Senior Design Expo 2019
The Senior Design Expo, held annually in May at Columbia University, is an opportunity for Columbia Engineering students to showcase what they have learned in their foundational math and science courses together with their engineering courses in innovative, creative, and purposeful designs and prototypes. Each year the Expo showcases more than 60 projects across all nine departments. Projects have included cutting-edge robotics, the New York City subway system, language technology, proposals for bridges to span the Hudson river, and much more.
The Senior Design Expo, held annually in May at Columbia University, is an opportunity for Columbia Engineering students to showcase what they have learned in their foundational math and science courses together with their engineering courses in innovative, creative, and purposeful designs and prototypes. Each year the Expo showcases more than 60 projects across all nine departments. Projects have included cutting-edge robotics, the New York City subway system, language technology, proposals for bridges to span the Hudson river, and much more.
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CulpeoWASH<br />
Team Hydraulic Foxtrot: Adeel Ahmad,<br />
Onur Calikusu, Christopher Fryer, Charles<br />
Johnson<br />
Advisor: Joshua Browne<br />
Our project centers around building an<br />
automated pressure washing robot for ground<br />
surface applications. Pressure washing a<br />
surface is often a strenuous and tedious task<br />
requiring a lot of effort and time. This<br />
especially holds true during a hot summer<br />
day and/or when a very large surface needs to<br />
be cleaned. We are introducing an automated<br />
platform built around an existing surface<br />
cleaner, as shown below, to alleviate this<br />
problem. This will prove to be useful in<br />
various environments, including but not<br />
limited to, driveways, decks, and tennis<br />
courts.<br />
CulpeoWASH utilizes various sensors to<br />
navigate around its environment and ensure<br />
an even wash. The combination of distance<br />
sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and a digital<br />
compass ensure that it operates in an optimal<br />
fashion. The placement of distance centers<br />
around the chassis of the robot ensures that<br />
no collisions occur during the robot’s<br />
operation and that it does not fall off of the<br />
deck that it is washing. The digital compass<br />
is used for the robot to maintain a straightline<br />
motion while implementing PID control<br />
to stay on track, even on rough terrain. The<br />
robot’s body will be made of acrylic that is<br />
sealed with a waterproof caulk so water does<br />
not leak into the electronics system. Various<br />
electronic components are also placed in<br />
waterproof seals so that no damage occurs to<br />
the system during operation. Laser cutting<br />
and 3D printing are the main methods of<br />
manufacturing, providing an affordable<br />
overall cost.<br />
In terms of operation, the user places<br />
CulpeoWASH in a corner and connects it to<br />
a power and water source. The user verifies<br />
the motion and parameters of the wash such<br />
that an optimal route for the robot is<br />
determined. It then begins its motion in a zigzag<br />
pattern, providing a consistent clean.<br />
Because pressurized water is a potential<br />
hazard, safety measures are implemented if<br />
the robot happens to run into any issue. For<br />
example, if the robot is raised or toppled<br />
during operation, an accelerometer<br />
communicates with the robot to stop all<br />
motor functions and cut off the water<br />
supply.<br />
Overall, CulpeoWASH has various<br />
commercial applications that will greatly<br />
benefit homeowners. It provides an<br />
automated platform for a tedious task and<br />
will require minimal supervision. With its<br />
unique navigation algorithm and sensing<br />
capabilities, the realm of pressure washing<br />
will be revolutionized.<br />
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