The Prototyping Process
Prototype 1
The main goal of prototype one was to determine how much 3D printing material the magnets could attach to one another through. In order to make this concept a reality, we started by developing a prototype in SolidWorks to test out the magnet's strength through the 3D printing material. This prototype consisted of two distinct parts, with a magnet at each end. The bottom section had a slit, much like a piggy bank, positioned horizontally across the center of its cylindrical face, where one of the magnets was inserted into. The top section is about two times longer and half the radius of the base. It also has a slit as the insertion point for the magnet, however, it is positioned horizontally approximately 1/8th of an inch from the bottom of the cylinder. Once we printed out the prototype and ran some tests, it was which we determined that the connection between them was not strong enough.
Prototype 2
The objective for prototype two was to model the connection system with stronger magnets and smaller distance. for this design, the magnets were inserted into a small cylinder, or pin, which was then glued into a larger cylinder. This made the connection simultaneously safer and more streamlined. This concept proved successful; thus, we then began creating the SolidWorks models for the face blocks, body, and other attachable parts for the toy.
Prototype 3
Our third and final prototype was composed of one sphere and a square pyramidal head block. Through creating this prototype, we once again decided to change the containment method for magnets, to provide the most safety possible for the children who would be using the toy. Instead of pegs, we used caps, for the body of ClickyBot, and plugs, for the attachable components. The magnet would be inserted into the plug and sealed off with PLA and superglue. For the caps, the magnets were placed into the holes of the body, and once again superglued into place. Once the prototype had finished 3D printing, we painted them purple and blue respectively. Moreover, upon evaluation it was determined that painting the 3D printed objects was not the best decision, because after multiple uses the paint would wear off.
ClickyBot
The main issue we set out to execute through our toy, ClickyBot, was to aid in the development of a child's emotional intelligence while improving their fine motor abilities. Although the toy itself is geared towards children with autism spectrum disorders and/or social emotional disorders, ClickyBot can be used to help anyone with certain symptoms. These symptoms would include difficulty expressing emotions, identifying emotions, understanding emotions, controlling fine motor movement, gripping items, and color association.
​
The overall design of ClickyBot consists of a stable spherical center, about the size of a pop can, where interchangeable pieces may be picked up and clicked into each of the corresponding holes around the main body. Each peg has a magnet embedded inside it so that it may connect to the magnet inside the hole of the base. ClickyBot comes with six face blocks each portraying a different emotion or feeling, along with other attachable blocks, which range from a sphere to a cone. In addition to the shapes, there are arms/legs which can be attached to the toy and positioned to demonstrate how a person would physically look for each emotion.
Attachable Components for the Final Product
For the final product, instead of painting, we decided to 3D print the pieces in a grayscale. This rendition of ClickyBot has nine connection ports, instead of ten from the original design. There are six face blocks each displaying a different emotion—happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger—two arms, two legs, and six attachable shapes (two cones, two three-quarter spheres, and two barn-shaped pieces). Lastly, we changed out the magnets for grade N52 neodymium magnets, yet kept their containment method the same.
Face Blocks
Arms & Legs
Shape Blocks
Final Product Assemblage
Overall, ClickyBot has turned out to be almost exactly what we had planned for it to be. The magnetic connections work very well, the blocks require different grip strategies, and the faces are representative of the six main emotions. Yet, be this as it may, one thing which we unfortunately were not able to do was 3D print ClickyBot in a wide range of colors like the original drawing where the body was purple, the legs/arms were pink, the heads were blue, and the other attachments were pink, blue, or yellow. Nonetheless, the toy meets the stakeholder needs we set out to fulfill, it attracts kids, is engaging, low cost, versatile, durable, and is easy to clean, store and use. Furthermore, upon talking with REACH, ClickyBot proves to be beneficial in capacities other than what we originally imagined, other than fine motor and emotional communication skills, another aspect in which it could be utilized is association therapy.
Take Aways
The most impactful thing I learned through the process of creating and developing ClickyBot was the importance of teamwork, communication, and assigning tasks based upon each members strengths--it allows for assignments to be completed much more efficiently.