Project Status Update: Rage Armor
Recap
Our goal is to design a case for the PS4 controller that can protect the controller from being dropped or thrown
Our design should prioritize protection while still being comfortable in the hands of the gamer
Sprint Objective
Our current sprint objective is to create the backplate of the controller
We also are in the process of improving our faceplate and designing the bottom part of the hand grips
Overall Progress and design versions
Faceplate Models
This is our first design. It is pretty bulky and sharp and the circles for the analog sticks are not attached in the proper place
This is our second model .2. The only real changes we made in this model were to the analog stick circles. They fit closer to the actual controller and the circles are combined with each other
This is a redesigned faceplate that we created without grips. We realized there was no sense in keeping hand grips for the faceplate because we already were making a part for it.
This is our most recent design that we created last Friday and picked up on 3/14/22. This design is a newer version than the one shown previously in yellow. It is our smallest design yet and uses a lot less space than all the other ones. There is also a significant change to the bottom part as much of that has been cut off compared to our design previously
Circle Grips
This is our very first design of the circle grips. The entire casing does not fully wrap around and it did not fit our actual controller's grip
This was our second version that we created. Only the middle circle fit the grip well enough, but all three of them still needed improvement. At this point we came up with the idea to break the grip off into 3 circles that way it will be easier to design. We also used just regular PLA filament to create it
This design model was our third version and was the first to utilize the flexible filament in the actual version. We found that all the circles felt too thick and only the smallest and second largest circles fit well enough. They still needed to be improved, but they were a lot better with using the flexible filament.
This is our newest design and it is very successful. The shape and dimensions of each circle fit really well and we will continue to make the bottom base of the grip as well as work on finally connecting each circle
Testing
We plan on testing our designs after we find a way to combine all of our pieces. Once that is done, we will place some fragile and breakable objects like eggs, chips, sticks, etc. in order to see if the case can protect the inside object. We will drop the object from the exact same height each trial that we take. As far as damage done to the prototype, we may need to create copies for our testing process if too much damage is done to the case. Also, we will do our best to throw the case at the same speed each time and in the same location however, we are not 100% able to guarantee that we can keep this type of testing consistent. This will give us some error in our data, but the overall trend should still be mostly accurate.
After Testing
We would record our testing with at least 20 trials for throwing the case and 20 trials for dropping the case. If the object inside would break, we would checkmark that trial as it broke. The way we would display this data is through a chart most likely through a spreadsheet. We would also want to make an entirely separate spreadsheet for damages done to the case itself. This is important to include because damages to the case can impact how much it can protect what's on the inside.
Testing Parameters
Testing parameters we would include are...
Damages to the inner object
Damages to case
Replacement case piece needed
Replacement inner object needed
Current CAD Designs
Building prototype Procedure
Over the entire time of our designing and creating, we originally started with a bulky version of a box to help us visualize the dimensions of the complex controller. From there, we narrowed down a lot of the excess material used. A lot of our designs had to be printed or cutted before we actually could make improvements. This is because we are dealing with a physical object that is interacting with our design, so it was hard to tell if changes had to be made until it was actually physically made. One of our hardest challenges on the features of the controller have been the analog sticks. Not only do they require a larger radius, but they also are hard to measure the distance relative to another feature. It took a lot of trial and error in order to accurately design the spacing on the case, but we eventually were able to overcome this challenge.
Weekly progress
This past week we worked on our demo day as well as work on the laser cutting design process so our progress on the actual case has been mostly halted. We will continue working hard on making the backplate of the case next week.
Things we learned this week
We learned that we can use the laser cutter with designs made in onshape and we learned more features in onshape that help laser cut those pieces
We learned about possible ways that we can test our prototype
We learned more about the program called inkscape which lets us design pieces that we can send to the laser cutter to be cut
Obstacles/Unknowns
We are not sure if we can keep consistent data with the throw testing
We still haven't decided what's the best inner object to place within the case
We still need to dimension and design possibly the hardest part of the case which is the backplate
What's Next?
Next week we plan on going right into the design of the backplate. We still want to make changes to the faceplate and finish the bottom of the grips, but we plan on saving that for later. Once a good enough backplate is designed, we can start our testing and collect our data.