Progress This Week

This week, the team met with MECH E group members to organize shared resources and communication plans, and also met with the POC to discuss requirements and pre-design input. They organized a group meeting with Dr. Roberts to discuss assignments and coordinate interdisciplinary aspects of the project, and have begun planning a site visit to the Air Force Base. A budget of $8000-$10000 has been set for contributions from the POC.

Project Risks and Obsticles

This week, the team has encountered several obstacles, including difficulty in scheduling meetings due to differing schedules, and restrictions on funding from the POC, which can only be used for materials and basic electrical machines, not for anything that runs code or could be considered a computer. Risks facing the project include the necessity for all electrical devices to meet military specifications and not create any ignition source, likely requiring controls and drivetrain to be outside the chamber and manipulated via mechanical connection. Additionally, all team members must obtain clearance to visit the Air Force Base for field tests and meetings, and integrating an electrical solution may be challenging given the constraints.

Plans for Future

This week, the team’s objectives are to go over military specification standards and identify relevant requirements, meet as a group to brainstorm and propose potential solutions that meet all requirements and specifications, and begin planning out the rest of the semester, updating the GANNT chart accordingly.

Team Meeting With Sponsors

On September 19, 2025, the team met with project sponsors via Teams to introduce themselves and gain a clearer understanding of the project requirements. They discussed the MIL-STD-810H Method 511.7 testing standards, which include exposure to extreme temperatures, altitude, salt, fog, and hexane gas. The sponsors emphasized the need for a robotic system capable of manipulating various switch types—such as multimeters, touchscreens, and toggle switches—within a sealed explosive atmosphere chamber. Key constraints include using existing ports, avoiding programmable microcontrollers due to security concerns, and ensuring compatibility with Windows 11 without relying on network connectivity. The team also learned about budget limitations ($8,000–$10,000), sourcing restrictions (no parts from China), and the possibility of testing a prototype in the chamber. Plans were made to propose dates for a site visit to Robins Air Force Base.