Ryan O’Connor
The Problem
The problem identified is that it is difficult
to effectively lay down straight and
accurate foul lines on a baseball field,
making it difficult for player and umpires
to distinguish between batted balls
which fall fair or foul down these lines.
 The equipment used to draw these lines
is heavy, difficult to push, and generally
uncooperative

The Solution
I have devised a machine that uses
electrical motors to pull a chassis along
a guide-wire, allowing it to pull a basin of
chalk and a can of spray paint for the
dirt and grass portions of the line,
respectively.
 The wire would reach from home plate
to the foul pole, and would be strung
very tightly to minimize path deviation.

The Project
The Project was initially planned to be a
production-based project with a
functioning robot
 The robot was to be built from steel
components and a single AC motor that
would be incorporated into a gearbox
that would drive a pair of pulleys on the
top of the machine.

The Project

The primary objective of this project is to
produce a functioning robot system
capable of traveling in a straight path
while laying down chalk and spray paint
for baseball foul lines
The Engineering
Electrical – The robot will be powered by
a DC battery mounted on the chassis.
This battery will be used to power the
motor that will drive the gears that pull
the robot along the guide wire
 Mechanical – The motor will be
incorporated into a gearbox that will
allow for the pulley system to pull the
robot along the wire

The Budget
The original budget for this project was
about $50.00
 My plan was to use parts from my SRC
project last year to build the chassis and
gearbox
 I would spend the $50 on scrap and sheet
metal that would be used to build the
superstructure
 All chalk, paint, and the basin would be
provided by the Landstown Baseball team

The Budget
Unfortunately, I had to wait until
December to confirm whether or not I
would be able to use the chassis
 I was then informed that I could not
 I then looked into potentially buying the
parts myself

The Budget
The robot chassis would cost between
$350 and $550
 Each high-torque motor would cost
between $50 and $150
 The gears, hardware, and electrical
supplies would total to approximately
$50
 In total, a functioning machine would
cost between $500 and $900 to build

The Budget
This budget made self-funding the
project entirely unfeasible
 I was then forced to reevaluate my
Senior Design Project

The New Project

As such, I had to transition my
functioning project to a series of 2D and
3D CADD drawings (Computer Aided
Drafting and Design)
The Learning Curve
Unfortunately, in nearly four years at
Landstown, I have never taken a CADD
class, and have never used the intricate,
advanced drafting software needed
 As such, I had to teach myself how to
use AutoCAD to produce 2D drawings
 I also had to teach myself how to use
Autodesk Inventor Professional to
produce my 3D drawings and models

My first “CADD”
My initial technical drawings
The Design Process
I began by designing the chassis for the
robot, based on the GearsED
 I measured the specifications from the
GearsED chassis I used last year

The Design Process

I used these specifications to design a
to-scale model of the chassis
The Design Process

I took these designs and created a 3D
version, along with two axels and 4
wheels to complete the chassis
The Design Process

After completing the Chassis, I devised
the superstructure of the robot
The Design Process

I again incorporated these designs into
my 3D model of the chassis
The Design Process

After the Superstructure was complete, I
designed a model of the motor that I
would buy and utilize in my robot
The Design Process

I then took the motor and incorporated it
into the superstructure assembly