ENGR-1101 Introduction to Engineering CapstoneProject: The iPad ControlledHovercraft College of Engineering Temple University Fall 2011

Project Description On Wednesday Dec. 11 between 11am and 1pm 155 freshman engineering students will showcase their capstone project in a final 1competition. This culminates a 13 week intensive experience where students were exposed to the fundamentals of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. This specific project involved the design, construction, and control, using an iPad, of a small-scale hovercraft. The students were divided up into teams for a of 36 groups. Each group had to first used computed aided design software to make all of the mechanical structure of the hovercraft. Once this was completed the students then mounted various fans, motors, rudders, electronics to the hovercraft structure. Students then programmed the onboard microprocessor of the hovercraft to receive wireless commands from an iPad where the microprocessor converted the iPad commands into electrical control signals for the various motors and rudders on the hovercraft. Prizes for 1 st place are $1000, 2 nd place $500, and 3 rd place are $200 supplied by NASA PA Space Grant Consortium.

The Hovercraft Project Impeller - Generates lift Propeller Stabilizer Battery pack Deck Skirt Propeller Fixtures

Arduino micro controller - open source electronic prototyping platform Controls impeller, propeller and variable speed stabilizer Receives input from various sensors (infrared, ultrasonic etc.) Wi-Fi control with iPad The Hovercraft Project

iPad Control Student demonstrates control of the speed of the rear propulsion fans using iPad wireless link

Construction in the Freshman Lab