various construction methods and applying them to a project has provided invaluable insight into how these techniques can be utilised in the real world.

I haven’t yet had the chance to work on other university projects like the conveyor belt, but I would be very keen to get involved in more of this kind. I’m particularly interested in entering the industry to work with low-level hardware, combining electronics and programming. Sometimes, Computer Science on its own can feel limiting in terms of how far you can progress without hardware knowledge.

External links

Explore Amy’s other projects on her website.