Remote case V2¶
The first prototype case and mounting system was good for showcasing our ideas but was very limited in functionality. For the final remote that will be delivered to the client it should fulfill the following requirements:
- Fit the powerbank inside.
- Be be thinner so that it is easier to grab.
- Correct holes for the buttons.
- Curved edges to make it more ergonomic.
- Base should fit on a 13mm radius cane.
Design progress¶
First step was to create an outline in sketchup. This is used to easily make modifications to the model, and try out different ideas in order to decide the measurements. To achieve this I used the measurements from our components and accounted for a gap of 1mm between the case and the internals.
Using the measurements from sketchup I can the create the model on blender, which is a more precise and reliable tool, used to create models for 3D printing.
The outline was then moved to blender, starting with an outline that is based on the measurements.
Blender modeling¶
An outline is first created using the measurements from sketchup.
With this base outline I extruded the faces updwards to create the walls on the sides.
Then, the faces at the bottom of the remote are removed since that needs to be empty to place the componenets inside. Later on we will add the cap to close it. Additional adjustments are made like the extrusion on the front of the remote that will later have a hole so that a cord can pass through.
No-slip pattern¶
The back of the top cover that is used on the remote has been updated with a geometrical pattern that increases friction and makes it harder for the user to drop the remote. The pattern is made on the back, because that’s where the remote will be grabbed from. The change does not interfere with the mounting system.
In the following image, the new remote is shown with the pattern on the back:
Split base model in half¶
We have decided to split the base model into two pieces that will be glued together. There were two reasons for this decision. First, we can use the 3D printers in our building for a maximum of 5 hours, and the base model took around 6 hours to print. Second, we need to have the ability to make changes and print parts of the model quickly without having to wait for the entire model to be printed again.
The base was split in the middle with two extrusions being made on one part that fit inside the holes made in the second part. This way the connection doesn’t break easily.
To achieve this, I used the boolean modifiers in Blender. I created two cylinders and placed them at the connecting ends of the two models. Then, for one part, I used the Union modifier option.
Then, to create the holes in the second object, I made a duplicate of both cylinders that were developed for the previous project and then scaled them up by 10% so that there is space to fit in and include the glue. Then I used the boolean modifier with the difference option.
Buttonholes¶
The holes on the top cover of the remote which are meant for the buttons were created using the boolean modifiers. Using the initial design measurements, each button was created as a box in Blender. The buttons were arranged on top of the cover using the measurements from the PCB.
This way each buttonhole is right above the button component on the PCB. The button objects were assigned to a collection called buttons, and then that collection was used in the boolean modifier of the remote cover. The modifier mode is “Difference” in order to subtract the buttons from the cover.
Based on the recent pcb changes the top cover of the remote was updated to fit the ESP32 that is on the back of the remote.
