Project Description:
The purpose of our project was to create a low gravity environment where a projectile could be repositioned by electromagnetic forces. Our team has opted to simulate low gravity by creating a nearly frictionless surface which a projectile can move upon. The frictionless surface has been inspired by the mechanisms of shuffle boarding to achieve low coefficients of friction. The projectile is made of neodymium, a magnetic material, and moved by four electromagnets (EMs), each on one side of the square surface. The EMs are connected to H-bridges, changing the direction or constraining the flow of current to each EM. This creates a push and pull effect on the projectile due to the magnetic fields generated. In conjunction, a joystick and ultrasonic sensors are used as actuation and feedback to control the position of the projectile.
