Xuexuan Peng – December 11, 2021

Note this is a tutorial for prototyping using the Rova robot as an example.

1. Source what components are needed to meet the design specifications. Double-check whether these components are compatible with each other or not. (If you find you have to change some components in the middle of the prototyping process, then you need to redesign the whole structure again)

2. Start with sketches and have an idea of roughly where the components will be located

3. Start with a 2D design structure and laser cut it out (Here is a tutorial about laser cutting)

4. Test to check if the physical structure meets the major requirements

5. If major requirements are not met, redesign the structure to ensure it works

6. Write down the main findings such as general dimensions of the chassis (Not the dimensions of some small features such as fillets)

7. Design the structure as a 3D file in a CAD software such as Fusion 360 (Here is a tutorial for designing multiple chassis layers)

# Note you can also download existing structure but unless you use exactly the same components, you have to modify the structure. Sometimes modifying an existing structure is harder than designing from nothing as you don’t have the design timeline or sometimes you have to convert the file type. (In my case, for example, I downloaded the Jetbot CAD structure but it is a .stl file and it took a lot of time to convert it into a modifiable 3D file type, and even after the conversion, there are still some structural errors)

8. Print the 3D structure out with a 3D printer (Here is a tutorial of using an Ultimaker 3D printer)

9. Test the structure to ensure all the components can fit into the chassis. It they do not fit, record the problem and redesign the chassis

10. Repeat the redesigning process till all the components fit inside the chassis