Hey guys,

I'm a first year student in Mechanichal Enginering in Lisbon, Portugal.
I have an assignment but first I need to choose a "topic" lets say.
It's for a subject of Technical Drawing, and I need to design/think and come up with a sort of "Machine".

The main requirements is that It should meet people's needs. I will then have to come up with the design and manufacturing options. I'm just wondering if you ever thought, "oh it would be nice if we had like a machine that did X", or it can also be upgrades to certain already existent machines, car etc

Since I have no ideas about it and I have to make the first presentation about it Tuesday, I decided to ask you guys.

Can you help me with that??

Ask me some questions about it if you need.

P.S. Sorry about not having giveways, I will consider though making some of bundle leftovers If you somehow manage to help me out.

Thank you so much in Advance

11 years ago*

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added you for upcoming ideas ^^

11 years ago
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great! looking forward to hear them

11 years ago
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do an apple peeler

11 years ago
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what do you mean by an apple peeler. are you saying a manual one? or like a small box machine where you put the apple and it peels it off??

11 years ago
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manual or automatic.
but i would maybe do a powered manual style.

11 years ago
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Those exist and include de-core and slice mechanism as well. I have one.

11 years ago
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He didn't state it couldn't exist already, in fact he said it could be an upgrade of something that exists.
So, new one anyway...
Banana skin opener!!!! (damned greenies can be a biotch, and overripe can be messy.)
=)

11 years ago
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Design a robot that will do your assignment for you.

11 years ago
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If only I could.. If only I could. Best idea so far haha.
But by doing that wouln't I be doing the assigment myself, thus making the robot useless?

11 years ago
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I know everyone is thinking it, so I will post it. A mechanic hand jack.

11 years ago
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I would have to have the master of poker faces while presenting that to the teacher haha

11 years ago
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Challenge accepted?

11 years ago
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Make a turret :V

11 years ago
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An automatic metal polisher. So you take, for example, a silver spoon, and put it in a box, and like, jets or something spray polish at high speeds. Then they rinse the silver with water and dry it. Boom! Polished spoon. Yes, it's basically pressure washer + dishwasher.

failing that, a auto-cleaning cat box that doesn't piss off the cat or cause a sanitary issue. Perhaps it could have a false bottom that falls out, dropping it down to a sifter, then using a vacuum to take the clean litter back above the false bottom. It could detect when a cat was in the box and know not to drop the bottom/close the door. The end of the week, you take out the sifting tray and trash it for a new one.

11 years ago
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what do you mean "a auto-cleaning cat box that doesn't piss off the cat or cause a sanitary issue."??
It's not a bad idea..

11 years ago
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This one is one that is commonly used. It starts to clean once the cat leaves the box, but it also makes noise at that point so the cat tends to get annoyed or scared and may end up not using it and instead go take a dump in the bathtub to show its anger. Cats get weirded out enough when a human touches their box to clean it, yet they get mad if it stays dirty. Seriously, cats are weird.

11 years ago
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I'm seriously thinking about it.. I guess currently it is my number one option, since I haven't come up with a better one.. I do not know the "market" since I do not have a cat, so what would be the main improvement? Noise and territorial invasion free so it doesn't scare the cat away for next usages?

11 years ago
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Cats tend to be very territorial, that's the main issue with most of the auto cleaning cat boxes. They make noise and have stuff moving that the cat can see and get bothered by.

Cats can hear more than we can, so eliminating noise is likely an impossible feat, but reducing it can help or making the noise sound like something the cat need not be concerned by. Cats tend to be bothered by the sounds of motors since they know motors tend to be attached to things to be scared of (like cars, vacuums, etc.).

Then the other potential idea is something to make it so the cat cannot see what it does. Either a delay to ensure the cat isn't around or to have what it does be removed from sight, like the false bottom angruss suggested.

11 years ago
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"Rope on a stick"

It's basically a rope, only it's attached to a stick.

11 years ago
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That's an interesting twist on the tired old "stick on a rope" formula.

+1 for thinking outside the box.

11 years ago
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AKA: 80% of a fishing rod.

11 years ago
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Will definitely think about it :D

11 years ago
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A robot mechanic for my car. I really just fail with cars and often it costs a fortune to get them fixed when the parts don't cost all that much. That and it could do all the basic maintenance and even clean the car as well.

That or a machine that can pick up the trash and take it out. Ugh, I so hate doing that and walking out to the dumpster.

11 years ago
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Well if it were me a hardcore programmer that has lived there life with a computer engineer and mechani -

Fuck it build a birdhouse that's what I always did for school projects, when they ask for the presentation present them with a second birdhouse then if asked for more work continue with the regime and give them more bird houses.

11 years ago
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Since when was a bird house considered a "machine"?

11 years ago
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Since when did I state it was ethical?

11 years ago
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Since........................................................................well oh em gee, you didn't x_X

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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I have several award winning ideas that I will begin to implement in the coming years, therefore I can't share those with you. I can however, suggest that you watch some Wallace and Grommit. Very good ideas in those short films.

11 years ago
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Will do thanks xD

11 years ago
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*Digitally registered license plates that allow for a closer inspection of cars, as well as their state (last maintenance date, etc).

*Dynamic traction system on cars, enabling the car to get out of tricky situations on the go (snow, rain, dirt, mud, etc).

*LAN-like integrated system on cars, allowing them to interact between each other and giving data to one another (therefore allowing to analyze the speed of the car in front of and enabling the driver or on board computer to react to those variables) - like a mobile hotspot, if you may.

If i can think of some more, i'll post them here. I'll try to focus on car-related stuff, but there might be something more.

11 years ago
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Car related idea: Magnets on the edge of cars that automatically turn on when a car comes to close to repel the car. (Maybe not stop but at least slow down)

11 years ago
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I thought of that as well, biggest problem i found with it was the amount of variables that could interfiere with the magnets, hence i went with the LAN-like idea instead, it is cheaper and easier to implement though, i like it.

11 years ago
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the LAN like idea is really great but mostly software based. I need a mechanichal machine, with hardly or no electricty involved. (a motor or stuff is fine)

11 years ago
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Well that's the thing, what's to improve on something that has been analyzed and reinvented for over hundreds of years? If i had some knowledge in engines i would happily help, but coming from a computer programmer, my suggestions will be mostly based on digital integration and automation.

I thought of a "way" to improve the usage of gasoil in cars a few years back, just to realize later on that stuff like that was already implemented in F1 racing cars D:

I do hope whatever we write here can give you an idea though, good luck!

11 years ago
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Stick to something with few parts since you have to design them all and decide on manufacturing methods. Maybe redesign a center punch. Maybe make it spring loaded with a push button/plunger release (no need to put force onto the load spring). Be sure to keep the spring compression variable instead of a static load. And/or you could make the handle more ergonomic. It should be pretty simple and does not require electronics.

11 years ago
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sticking to something with few parts and that are fairly easy to design is one of the interests.. Some stuff are just too dificult to do..

11 years ago
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I'm in civil engineering so can't help a whole lot but maybe something that sorts papers and staples them together.

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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if you wan to design simple machine try machine witch can cut everything for slices (eggs, tomatoes ans so on) it's really simple construction

11 years ago
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I would but the machine would have to be a new one or an inovation to an already existent machine, thus my difficulty in finding one.

11 years ago
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That was what i did when we were projecting in NX

11 years ago
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warpgate please

11 years ago
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Robo-wife?

11 years ago
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Why don't you try one of Leonardo da vinci's designs? with some 21th century materials?

11 years ago
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that was one of my options for this subject last semester (I did not fail. this subject is 1 year long).
The requirements are a bit different, but now my main concern is that it has to be something usefull.
I'm guessing there aren't many who woulb buy a war tank because they NEED it. I think of it more as art and unfortunately probably won't be accepted by my teacher. Will, however, take some serious thinking of it, since it has been done a few times.

Thanks for the idea

11 years ago
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Two words: Death Star.

11 years ago
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improvement. withouth that gigant fail point that causes the whole star to explode when hit xD

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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first of all your English is quite good :D
Second of all I'm probably thinking on the last one. But my main problem is, does it really affect the material if it is leveled to earth's surface?? If so in what way(s) and what kind of material are you thinking about?

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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Closed 11 years ago by MarquesR.