Project Name Optional

This is an archive site. Current senoir design projects are at https://projects.eng.uci.edu.

Topic:

Idea source:

Team Members

Paige Hartley, Jessica Ma, Joshua Wu, Lindsey Garcia, Ian Harris (Faculty).

Goal Statement

The goal of our project is to create a spherical persistence of vision display, capable of rotating at a high speed and illuminating a strip of LEDs to draw images for the user. A microcontroller will be mounted on the rotating arm, which we will communicate with wirelessly to control the connected LEDs.

Introduction

Persistence of Vision works by rotating faster than the human eye can process a new image. Our Persistence of Vision display take advantage of this by spinning our display’s arm with an attached LED strip. By blinking the LEDs at specified times and durations, we can draw images with the LEDs. So long as the revolution completes in less than a 16th of a second, and the appropriate LEDs are illuminated again, the naked eye of the user will perceive little to no flickering.

Approach

Our approach includes using a 3D-printed mechanical arm.  By using a photoresistor, we can track the speed of the ring and make necessary changes.  We use bluetooth to communicate between the base and the rotating structure.  Additionally, our design utilizes two power supplies, a wall-plug for the motor in the base, and a battery in the rotating structure for the LEDs.

Progress & Current Status

Final design of our 3D printed mechanical arm. Motor is mounted in a wooden base, which will house the power supply and hardware to control the motor’s speed.

Team Responsibilities

Team Member Major Role Contributions

Paige Hartley

CSE

Systems and Software

Team facilitation (primary communication with faculty), base hardware acquisition and assembly, system and software development.

Jessica Ma

EECS

Mechanical and Hardware

Arm design and 3D printing, acquisition of necessary mechanical components. Motor control, power consumption.

Joshua Wu

CSE

Software

Wireless (bluetooth) control.

Lindsely Garcia

CpE

Hardware

Materials analysis.

Ian Harris

Faculty

Advisor

Guidance and Advice throughout project.