4 Legged robot

A lovely simple walking robot I came up with for my 5th year Technology class.

5th Year Technology

Night Lights

Students present their night light projects using a Genie c08 microcontroller. This is a lovely little project which allows students to get to grips with programming a basic microcontroller and sets them up for the coming challenge of programming their sumo robots. Lots of technology used here, from CADCAM to vacuum forming and laminating plywood and acrylic to give some unique effects when these lights shine.

Animatronics

Animatronics

Some Leaving Certificate animatronic projects. A superb job was done on all projects by 6th year students this year who had to design and make a system or artefact based on the theme of animatronics. For the moment, here are the pictures but I'll be updating them soon with videos to follow.

 

EA Games Irish Sumo Robot Competition

Sumo Robots

On the 20th May 2016 Villier's Technology Sumo Robots battled it out in the Irish EA Sumo Robot Games and were victorious. Team Cortex (Ben Crowley) came out on top beating over 150 other sumo robots from all over Ireland to win the Junior EA Games Sumo Robot Competition. It was a great day and our team of nine robots did superbly well. It culminated in a tense final against "The Wall" from St. Gerald's College, Castlebar. In the end there could only be one winner and having come so close in previous years, this turned out to be our year in the end.

5th Year Technology

Click Together Picture Frame

5th year students designed and produced a picture frame which clicks together like flat pack furniture. After some thought and careful analysis they produced some really nice pieces.

1st Year Technology

Yo-Yo's

Continuing with the great success of last year and the enjoyment the students had in making yo-yo's we decided to do them again.

1st year students enjoing their Technology taster session

Villiers Sumo Robots 2015

Irish Sumo Robot Championships 2015

 

 

LC Technology

Irish Mini Sumo Robotic Championship

A great day was had at the Irish Mini Sumo Robotic Championships held in Galway last Friday, May 1st. Over 400 students and 109 robots took part in the competition which sees it going from strenght to strenght and tougher each year. Having already designed, manufactured and programmed each robot, the Villiers teams were confident going into the competition that their robots would perform very well, and they did.  Five teams brought their robots and three successfully made it to the quaterfinals, while one (The Black Mamba team: Conor Ryan and Patrick Higgins) went on to battle it out in the semifinal. It was tense and nailbiting stuff but unfortunately we were beaten by the robot that went on to win the final and clench the title for 2015. Congratulations to all the students on doing very well and coming so close. We will be back next year for a bite at the cherry again, who knows!!

LC Technology

Sumo Robots

Its coming around to that time of year again when 5th year students look forward to battling it out in the Irish National Mini-Sumo Robot competition. Having researched mini sumo robot design and analysed past student's robots, the students began in teams of 2 designing and making their robots with the hope of winning this years competition. A lot of factors are considered and lots of interesting ideas emerged from the students in how they could gain the smallest advantage: sensor blockers, electro-magnets and sticky wheels but to name a few. Due to competition restrictions on design and components used, the key however in past competitions seems to ultimately be the micro-controllers programme. Lets see if they can do one better this year.

TY Technology

MP3 Speaker

Transition year students have been busy working over the last number of weeks on their speaker projects. They learnt many of the key skills, i.e circuit population, vacuum forming and processing HIP plastic along with finishing of their speaker casing with custom vinyl stickers. They all produced some wonderful projects. Below are some of the key stages involved and a few of the finished speaker projects.

LC Technology

Runaway Alarm Clock

Students always seem to come up with great ideas that make you smile. When a student asked me could he make an alarm clock that would 'runaway' when the alarm activates I was truly inspired. Integrating an alarm clock with a microcontroller was the way forward but certain challenges were faced on the way. We were able to reuse an old clock radio and use the alarm speaker as an input on the microcontrol board (Genie E18) to make the motors function. The student gained inspiration for his design from a landrover but with caterpillar tracks. The body was vacuum formed which allowed for the components to be housed inside the vehicle. A digital sensor was placed on the front to detect obstacles in its path. Check out the video below.

LC Technology

Perpetual Motion

Its a very interesting concept to be able to create motion that continues indefinitely. Understandably this is hypothetical and depends on the energy input as a source for energy output but all the same, it is a very unique way of generating rotary motion. Maybe it might spark an idea for application in some of our Leaving Cert Technology students' final year project...

LC Technology

Picture Frame

Back to school and its always nice to start the term with a practical exercise. Our new 5th year class have been learning the skills associated with CAD/CAM. This allows students to gain experience with design, IT and manufacturing as well as fine finishing techniques of plastics which they will use in future projects going forward during their LC programme. Some of the designs are shown below which have been changed since last year to accomodate a 6"x4" Photo.

LC Technology

Irish National Sumo Robot Competition 2014

Congratulations to all the 5th year technology students who took part in the second Irish Mini Sumo Robot Tournament which was held in Galway. This year saw a doubling of the number of teams competing from all over Ireland and the standard of the competition was very high.  Considering all the programming difficulties and last minute adjustments to the robots, it was a great achievement by everyone who took part especially those who reached the finals of the competition. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and gained a lot from the experience. The planning now starts for next year.

Roboteers: Christian Cano, Miguel Saez, Alonso Dominguez, Stephen Bracken, Gregory Lotter, Paul Sutton, Maeve Higgins, Sarah Oxley, Patrick Lu, Stefan Gode, Aoife Malone, Caitlyn Parkinson, Alvina Zykov, Kimberly Kietel.

 

 

 

2nd Year Technology

Cars

Having experienced last years success and enjoyment in designing and making motorised cars, it was time to do it again. It is a great project for students to reinforce a lot of basic manufacturing processes and use of technology. It also introduces students to the DPDT switch which enables them to gain a very good working knowledge of switching current flow and energy conversion within a circuit. Below are some of the students finished cars. Now for the race!!!

 

 

5th Yr Technology

Video of the walking Dinosaur

5th Yr Technology

WALKING ROBOT

This has been an interesting and very valuable exercise in introducing students to mechanisms and how they can be used to transmit motion from rotary to linear. The students started exploring this concept having introduced them first to a range of mechanisms and how extensively they are used in everyday items. Combining other aspects of their technology course, e.g. design process, project management etc, students outlined their final ideas on their drawing worksheets, e.g. Fig 1 and 2.

 

Fig 1

 

Fig 2

 

Students then began the manufacturing process combining materials, mechanisms and electronics to make their walking robots.

 

 Walking robot video to follow...

5th Year Technology

Picture Frame CNC Project

 

5th year technology students were given the design task of designing and making a flat pack, slot together picture frame made from acrylic plastic. Another challenge facing them was that it had to be manufactured by CNC.

 

Having done a couple of weeks with 2D CAD drawing, students were able to draw their designs while gaining an understanding of the parameters with which the CNC machine operates; machine plans, selection of tooling and paths, feed speeds and rates and machine limits. Below are the stages involved.



 

CAD drawing and machining plans

CNC machining of acrylic 

Machined picture frame parts 

Selecton of students finished picture frames 

LC Technology

Villier's Sumo Roboteers

Congratulations to all the 5th year technology students who took part in the inaugural Irish Mini Sumo Robot Tournament which was recently held in Galway. Thirty two teams from all over Ireland took part and battled it out to capture the bragging rights to be recognised as the best Mini Sumo Robot in Ireland. Considering all the programming difficulties and last minute adjustments to the robots, it was a great achievement by everyone who took part especially those who reached the finals of the competition. Special congratulations to Jonathan Powell, Kerrie Ahern and Niamh Kennedy in reaching the semi-final and final of the competition respectively.

 

Roboteers: Prince Bossman, Senan Moore, Paul Byrne, Niamh Kennedy, Kerrie Ahern, Javier Gil, Giorgio Hartmann, Niall Poff, Evan Kennedy, Conor Grace, Jonathan Powel and Pablo Llovet.

 



 

Sumo Wrestling Takes On Robots

Mini-Sumo Robot Challenge

5th year students at work designing and making mini-sumo robots which will take part in the inaugural Irish Junior Mini-Sumo Robot Tournament. This will take place in Galway on the 19th of April.