LASER COMUNICATION SYSTEM
The Problem
In this school project, my team of four was tasked with creating a light transmitter capable of sending a numerical character to a receiver 5 feet away, anywhere within a 180º span. We were constrained to a $200 budget and the whole system had to fit within a shoe box.
The Solution
Outcome
Our project was a success across the board, exceeding all client requirements. We were able to create a system capable of rapidly transmitting (5 bit/sec) 5 character messages over 70 feet all while under budget. We elected to use an Arduino microcontroller to handle processing on either side, and a red laser for our light medium.
I was primarily responsible for the laser aiming turntable, transmitter software, acrylic enclosure, and all 3D printed fixtures. The turntable in particular required a lot of development including multiple physical prototypes in addition to the detailed and kinematically accurate CAD model. I decided to power it using a continuous rotation PWM servo motor with 3D printed gears. I also included a slip ring to enable 360º continuous rotation, more than the client minimum of 180º.