University of Nevada, Reno Remote-Controlled Bowling Pinsetter a Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements Fo

University of Nevada, Reno

Remote-Controlled Bowling Pinsetter

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

WALFREDO C. PUBLICO III

Steven King, PE, Thesis Advisor

May, 2016

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA THE HONORS PROGRAM RENO

We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by

WALFREDO C. PUBLICO III

entitled

Remote-Controlled Bowling Pinsetter

be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

______Steven King, PE, Mechanical Engineering, Thesis Advisor

______Tamara Valentine, Ph.D., Director, Honors Program

May 2016 i

Abstract

Team Turkey has been paired with Marvin Picollo School, a special education school, in

Reno, NV to build an assistive device for their adaptive physical education courses.

Buddy Lowe, the school’s adaptive P.E. instructor, wanted Team Turkey to construct a remote-controlled bowling pin setter for his classes. The goal of this project was to construct a device that allows Buddy to use bowling as a class activity to help his students develop gross motor skills. Although Buddy already uses bowling in his class, the time he loses by manually resetting the pins between turns causes his students to lose focus. As a solution, Team Turkey constructed a device similar to the pinsetter at the end of a bowling alley. The pinsetter, however, is controlled by a wireless remote and allows

Buddy to keep the attention of his students while resetting the pins at the same time. The device also resets pins faster than by hand, allowing more students to use the device to further develop their motor skills within their allotted P.E. time. ii

Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………..…………………..i Table of Contents……………………………………………………………ii List of Figures………………………………………………………………iii Introduction………………………………………………………………….1 Literature Review……………………………………………………………2 The Engineering Design Process: Fall Semester…………………………….4 The Engineering Design Process: Spring Semester……….………………..14 Proof of Concept to the Final Product……………………………………...18 Conclusions and Future Possibilities……………………………………….22 Works Cited………………………………………………………………...26 Appendix A: Product Design Specifications……………….……………….27 Appendix B: Engineering Design Analysis……………….………………..29 Appendix C: PoC Bill of Materials………………………….……………...32 Appendix D: Motor Datasheet……………………………….……………..36 Appendix E: Code…………………………………………….…………….41 Appendix F: 3D Printed Spool……………………………….……………..45 Appendix G: PoC Assembly Instructions…………………….…………….48 Appendix H: Brainstorming Code………………………………………….53 Appendix I: Design Control Traceability Matrix…………….……………..55 Appendix J: Product Requirements Specification………………………….59 Appendix K: Pinsetter Operations Manual…………………….…………...62 iii

List of Figures

Figure 1: Design Concept 1

Figure 2: Design Concept 2

Figure 3: Design Concept 3

Figure 4: Design Concept 4

Figure 5: Solidworks Representation of Finished Project

Figure 6: Setup of Proof of Concept

Figure 7: Polulu 12V, 100:1 Gear Motor with Encoder

Figure 8: Solidworks Representation of Motor Mounted to Board

Figure 9: Flowchart for Code Design

Figure 10: Solidworks Isometric View of Custom-Made Spool

Figure 11: Casters Mounted to Frame for Portability

Figure 12: Power Strip Placement

Figure 13: Electromechanical Components within Device

Figure 14: Open Remote Case

Figure 15: Front Display of Remote

Figure 16: Finished Product

Introduction

Marvin Picollo School is a special-education learning institution in Reno, Nevada that provides adaptive physical education (P.E.) as well as vocational training for its students in order to help them transition into adult life. However, high susceptibility to distractions are a common issue for special-education students. The effectiveness of training exercises are sometimes limited by time lapses that divert students’ attention away from their activity.

Although the faculty at Picollo School does well in accommodating their special- needs students in the classroom environment, the adaptive PE teacher, Buddy Lowe, has expressed concern regarding one of his gross motor skill activities—bowling. Gross motor skills are defined as larger physical movements, such as running or throwing or simply the wave of an arm. In order to develop these movements in his more physically challenged students, Mr. Lowe implements a variation of bowling in his lesson plans.

However, because Mr. Lowe must manually collect and reset the bowling pins in his current setup, more of his time and energy is spent on menial labor and less on tending to the needs of his individual students. Long periods between bowling turns leads to his students becoming distracted and disorderly, thus, limiting the effectiveness of his training exercises.

Picollo School has requested a pin-setting device that would allow the instructor to train his students more efficiently and allow students to take more turns within their allotted class time. Because he wants to be able to share this device with other schools and use it in locations other than the Picollo School gymnasium, Mr. Lowe has also requested that the device be portable. 2

With these problems considered, the primary objectives of this project was:

1. To minimize the time between students’ turns in Mr. Lowe’s bowling activity by

designing a device that mechanically resets bowling pins.

2. To design the device to be easily storable and transportable.

Team 06, AKA “Team Turkey”, of the 2015-2016 Mechanical Engineering

Capstone course undertook the challenge to design a system that meets these objectives.

Our teams consists of five Mechanical Engineering students: myself, Tamzin Atkins,

Hayden Nickel, Destiny Phan, and Joseph Young. A Product Requirements

Specifications (PRS) sheet was developed to establish design goals related not only to customer requirements but also engineering requirements regarding product safety, usability, marketing, and maintenance. In its essence, the PRS is a checklist to gauge the success of the project over the year-long design process.

Literature Review

A pinsetter is a machine located at the end of a bowling alley that automatically raises and resets ten full-sized plastic bowling pins after they are struck. Several designs for small bowling lanes which automatically reset pins are already used in arcades and game centers. The primary issues with these systems are that they are not easily portable nor readily accessible for disabled students and their assistive equipment. Full-size bowling alleys are also ineffective options because most special-education students are unable to lift a standard bowling ball. These designs meet the primary focus of the requested design at the expense of other features necessary for the unit to benefit Picollo 3

School. Three systems were identified and compared in order to present the current solutions for someone desiring a portable bowling station.

The first system is a rental unit provided by Mike’s Music Inc. This system is designed for use at parties and special events, and rental includes professional attendants for set-up and operation [1]. The size of this system requires significant storage space and makes transportation impractical for most teachers. It also does not meet the request from the school for automatically resetting pins.

The second system considered is a small set made by Sportcraft. This set is made of plastic and is designed to be taken apart for easy storage and transportation. Features include automatic ball return and electronic scoring [2]. These features fit several of the specifications desired by the teachers, but the primary requirement for a semi-automated pin reset function is not met. The small size of this system also reduces the student’s experience because they would not be able to have the same range of motion that a larger bowling lane can offer.

The final system considered is a patent filed by Kevin Burtchett in 1993. This system features an automatic ball return, is comparable in size to a sofa, and does not have a mechanism for automatic resetting [3]. The lane is approximately one foot off the ground which would make participation difficult or impossible for many of the students at Picollo School. The pins and ball are also very small which limits the ability of the student to develop gross motor skills.

Each of these systems represents a potential solution to the problem of portable bowling for special education students. However, each of these systems also has its benefits and limitations when considering the intended user—special-education. 4

The Engineering Design Process: Fall Semester

In order to meet the needs of Picollo School, the device had to meet three primary design requirements: automatic pin setting, faster reset, and portability. The goal was to design and build an automatic pin setting system of minimal weight and size. The final product had to be easily stored within a storage closet and able to be moved by a single teacher. The most important specifications and design objectives have been identified and are listed in Table 1 below. Detailed design targets are identified in the Product Design

Specifications (PDS) document in Appendix A. Elements of the PDS include features, deadlines, manufacturing and marketing details, and other standards and regulations which the design team must consider.

Table 1: Customer Requirements and Design Objectives. From the three customer requirements identified, corresponding design objectives were developed along with quantifiable methods of gauging the successfulness of meeting those goals. Customer Desired Method of Quantification Requirements Design Objective Automatic pin Number of necessary interactions between user One button to activate setting and device (not including setup) reset process Fast pin setting Time required for device to reset pins ≈ 30 seconds

Weight < 150 lbs

Time required to set up/ put away device < 5 minutes

Can be moved by one Difficulty for user to transport device to another person and loaded into location a truck by no more Portable than two people

No more than 36 inches for one spatial Size dimension (needs to fit through a standard doorway) 5

Before any actual building, a detailed design process took place in order to determine which design to use, the calculations and specifications of the components necessary to provide the design’s intended functions, the expected manufacturing and assembly processes, and the expected cost for the parts and labor. A hand-drawn sketches and Solidworks models were created to conceptualize initial designs. Four different design concepts were initially conceived. Concept 1, shown in Figure 1, utilized one motor for each of the pins to allow for the retraction of individual pins. The idea was to program the device to allow fallen pins be lifted out of the way to simulate the “spare” in traditional bowling.

Fig. 1: Design Concept 1 utilizes a separate motor for every bowling pin to allow for individual retraction

Concept 2, shown in Figure 2, utilizes two-dimensional pin “cutouts” that were spring- locked and would lie flat along the floor when struck by a ball. Although this design seemed simple, light, and economic considering the parts required to build it, we feared the flatness of the pins would take away from the authenticity of the bowling experience and the aesthetic of the final design. 6

Fig. 2: Design Concept 2 utilizes flat pins and spring-lock system that would keep pins in the prone position after being hit by a ball.

Concept 3, shown in Figure 3, would use a single motor that would pull bowling pins from an elevated deck beneath the pin floor. The idea was to use tension to pull the bottom of the pins into the floor to force the pins into the upright position. However, this design would require an artificial lane and an elevated deck that would possibly make the lane sloped.

Fig. 3: Design Concept 3 utilizes a single motor within a hidden compartment of an elevated deck that pulls all bowling pins to the upright position through tensile force.

The final design concept conceived, shown as a Solidworks model in Figure 4, utilized a single motor like Concept 3 but with tension from the top in order to pull the bowling pins into rack and release them back onto the floor. This design was decided most favorable after a majority vote among the team members.

Fig. 4: Design Concept 4 uses a single, strong motor that would lift pins from the top and reset them back down after stabilization through a custom-made pin rack.

The final design would be a “box” able to be transported with relative ease. A motor would mount onto the ceiling of the finished housing and would serve as the method for retracting the pins. Beneath the motor there would be a partition separating the motor from the pins. In the partition would be cut-outs of holes resembling those of a typical pin rack. The holes have cups placed inside of them to assist in the pin reset by aligning the pins before their replacement on the floor for future turns. The cups are essential to the overall design because they would ensure that the pins be lowered right- side up and would also counteract the pins’ tendency to tangle. The motor would be controlled by a Raspberry Pi 2 computer and motor driver, which would allow for the 8 pins in the system to be raised and lowered. Fig. 1 shows an initial computer-assisted draft (CAD) model of the final makeup of the design.

Fig. 5: Representation of the finished project displaying all the locations of key components in the system. Pins (1) are pulled up toward alignment cups (2) via fishing line (3) by the motor (4). The motor is powered and controlled by the power supply, Raspberry Pi 2, and the motor driver (collectively called the motor assembly) (5). The motor assembly sits on a partition (6) so it is clear of the fishing line.

After an engineering analysis phase, plastic pins were selected in order to minimize the weight of the final product by reducing the pin weight and the number of motors required. To ensure success of the design, the team selected a motor that could provide the required torque to lift the pins and a cable with enough tensile strength to lift the pins without breaking. Each pin weighs approximately 0.4 lb., so a weight of 0.5 lb. per pin was used to calculate the motor torque and cable tension. The 0.1 lb. addition to the weight was to account for friction and additional resistances within the system. The casters on the bottom must also be able to hold the weight of the final product. Detailed 9 analysis of each calculation is in Appendix B, along with all assumptions or simplifications made.

By the end of the Fall semester of the 2015-2016 academic year, a Proof of

Concept (PoC) was built that utilized three plastic bowling pins as opposed to the ten that the final project would have. The purpose of the PoC was to demonstrate that the selected motor, the fishing line (XL Smooth Casting Fishing Line, 30 lb), and the computer and circuitry worked in tandem to lift pins and lower them back down. Figure 6 shows the

PoC setup. The bowling pins are attached to a motor via fishing line and the motor is controlled using a motor driver and Raspberry Pi 2 computer. The power supply converts the AC wall voltage to the DC voltage required for the motor to power the motor assembly. The program to run the motor is initialized by a keystroke on the computer.

The motor is elevated above the pins on a 2in x 4in board to allow for the motor to raise the pins. 10

Fig. 6: The PoC comprises of a motor (1) which is controlled by a motor driver (2) and Raspberry Pi 2 (3), connected to a power supply (4). A Python program to control the motor is initialized by a keystroke on the computer (5) that raises and lowers the bowling pins (6).

The motor used in the PoC is the same motor that will be used in the final design to raise and lower the bowling pins. Team Turkey selected the Pololu 12V, 100:1 Gear

Motor with Encoder, seen in Figure 7. This motor was chosen because it is rated to handle torque up to 220 oz-in [3]. The torque required to raise and lower three pins with the spool diameter used is only 3.8 oz-in. Full calculations for torque are in Appendix B.

The motor also comes with an encoder to help with any desired rotational measurements needed for programming. A full specifications sheet for this motor is in Appendix D. 11

Fig. 7: The Pololu 12V, 100:1 Gear Motor with Encoder is the motor used to raise and lower the pins in the PoC as well as the final design. Having an encoder would allow the team to measure the rotations in the motor to help design the code more easily in the spring.

The program for controlling the motor was written in Python. Appendix E is a screenshot of the code. After renditions of the code were made, the code was copied onto the Raspberry Pi 2 in preparation for testing. For the first iteration of testing, the power supply, motor driver, Raspberry Pi 2, and the motor were attached and wired. The power supply is plugged into a wall outlet, as well as the Raspberry Pi 2. The motor driver was wired and connected to the power supply, Raspberry Pi 2, and the motor. For the second iteration of testing, a plastic spool was attached to the motor shaft to assist winding the bowling pins. The motor was mounted to a board using a pipe strap, shown in Figure 8, to keep the motor securely elevated above the pins. The plastic spool was 3D printed using a

Solidworks model. Each of the three bowling pins hung from a strand of fishing line by tying one end of the fishing line to a paperclip. The paperclip was bent to act as a wedge inside the hole located at the top of the bowling pin. Complete assembly instructions are in Appendix G. 12

Fig. 8: The motor is secured to the board using a pipe strap.

Before the assembly of the PoC could be completed, two key elements of the PoC were built from scratch: the program, and the spool. Designing the code was brainstormed by writing out the necessary commands on paper (Appendix H), before typing commands in Python. Figure 9 shows the flowchart for designing the code for raising the bowling pins. Team Turkey had no previous experience with Python, and most of the time spent on working to complete the PoC was spent learning the programming language. The spool, shown in Figure 10, was designed in Solidworks and

3D printed.

Fig. 9: Flowchart for calling the direction for the motor to turn to raise the pins, where the “true” direction is counterclockwise.

Fig. 10: Isometric view of the spool used. The spool’s inner shape matches the outer surface of the motor shaft to ensure a secure fit.

The PoC was meant to address certain factors, such as programming and motor power, of the current concept before attempting to build the full-scale device. Through the PoC, the following design concerns were addressed:

1. What programming commands/functions will need to be learned in Python (the

computer language) to achieve the desired result of raising and lowering the

pins?

The team was unfamiliar with Python, and the PoC allowed the team to

learn enough of the basics of the programming language to be able to

control a motor.

2. How should the connections between motor, fishing lines, and pins take place?

Three pins were used to test the difficulty of connecting multiple fishing

lines to a single motor. Methods for connecting the fishing line to the

bowling pins and motor shaft were investigated.

3. Will the one motor have the power to lift three pins as suggested by previous

calculations?

Engineering analysis was conducted to mathematically prove that the

motor chosen to be used in the design has enough power to lift ten plastic 14

pins for the final design, and three plastic pins for the PoC. The PoC will

validate those calculations for three pins.

For this project, all funds to this point and for the next semester were provided by the University of Nevada. Table 3 shows the total cost expected for both semesters. The

“Actual” values reflect the cost incurred by the University. The “As-Built” values are based on market value for all parts and labor. The limited budget for the project played an important role in design considerations and planning. Using one motor to reset all pins is more desirable than using one motor for each pin because it reduced the cost significantly. The materials selected to construct the frame were also chosen for cost and weight efficiency. A full bill of materials and summary of expenses for the PoC is in

Appendix C.

As with many engineering projects, although the PoC was overall successful in demonstrating our initial calculations, some complications were encountered and adjustments had to be made during the building phases within the spring semester. These complications will be addressed in the Results section.

The Engineering Design Process: Spring Semester

By the start of the second semester, other complications were identified. Our

Capstone professor for the Fall Semester, Dr. Emil Geiger, had suddenly resigned over the winter break and was replaced with a graduate student, Steven King, who did not have a Ph.D., but rather over 26 years of professional engineering experience. Although

Mr. King’s credentials and ability to teach the course was not an issue, the transition of the engineering design process from the Fall Semester to the Spring Semester was 15 difficult due to the incoherence between what was done in Fall and what had to be done in Spring. Regardless of the new challenge, the team did fairly well in adjusting to the new expectations.

The design process for the spring semester was divided into four phases:

Phase I: Design Inputs

Phase II: Design Outputs

Phase III: Verification and Validation

Phase IV: Product Release

The purpose of Phase I was to establish a set of design inputs that took into consideration customer needs, product requirements, and hazard identifications in order to provide a through guide that would measure the success of the development process. Phase II encompassed the actual development of the design first through models and prints, then through manufacture and assembly. Phase III begins the process of either verifying or validating that the product requirements are met. Verification is necessary for requirements that check if certain conditions are met or feasible, such as “Instructor must be able to operate while maintaining supervision of students”, while validation is a check for product performance requirements, such as “When user presses the button, the pins reset”. The final phase, Phase IV, is the release of the product for commercial production and distribution.

New documents were drafted, including a revised Problem Statement, Market

Identification, Hazard Identification, Product Requirements Specifications, and Design

Control Traceability Matrix. The Problem Statement was essentially left the same except for a team decision to change the goal of “automatic pin reset” to “remote-controlled pin 16 reset”. It was decided, due to the difficulty of programming and the limited time to complete the project, that a remote control be used to wirelessly raise and lower the pins rather than build a fully autonomous machine. The Market ID was simply to identify our intended users, which were “adaptive physical education teachers who want to incorporate bowling into their curriculum for their special-needs students”. The Hazard

ID was created to formally identify all the risks and dangers associated with operating our design, such as product failure or user injury.

A Design Control Traceability Matrix (DCTM) was also created that documents the design changes made to our project over the course of the semester. This documents includes all four phases and is revised as each phase is developed or completed.

Appendix I shows an example of a DCTM revised between Phase III and Phase IV.

The PRS was drafted and would serve as the grading rubric gauging the success of our finished product. Appendix J shows the final revision of the PRS used to grade our project on April 26, 2016 when it was due.

Initial building of the frame took place in the Engineering Design Lab in the Jot

Travis Building within UNR. The frame panels, which had been purchased and cut at

Home Depot, and the acrylic sheet, which had been fabricated by Tripp’s House of

Plastics, were brought to the lab to begin building. After the frame was built, there was major concern that the assembled frame would not fit through the same doors through which it came in separate parts. In the process of transporting the frame from the EDL to a new workstation, some difficulty was met when attempting to fit the frame through the building doors. The process reaffirmed that the PRS needs to explicitly say that the device can only fit through 36 in. doorways and nothing less. 17

The rest of the building process took place in the garage of a friend and UNR graduate student, Luke Fraser. Over the rest of the semester, while Tamzin continued to develop the program and wireless remote, the rest of the team focused primarily on the fabrication of the physical device. Additional wood was bought and cut to create a shelf for the electromechanical components and to create a lid for the top of the frame to allow access to the components. Two-by-four planks of wood were mounted to the bottom of the side panels of the frame so that casters could be mounted to allow the frame to roll around. Figure 11 shows a caster mounted onto the bottom of the frame.

Fig. 11: Casters mounted to the bottom of the frame to allow the device to roll.

A power strip was also mounted to the wall of the inner compartment (Figure 12) to provide power to the power supply and the Raspberry Pi 2 controller when the device is plugged into a wall outlet. 18

Fig. 12: Power strip provides power to both the power supply for the motor and the Raspberry Pi 2 controller. The power strip wire goes through a hole that is cut through the back of the frame.

Additional parts were purchased such as a latch to secure the lid and lock it closed when the device is being used. This would ensure safety by restricting access to the motor and electric parts when the device is in operation. Warning labels were also added onto the lid as well as the Operations Manual to warn users of the possibility of shock or injury if they touch the electromechanical parts while in use. Appendix K shows the Operation

Manual that was printed at the time of submission.

Proof of Concept to the Final Product

The PoC at the end of the first semester brought to attention many concerns regarding the original design. First, the magnetic encoder on the motor broke after the first PoC trial due to (we suspect) a reaction with the ferrous material of the metal frame on which we had placed the electromechanical components. We concluded that the new motor (which we had to purchase again) could not be near any ferrous materials to ensure the same accident did not happen again since the encoder is an essential part to the controls aspect of the computer programming. This also reaffirmed the team decision to 19 construct the final frame out of wood rather than metal. Second, individual spools or bobbins would need to be used along a metal shaft for each individual pin for a few reasons: 1) to ensure that the fishing lines would not entangle, 2) to distribute the weight of the pins along a rigid surface as opposed to a single point that could risk excessive deflection or wear, and 3) to increase the diameter of the rotation to raise and lower pins faster. With the addition of a metal shaft mounted onto the motor, the design was revised to have all electromechanical components onto a single shelf built onto the back wall of the inner housing of the frame, as shown in Figure 13. The 3D printed spool was supplanted with a coupler that connected the aluminum shaft to the motor shaft with set screws.

Fig. 13: All electromechanical components are mounted on a shelf within the frame. An aluminum shaft with plastic bobbins is connected to the motor. A bearing (not shown) mounted on the opposite wall allows the shaft to freely rotate to wind up the fishing line lift the pins.

The manufacturing required in order to construct the final product was kept to a minimum in order to reduce the cost of construction and future maintenance. Wood 20 sheets were cut at a local hardware store to ensure dimensional accuracy. Holes required for bolts were cut using either a hand drill or the drill press in the UNR Manufacturing

Lab. The acrylic sheet, however, had to be fabricated from Tripp’s House of Plastics, in

Reno, NV to ensure proper dimensioning in size and hole locations. After the fabrication of the frame panels and acrylic sheet, assembly of the frame was accomplished using brackets secured with nuts and bolts. Screws were not used in this design to minimize the risk of stripping or splitting the boards. The motor assembly and electrical components, such as the Raspberry Pi 2 controller, wireless receiver and power supply, were mounted on a shelf located in the upper portion of the frame. The wood can be cut and drilled using personal equipment or can be taken to a hardware store to be cut for a small fee.

Sheets of acrylic or other plastic may be obtained and cut at shops which specialize in plastics manufacturing. The fasteners required to assemble the device may be easily obtained from any hardware store or through online supply companies such as McMaster

Carr or Grainger.

The remote that controls the movement of the pins was specially designed, 3D printed, and is powered by four AA batteries as shown in Figure 14. The program and mechanics were set such that the left-most button on the device (Figure 15) raises the pins, and the second button from the left lowers the pins. The third and fourth buttons currently have no functions but, with further development, could be used for additional aesthetic functions, such as activating lights built into the frame or for activating a display that keeps score.

Figure 14: Open remote case to display its electrical components and the four AA batteries that powers the built-in transmitter. A toggle power switch is located on the side of the case. Both the remote and the device must be powered in order for wireless communication to work.

Figure 15: Front of remote case displaying the four buttons. Only the first two buttons from the left actually control the movement of the pins.

All of the product requirements were met at the time of submission except for:

06.PRS.10.1, which required that “Disposal Requirements” be indicated in the Operations

Manual, and 06.PRS.11.2, which stated “There must not be sharp corners on the product which may hurt any children”. The “Disposal Requirements” were not met simply because the requirements we indicated in our Operations Manual did not suffice.

Although we sanded the edges of our final frame, there were still edges considered sharp enough to Mr. King at the time of grading. The project was given a 96.75 out of 100 for 22 its success with regard to the PRS. At the time of submission, Buddy Lowe had not yet been given the device, but because his primary preferences of portability and remote- controlled reset were fulfilled, we expect he will be satisfied with the finished product. A front view of the final product can be seen in Figure 16 below.

Figure 16: Front view of finished product. A latch at the top can be seen and is used to lock the lid shut while the device is in operation. A power cord extends from the back of the device and can be connected to an extension cord as shown in the picture. The four casters on the bottom can be locked to prevent the frame from rolling while in use.

Conclusions and Future Possibilities

Overall, design of the remote-controlled pinsetter was successful. The bowling pins are attached to fishing line, which are also attached to bobbins lined along the motor shaft assembly. The pins are raised into alignment cups to steady any swaying that occurs during lift and are then placed back onto the ground for the next bowling turn. The electronics are securely mounted to the shelf in the upper portion of the frame to 23 minimize electrical hazards. The motor within the device moves for as long as a button on the remote controller is pressed. If at any point the device needs to be stopped, the user must simply remove his thumb from the pushed button. Portability was achieved through the installation of side-lock casters that can be locked to prevent rolling and unlocked to allow transportation. Although the device was never officially weighed, the frame is light enough to be easily carried by two adults.

While the current design has its benefits, such as faster reset time and simple functionality with the push of a button, it also has its limitations. It was decided that a single motor would be used to lift the pins so that the number of parts that could malfunction would decrease. An individual motor for each pin increases the likelihood of one of those motors possibly failing. However, the one motor must now be strong enough to bear the load of all 10 pins, and if the motor fails, then the entire device become inoperable. The aluminum shaft has also shown slight deflection at its midpoint due to the load of the ten pins, which may reduce the life cycle expectancy of either the shaft or the motor. Ideally, a stronger shaft made of steel would be used instead to prevent this deflection, but due to time constraints, this was not implemented before the time of submission. The device is also limited by location since it does require a nearby outlet or a very long extension cord in order to be powered. A solution to this dilemma could involve the installation of a battery, but this might substantially increase the weight of the system due to the size of the battery needed to provide sufficient power.

Tangling of the fishing line has also been a concern since the beginning of the project. The problem with tethered bowling pins is the high risk of tangling during ball collision or even during the reset process. However, after testing, our team concluded that 24 tangling would not be a significant issue as long as the device is only used for its intended audience—the physically challenged student. In the Operations Manual, it was additionally stated in a disclaimer that the device was not intended for professional use.

To help meet the portability requirement, the spacing of the pins also had to be reduced in aspect ratio in order to allow the frame to be built no wider than 36 inches in one dimension. Although this limitation does not hinder the product’s usage in the educational environment, it once again places a restriction on its usage for professional or recreational bowling.

With further development, this project has the potential to be used for a variety of applications. By decreasing the depth of the frame by a few inches, the device could be transported anywhere within a household to allow bowling whenever or wherever a family wants. Alternatively, the frame could be made collapsible to allow for transportation as simple as carrying around a briefcase. In this application, the device would primarily serve as household entertainment with a target consumer of younger age.

Conversely, the frame could developed with more rigidity and bigger size to accommodate an older audience for a more recreation outdoor usage. A stronger motor assembly and shaft would allow for the device to use standard bowling pin sizes for an experience very similar to the indoor bowling alley. Once again, this application would be entertainment-based and would primarily be used for commercial purposes.

The device is imperfect, but our team is still proud of the outcome after the year- long work put into designing the system. The purpose of this project was not only to build a device that would assist adaptive physical educators in teaching their students gross motor skills but to also allow our team of engineering students to experience a 25 design process from conception to production. Problem-solving was utilized at every step of the design, and although the project was met with random and sudden challenges, we as engineering students learn to adapt and overcome. The initial goal of creating a fully automatic pinsetter had to be revised, but the use of the remote control still renders the bowling activity much more efficient than its manual counterpart. With the remote, the instructor will be able to reset bowling pins all at once and without having to fully divert his attention away from his students.

Works Cited

[1] Mike Salvati. (August, 2014).Portable Bowling.[Online].

Available: …..https://vimeo.com/108968313

[2] Sportcraft.(Date unknown). Amazon. [Online]. Available:

…..http://www.amazon.com/Sportcraft-Bowl-A-Rama-Bowler-Bowling

Bowlercade/dp/B00OBRX7IA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0FSSAH1F7

H3B79Y524PZ&dpID=51K78f13wQL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_

[3] Portable Bowling alley with ball return, by Kevin D. Burtchett. ( 1994, Dec. 20).

Patent ….US5374220 A [Online]. Available: http://www.google.com/patents/US5374220

Appendix A:

Product Design Specifications

Portable Bowling Pinsetter Product Identification Market Identification - Portable bowling pinsetter - Target market: adaptive PE programs, families - Automatically resets bowling pins with children - Anticipated market demand: TBD Key Performance Targets - Competing projects: mini bowling activities - Reset pins to within 4 inches that do not automatically reset pins - Branding Strategy: TBD Service Environment - Indoors (50 °F - 100 °F) Life Cycle Targets - Use life: 5 years Key Project Deadlines - Shelf life: 7 years - Proof of Concept: early Winter 2015 - Maintenance: TBD - Conceptual Design Report: mid Winter 2015 - End-of-life strategy: made of mostly recyclable - Detailed Design Report: mid February 2016 materials, motors can be reused or resold - Project Complete: April 2016 - Final Design Report: May 2016

Physical Description - One spatial dimension less than 36 in - Height is less than 5 ft - Complete assembly not to exceed 150 lbs

Financial Requirements - Budgeted by UNR Capstone

Appendix B:

Design Engineering Analysis

The required minimum stall torque for the motor was calculated using equation 1. This calculation accounts for friction and resistance in the system assuming that it is not a significant factor. Important assumptions include modelling each pin-cable assembly as weighing 0.5 lb, and a shaft diameter of one inch.

Equation 2 was used to calculate the tension in each cable so that one of sufficient strength could be selected. The mass was determined using equation 3, where g is the acceleration due to gravity.

In order to determine the tension in the cable analysis was performed simplifying the model as a mass being raised at a constant speed. This allowed for determination of the tension as shown.

The weight that each castor must be able to support was found by dividing the total weight of the final product by the number of castors used in the design. The final maximum allowable weight was used for this determination and it was assumed that there will be one castor in each corner. Equation 4 shows the result.

Once a motor which met the minimum stall torque requirement was found the power supply could be selected by matching the current output to the current required for the motor. The motor selected has an operating range of 300mA – 5A. This was used to ensure that the power supply could meet the demands of the motor. Table 1 shows the final results of the calculated or required values, and the values for the parts actually used. 31

Appendix C: PoC Bill of Materials

Table 1: Overall Bill of Materials, including cost of PoC, items purchased but not used in PoC construction and testing, and estimates for second semester expenses.

Table 2: PoC Bill of Materials: Cost for items for PoC, actual costs incurred by the course, and the as-built cost for items at market value.

Note: “To date” reflects the time at the end of the first semester and not the time at which this thesis was written.

Appendix D:

Motor Datasheet

Appendix E:

Code

Appendix F:

3D Printed Spool

Fig. 1: Front view of spool in Solidworks. The spool slides onto the motor shaft, which is not a full circle.

Fig. 2: Isometric view of spool model in Solidworks.

Fig. 3: Drawing of spool with dimensions shown, all dimensions are in mm.

Appendix G:

PoC Assembly Instructions

1) Cut the end opposite of the wall outlet on the computer cord so that the AC power wires (Line, Neutral, and Ground) can be stripped at the ends and attached to the Switching Power Supply inputs. Attach to the Switching Power Supply inputs (See Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Step 1: Attaching power supply cord to Switching Power Supply 2) Cut one 6 in piece of 18 gauge red wire and one 6 in piece of 18 gauge black wire, and strip both ends. 3) Attach one end of the red wire to a V+ output. Attach one end of the black wire to a COM output (See Fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Step 3: Attaching wires to COM and V+

4) Attach the other ends of the red and black wires to the positive and negative power inputs respectively on the motor driver (See Fig. 3). 50

Fig. 3: Step 4: Attaching wires from switching power supply to motor driver. 5) Cut one 4 in piece of 22 gauge green wire and two 4 in pieces of 22 gauge black wire. Strip both ends. 6) Attach the three terminal pins that come with the motor driver to one end on each of the three wires. Push the green wire into the Ground port on the PCB connector on the motor driver. Push one black wire into the PWM port, and another black wire into the DIR port (See Fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Step 6: Attaching wires to PCB connector on motor driver. 7) Begin the setup the Raspberry Pi 2 from the kit by attaching the two heat sinks onto the board, placing the board in the protective case, and inserting the micro SD card. 8) Follow the Setup instructions for initializing the Raspberry Pi 2. 9) Choose the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi 2 that will be used in programming. Attach female crimp pins to the open ends of the wires coming from the PCB connector on the motor driver and push them onto the correct GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi 2. 10) Cut a 6 in piece of 22 gauge black wire and a 6 in piece of 22 gauge red wire, and strip both ends of both wires. 11) Attach the motor to the motor positive and negative ports on the motor driver via the red and black wires that were cut in the previous step. 12) Program the motor using the Raspberry Pi 2 and Python. 13) Cut a 18 in section of 2in x 4in board. 14) Attach the motor to the underside of the board using one 1.25 in galvanized pipe strap and two drywall screws (See Fig. 5). 51

Fig. 5: Step 14: Mounting the motor to the board with the pipe strap. 15) Push the spool onto the motor shaft until it is snug. 16) Cut three 30 in long sections of fishing line, and knot all three strands together at one end. 17) Using the loose ends of fishing line, attach each strand of fishing line to a plastic bowling pin by bending a paperclip and tying one end of a piece of fishing line to the paperclip (See Fig. 6a). Take out the black cap off of each bowling pin. Then wedge the paperclip into the top hole of the bowling pin (See Fig. 6b).

(a) (b) Figure 6: Step 17: (a) Bent paperclip before getting inserted into bowling pin. (b) Bent paperclip after being inserted and wedged into top of bowling pin. 18) Secure the knotted fishing line end to the spool using mounting tape (See Fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Step 18: Fishing line has been mounted and secured onto the spool with mounting tape. 19) Place Switching Power Supply, motor driver, and Raspberry Pi 2 on the top of the board and/or tabletop (See Figure 8). 52

Fig. 8: Step 19: Placing the motor driver, power supply, and Raspberry Pi 2 on top of the board concludes the PoC setup.

Appendix H:

Brainstorming Code

Appendix I: Design Control Traceability Matrix

Phase II - Phase I - Design Inputs Design Phase III - V&V Output Item Requirement Requirement Applicable Design Verification Validation Closure ID Description Standards Specification (Y/N) Components that Individual may need to be material costs 06.PRS.1.1 replaced by user N/A BOM do not exceed must not exceed $50 $50 per part 06.PRS.1.2 Deleted WCSD Board Pins reset Instructor must be Policy 5039 automatically able to operate Student Buddy Lowe without 06.PRS.2.1 while maintaining Discipline will test the constant supervision of Page 2 system attention students Section 5: from user Safety Product will be stained Product must have and may use aesthetics and the Market 06.PRS.2.2 N/A other interest of the Data features such target market as lights and flags Must be able to fit through a standard Check 06.PRS.3.1 doorway (no more N/A 06-D-100 drawing than 36” in one dimension) Have each Team Must be able to be team members will moved from member transport 06.PRS.3.2 storage to location N/A take it product of use by no more through a between than one person 36 +/- 1 in rooms doorway User must be able to access the mechanical and electrical Check 06.PRS.3.3 components for N/A 06-D-100 drawing maintenance and repair, but it must remain closed during operation Reset pins Must be able to 25 times place pins within and 06.PRS.3.4 N/A 06-D-200 two inches of measure desired location with a go or no-go gage 57

Must be able to "USBC accommodate Equipment regulation size Specifications bowling pins"USBC and Pin Part 06.PRS.3.5 Equipment Certifications 06-D-100 Number Specifications and Manual", Certifications Bolwing Pin Manual" pages 18- Dimensions, 19 pages 18-19 Have 2 persons outside of the group Indiviudals read Users must be able outside of the through to follow provided team will manual and 06.PRS.4.1 N/A instructions for read though state that proper operation instruction they manual understand the instructions and use product Product will Instruction must be be primarily provided that used on a Check part 06.PRS.4.2 product is to be N/A school number used on a flat, dry gymnasium surface floor Run User must be able program, to immediately stop Check 06.PRS.4.3 N/A 06-D-500 press stop the machine at any Drawing (repeat 5 time times) Reset pins 25 times When user presses and 06.PRS.6.1 the button, the pins IEEE C95.1 06-D-500 measure reset with a go or no-go gage All warning labels for mechanical and electrical Check 06.PRS.8.1 N/A 06-D-100 components must drawing be in a conspicuous location Warnings of mechanical and electrical hazards Instruction Check 06.PRS.8.2 must be provided to ANSI Z535.6 Manual drawing the customer in writing as part of instructions for use 58

Instructions for proper use conditions and Instruction Check 06.PRS.9.1 N/A inspection of parts Manual drawing prior to use must be provided It is the user's responsibility Check Disposal 06.PRS.10.1 ISO 14001 to properly instruction requirements dispose of manual electronics Shaft material and dimensions must be sufficient to ensure that it will last for Fatigue Check 06.PRS.10.2 N/A at least 500,000 analysis Analysis rotation cycles under the expected loading Proper insulation must be ensured for Check 06.PRS.11.1 N/A 06-D-404 all electrical drawing components WCSD Board There must not be Policy 5039 sharp corners or Student Check 06.PRS.11.2 splinters on the Discipline 06-D-100 drawing product which may Page 2 hurt any children Section 5: Safety

Appendix J: Product Requirements Specification

APPROVALS

Name Role Signature / Date Tamzin Atkins Team Member 1 Hayden Nickel Team Member 2 Destiny Phan Team Member 3 Walfredo Publico Team Member 4 Joseph Young Team Member 5

PURPOSE This document defines the project requirement specifications for the Portable Pin Setter which function as the design inputs of the project as an origin for traceability throughout the project. Additionally this document provides defining guidance on identifying project requirement specifications.

PRODUCT USE DESCRIPTIONS

Intended Use The Portable Pin Setter is intended be used as means of recreation and development for persons with mental and physical disabilities. Intended User The product is intended to be used by students in special education programs under the supervision of an adaptive physical education instructor. Intended Use Environment The product is intended to be used within special education facilities on a flat, dry surface. It is intended to be used primarily indoors, but may be used outdoors in appropriate weather.

PROJECT REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Requirements are divided into several general categories listed in appendix A and supplied with guidance for consideration.

Each requirement is identified with a unique ID. Each is defined as measureable, quantifiable, and non-ambiguous. Each requirement allows for verification and/or validation during phase III.

PRS Category Requirement Mechanical components to be replaced by user must not exceed $50 per 06.PRS.1.1 Business part 06.PRS.1.2 ------Deleted Instructor must be able to operate while maintaining supervision of 06.PRS.2.1 Customer students 61

06.PRS.2.2 Customer Product must have aesthetics and the interest of the target market Must be able to fit through a standard doorway (no more than 36” in 06.PRS.3.1 Product one dimension) Must be able to be moved from storage to location of use by no more 06.PRS.3.2 Product than one person User must be able to access the mechanical and electrical components 06.PRS.3.3 Product for maintenance and repair, but it must remain closed during operation 06.PRS.3.4 Product Must be able to place pins within two inches of desired location Must be able to accommodate regulation size bowling pins as defined by 06.PRS.3.5 Product “USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual” pages 18-19 06.PRS.4.1 Usability Users must be able to follow provided instructions for proper operation Instruction must be provided that product is to be used on a flat, dry 06.PRS.4.2 Usability surface 06.PRS.4.3 Usability User must be able to immediately stop the machine at any time 06.PRS.6.1 Software When user presses a button, the pins raise or lower All warning labels for mechanical and electrical components must be in a 06.PRS.8.1 Labeling conspicuous location Warnings of mechanical and electrical hazards must be provided to the 06.PRS.8.2 Labeling customer in writing as part of instructions for use Environ- Instructions for proper use conditions and inspection of parts prior to use 06.PRS.9.1 mental must be provided 06.PRS.10.1 Lifetime Disposal Requirements Shaft material and dimensions must be sufficient to ensure that it will 06.PRS.10.2 Lifetime last for at least 500,000 rotation cycles under the expected loading 06.PRS.11.1 Safety Proper insulation must be ensured for all electrical components There must not be sharp corners on the product which may hurt any 06.PRS.11.2 Safety children

REVISION SUMMARY REV Change Description Date

A Initial Release 05 Feb 2016

B Addition of specifications for safety and product life 25 Feb 2016

Deleted 06.PRS.1.2 Changed wording of 06.PRS.2.2 25 Feb 2016 C Changed 06.PRS.6.1 from “reset” to “raise or lower” Changed 06.PRS.10.1 to “Disposal Requirements”

Appendix K: Pinsetter Operations Manual

Remote-Controlled Pinsetter Operation Manual RELEASE OF LIABILITY Use of this product implies the user(s) has/have fully read and understood this release of liability statement and the contents of the operation manual. The University of Nevada, Reno and its students and/or faculty are not liable for injury, loss, damage, or other negative consequences of the use of this product. Components: Electrical Mechanical Raspberry Pi 2 Aluminum Shaft Motor Driver Fishing Line Power Supply Alignment Cups Power Cord Bowling Pins Motor Arduino Pro Minis Transmitter / Receiver Antennas Instructions

Device Set-up

1. Move device to an open area with level ground. Consider a location with a

nearby electrical outlet.

2. Clear the floor of any obstructions to allow the pins to sit flat on the surface.

3. Lock the casters on the bottom so the device will not roll while in use.

4. Power the unit using the power cord protruding from the back of the unit and a

functioning outlet. Note that an extension cord may be necessary depending on

location. 64

5. Open the lid and ensure that the power strip (mounted on the side wall) is set to

ON. The toggle switch on the power strip should light up red if powered

correctly.

6. Once the unit is powered, close and lock the lid to restrict access to the

mechanical and electrical components while device is in use.

7. Use the provided remote to control the raising and lowering of the bowling pins.

Remote Instructions

8. Use 4 AA batteries to power remote controller.

9. To turn on the remote controller, flip the power switch on the side of the remote

to ON, denoted by the line.

10. Before attempting to use the remote buttons, wait approximately 20 seconds

after both the device and the remote have been turned on. Note that control of

the bowling pins may not be possible during this waiting period.

11. Hold the remote such that the antenna points away from the remote holder and

toward the general location of the pinsetter device.

12. To raise pins, press and hold the first button from the left.

13. To lower pins, press and hold the second button from the left.

14. To stop motor movement at any time, release the pressed button.

15. To turn off the remote controller, flip the power switch on the remote to OFF,

denoted by the circle.

Storage

16. Before disconnecting power, use remote to lower bowling pins until they can

rest on the ground surface.

17. Once there is enough slack for the bowling pins, disconnect the device power

cord from its power source.

18. Unlock casters to allow the frame to freely move.

19. Store unit in a dry location away from possible fire hazards.

20. Lock casters to ensure device does not roll away during storage.

WARNINGS

1) Contact with electronic components may cause shock while device is powered.

Disconnect all power before servicing.

2) Moving parts can crush and cut. Keep hands and fingers away from motor shaft

and fishing lines while the device is powered.

3) Do NOT place or keep objects on top of the product. Excessive weight on the lid

of the device may cause lid to break.

4) Do NOT store product in areas of high humidity as the wooden frame may

absorb moisture, expand, and reduce the structural rigidity of the device.

5) Wooden frame is flammable. Do NOT store product near fire hazards.

DISCLAIMER This product is not intended for professional sports purposes. Proper disposal of this product and/or its electronic components is the sole responsibility of its user(s).