Basketball Hoop
Oscar Langley S3231372 Technology 4 GRAP 1052
that was later switched for an LDR sensor
My original intention and one that would have been much more suited to the assignment was the use of an Infrared Sensor. But due to problems involving the logistics of the design, and problems with construction the switch to an LDR Sensor was made. The LDR sensor and the LED were inserted into the backboard of the design and construction followed form there. Parts were soldered together and the Arduino attached to the backboard along with the battery pack to power all the components in the circuit.
The construction of the fibre component was tricky due to restrictions in the diameter a hole could be drilled in the wheel. The maximum size only allowed for 1 piece of polypropylene rope to be inserted, which meant interlocking at much less intervals. The advantage of the rope being spun is it could be reversed to allow another strand to be inserted between. The each strand features 2 crosses and an attachment at the bottom, providing a loose enough weave yet still having enough netting to block a ball passing through. Strands attached before weave. Weave (tape holding rope in place) Ends being burnt for durability Once fed through the 8 openings on the wheel, the tops were burnt. This causes the fibre to morph and become much harder, making it unable to slip out. The 8 strands were then weaved together though a series of interlacing points with knots at the end. The knots and all ends were burnt to prevent them coming undone.
Original Infrared construction
I found the multimedia component was by far the most challenging based on the unfamiliarity of programs and components I was utilizing. The construction of the circuit is as follows.
Construction (Electronic) Construction (Fibre) design concepts
Key Features Interlocking mechanism
The concept of a designing a basketball hoop immediately came to mind after the word basket was thrown into the design brief. I initially began brainstorming past assignments for wood and fibre and contemplating ways of using concepts and designs learnt. The obvious application from the wheel assignment came into play immediately. I reflected on various trials and errors made, yet felt confident that I could recreate a wheel that was not only up to the previous standard, but exceeded it.
- The interlocking mechanism is 3 piece component attached to the wheel of the basketball hoop. The two horizontal components are identical allowing them both to pass through the first opening in the backboard
Wheel Construction Locking Key - Slides neatly between the horizontal sections of the locking mechanism. The locking key features a small opening where one can hook their finger and pull the key outwards
3rd wheel attempt (assignment 3)
The second application was of a locking mechanism that would suit the design appropriately. Creating net that could screw into the backboard was the first thing that came to mind, but this didn’t Japanese Joinery Assignment (CAD Render) capitalize on the learning I had previously undertaken and I chose to go pursue a simple locking mechanism using twisting as well as a locking key. These were both concepts described to us in class and I thought would be perfect for the application at hand.
The construction of the basketball hoop is unique. The locking mechanisms are unusual and the construction and materials aren’t those to which you would normally associate with basketball. It is this that makes the product unique. Some of the features have been thought of from scratch and the design of them has taken many turns during development before reaching the final product
Construction of the wheel was another challenging component and required a lot of time and patience. Previous experiments with 5 minute epoxy yielded undesirable results and the choice to use 1 hour wood glue was made. This glue’s advantages over PVA were time and ease of use. There were no problems with assembly of the parts that were fastened during hardening with a cable tie as well as clams at joining points. A radius was then added to the edges of the wheel and the joining components added afterwards Working my head around the backboard construction was the most challenging. The final decision was to go with a 3 part backboard allowing me to insert a locking key through he middle, holding everything into place without being obviously visible.
Final Product 1. Insert Hoop on it’s side into backboard opening
Construction (Wood)
Assembly
design conceptscontinued 2. Twist 90 degrees in either direction
Onto another component of the design, fibre. The demonstrations at the Brunswick campus involving the hand knitted sock knitter gave me initial ideas and application concepts. I was initially planning on creating a sock to fit onto the hoop of my proposed basket ball design, but the time parameters as well as material and machinery restrictions quickly prompted me to change my plan of attack. Knowing that the basketball netting would need to be durable, I instinctively targeted synthetic fibres and focused on three fabric types: Nylon, Polypropylene rope and a Possible application of Polyester Filaments.
4. Insert Locking Key Polyester Filaments
3. Push Hoop once more into place Polypropylene Rope Example
Nylon Rope Example
The simple assembly procedure compliments the design. It gives the basketball Hoop a playful side and a child like appearance. The size of the parts are also easily handled and provide structural strength to the design.
Creating an appropriate electrical component went through a variety of trial phases. The first idea was to use an already learnt component of LDR sensors. LDR stands for Light Dependent Resistors, and measure and detect changes in ambient light. Immediately problems arose with this due to the changing lighting of different environments and times of day, making the device temperamental and unreliable. This prompted the shift to Infrared sensors. Infrared sensors are able to detect the presence of an object by interference of the infrared beam emitted.
Concept Development Concept Development Preliminary Designs Once a direction to which the design was to take off, concept development commenced. This involved sketches, photos of different inspirational aspects, and research, to come up with a sound design concept ready for construction. Sizing for the components was the first hurdle. How wide should the hoop be? How big should the backboard be? I solved this by creating a basketball hoop that would be appropriate for children at half the size of traditional ones.
Preliminary design sketches highlighting key points and design features.
I wanted to locking mechanisms to be easily visible and easy to understand. So creating ones that would be easy to use came down to size and simplicity. With a 3 part system, the parts clearly fit into one another (easy fitting component is clearly indicated by shape) and create a snug fit.