BandBeesten Robotic Drumset



Finale for the final performance of the University of Idaho Vandal Marching Band for 2014
Sponsors	Mechanical Engineering Department Lionel Hampton School of Music Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Team Name	Band-Beesten
Duration	Summer - Fall 2014
Faculty Advisers	Dr. Steve Beyerlein Dr. Edwin Odom Dr. Bob Rinker Russ Porter
Mentor	Matt Kologi
Team Members	Shawn Trimble Amanda White Joe Pratt Christian O'Bryan Robyn Vowell Maddie Brennan Tyler Comstock

The Band-Beesten legacy continues as the University of Idaho Department of Mechanical Engineering and the University of Idaho Vandal Marching Band work together to create the ultimate drum machine. The Band-Beesten is a fully powered drum set created to be able to traverse a variety of surfaces such as astroturf, asphalt, and hardwood and be able to carry a load of up to 150 pounds. This year's team completely redesigned the frame, control system, and wheels to be able to reach all of the project goals.

Background

The Band-Beesten project was started in 2011 by Dr. Edwin Odom, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Daniel Bukvich, Professor of Percussion and Music Theory. The goal of their collaboration was to create a full drum set that could easily be played and moved by a single person during marching band performances. The 2014-2015 acedemic year is the 4th consecutive year of the project.

Work in the fall of 2011 consisted of researching ideas for a powered platform to assist in parade and marching band performances. The team worked solely on research for a proof of concept and did not build a physical prototype. For more in depth design details refer to the Team Drum Roll webpage.

The design team of 2012-2013 made progress with the BandBeesten's design. Dan Mathewson, a UI graduate student, designed a robotic power driven front ball wheel to enable the machine to receive commands through the operator's body movements. More information on this design can be found in Dan Mathewson's thesis . The 2012 design team made significant progress in designing a human interface and powered movement for the BandBeesten.

In the 2013-2014 academic year, a new team started designing a BandBeesten design that would be light weight and have low friction wheels. This design relied only on man-power and did not have any assisting motors. The team also produced a marketing video for the UI Marching Band using 3D printed models and a stop-motion video design. More information about this design can be found at their page.

Project Goals

The design team developed a set of design specifications to work towards throughout the year. Each specification is given a weight value from 1 (lowest priority) to 5.5 (highest priority).

Design Specifications



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Project Learning

Frame



	Frame Design Strong tetrahedral shape Aluminum tube construction Lightweight construction Use a simple design that would allow for folding when not in use Drums mounted to one central location Add electric motors to help with maneuvering
	Frame Prototype Strong tetrahedral shape lightweight Wood needs extra support due to weakness when applying pressure across grains Using a weak material in the prototype allows easy observation of stress concentration points

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Wheels

The BandBeesten must be able to be moved in any direction on a moment’s notice to keep up with the marching band’s routine. Its wheels must allow maneuvers such as crab walking and rotation as well as straight motion. Designs considered are Omni-ball wheels, conventional casters, and Omni-wheels.



	Omni-Ball Wheels Pros Predesigned by previous generations of the Bandbeesten Allows for all-directional movement Cons Over-constrained, causing frictional loss Difficult to maneuver due to friction Omni-wheel guide casters cause vibration Available balls have a low weight rating Driving system is difficult to incorporate
	Conventional Casters Pros Inexpensive Readily available Time-proven design for all-directional movement Little in-house machining or assembly Available in large sizes Cons Unstable if all casters are offset to the same side during a turn or crabwalk Design causes wobble during rotation Time and force is needed to start caster rotation
	Omni-Wheels Pros Allows for all-directional movement no swiveling involved Able to maneuver in any direction instantly Cons Expensive and complex design Manufactured wheels are too small, large wheels must be built smaller wheels may not be big enough to clear obstacles debris could become stuck in crevasses between wheels

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Motor Controls

To control the power given to each motor, an arduino is used. The arduino sends a signal to separate motor controllers which in turn sends power to each motor. breakers, fuses, and an emergancy stop button have been installed for safety.



	Motor Controller The motor controller receives power from the 24V circuit when the solenoid is engaged by the on/off/emergency circuit. The motor controller receives a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal from the arduino (which is powered by one of the motor controllers) and determines the polarity and percentage of full voltage to feed based off of that signal. The motor controller is protected by an 80A fuse and the on/off/emergency circuit is protected by a 4A fuse.
	RC Controller RC controller that is used to control omnibot and the Band-Beesten Purchased from hobbypartz.com Can control the Beest from approximately 20 yards.
	RC Omniwheel Robot Developed the math for the code that determines direction from the Makezine Make: Project R/C Omniwheel Robot project webpage. Used omni bot as initial prototype for omniwheel design.

Wheel Casting

In the latest version of the Band-Beesten, and omni-wheel design is being used. 12" wheels are needed to allow for smooth operation, and as there is no current availability of omni-wheels of this size, the wheels were manufactured in the UI machine shop. These wheels will be able to move in any direction without pivoting, but they require a casting process for the rollers.



	Render of Designed mold 3 custom made molds where used Each mold consists of two sides, a top, and a bottom A CNC mill was used to cut out the inside of the molds from blocks of plastic
	Mold In Use Molds were cast using a simple 1:1 mixing ratio Clamps were used to hold the mold tight and not allow for any leakage Once poured, the molds were ready to use in 12 hours
	Final Mold Once the molds cured, the shell just needed to be popped off and they were good to go The rubber is about as stiff as a car's tire Has great traction on the floor without leaving scuff marks on any surface

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Fall 2014 Design

With an aluminum frame, the Beest can support more than twice the anticipated payload while weighing less than 250 pounds. To ensure exceptional acceleration with these high payloads, torque is provided by three motors. These motors deliver their power to the ground through an innovative triad of Omni-wheels. To control motion an RC transmitter is used to send signals from a hand-held controller to an Arduino.


Photo	Overview
	Full Assembly Overall weight: 250lbs Aluminum tubing frame Three rotating Omni-Wheel assemblies Radio controlled LED light strips Impact triggered lights on front drums and canopy Drums mounted all around center to allow for multiple drummers to play at once Movement via radio controller
	Omni-Wheel Assembly Scaled up omni-wheel design Rubber rollers casted for custom shape Three sets of omni-wheels offset 120^o from each other Sets of 2 wheels stacked at each location allow smooth movement with no hitches The wheels can be mounted directly to the frame without any swiveling structures due to the wheel’s unique ability of being able to roll in two dimensions using a large center wheel and small rollers mounted on the perimeter of the center wheel.
	Control System Controlled through a hand-held radio controller Signal sent from controller to an RC module and then to an Arduino which controls the motors
	Lighting System Powered from 12 volts and 24 volts sources Signal sent from controller to an Arduino Uno which controls the frame lights Piezoelectric sensors control drum lights through an Arduino Trinket
	Frame Strong tetrahedral shape Aluminum tube frame Strong center beam to carry bulk of weight Canopy added to give larger appearance Powered by 6 12 volt batteries

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Spring 2015 Design

With a full Beest prototype made by the end of the Fall 2014 semester, the team hit the drawing board again to redesign the upper frame. Leaving the tetrahedral design behind, a more aesthetically pleasing curved frame was chosen. This new frame would be able to support eight 12 inch drums along with four hanging cymbals. The control system was also rethought, allowing the whole receiver system to be held in one small removable box rather than the large center beam used previously.


Photo	Overview
	Full Assembly Aluminum tubing frame Three rotating Omni-Wheel assemblies Radio controlled LED light strips around base drums Impact triggered lights on front drums and cymbols Drums mounted all around center Movement via radio controller
	Omni-Wheel Assembly Scaled up omni-wheel design Rubber rollers casted for custom shape Three sets of omni-wheels offset 120^o from each other Sets of 2 wheels stacked at each location allow smooth movement with no hitches The wheels can be mounted directly to the frame without any swiveling structures due to the wheel’s unique ability of being able to roll in two dimensions using a large center wheel and small rollers mounted on the perimeter of the center wheel.
	New Control System Controlled through a hand-held radio controller Signal sent from controller to an RC module and then to an Arduino which controls the motors New "brain" box is easily removed from assembly
	Lighting System Powered from 9 volt source Piezoelectric sensors control drum and cymbal lights through an Arduino Trinket
	Frame Curved design Aluminum tube frame Drums attached on separate piece Canopy allows cymbals to be held Frame is easily assembled through pins and set screws

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Team Members

	Bio	Discipline
	Shawn Trimble: Shawn is looking forward to graduating with his second degree and the end of the semester. He also is excited to work with the team as a graduate mentor this next semester.	ME
	Amanda White: Amanda hopes to become an Imagineer and work on either the development of rides and attractions or the development of resorts. She enjoys being able to cross disciplines with performances in the arts and in engineering.	ME
	Joe Pratt: Joe is a senior at the University of Idaho; after graduation he hopes to work in the field of aerodynamics. He enjoys the outdoors and the Oregon Coast.	ME
	Christian O'Bryan: Christian is a senior at the University of Idaho and will be taking on a full time position at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories after graduation. He likes long walks on the beach and the smell of the ocean.	ME
	Robyn Vowell: Robyn is a senior at the University of Idaho and will be working at Tikker Engineering upon graduation. He enjoys watching football and having fun.	ME
	Maddie Brennan: Maddie Brennan is a senior studying Computer Engineering at the University of Idaho. She also is a three year member of the Sound Of Idaho Vandal Marching Band.	CompE
	Tyler Comstock: Tyler Comstock comes from a farming background and enjoys tearing things apart to find out how they work. He obtained an associate degree in computerized machining technology from ISU in Pocatello Idaho and is currently attending the University of Idaho for mechanical engineering.	ME