NASA Contest: Design a Mechanically Driven Clamp

Status: Closed
Prize: $250
Entries Received: 19
Winner: NinoWunderlin

Winner

Contest Brief

Design a Mechanically Driven Clamp (MDC)

In this challenge, you are asked to design a Mechanically Driven Clamp (MDC) that will be mounted on, and driven by, a separately designed robotic arm. The MDC receives mechanical power (either by a rotary shaft or linear actuator) that it must convert into the desired actions.

How it works: Initially, the MDC will be positioned at a Handrail, in a ready-to-clamp orientation. When powered, the MDC must be capable of performing three high-level actions:

1) close on the Handrail,
2) maintain a hold for an extended period of time and
3) release from the handrail.

Click on the links below to see detailed design instructions, constraints and solution templates for this problem.

Challenge rules:
The prize will be awarded for the lowest mass, technically feasible solution, submitted by the contest deadline.
No working prototype is required for submission, but the design must be sufficiently detailed to allow experts to assess the feasibility of your design (i.e., comply with all requirements) and the credibility of your mass estimate.
Only complete submission packages will be evaluated.

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Top entries from this contest

TriassicXYZ India

1
MarkBravo1 Mexico

0
JJJern Germany

1
Alejandro10inv Colombia

0
GIRATOR Ukraine

0
jianhhe China

0
Calixdesign Hong Kong

0
FBendeguz Hungary

0
SaiVinith7613 India

0
FilipFrostFang Macedonia

0
Myrds Philippines

0
ashishnalpady007 India

0
kg234 India

0
FBendeguz Hungary

0
NinoWunderlin South Africa

1
MilesR United States

0

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Public Clarification Board

Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
Please join us in congratulating Nino W. as the winner for this challenge. Thanks to all of the participants for all of your hard work on this challenge. There were some really amazing designs and the evaluation was not easy.
- 5 years ago
View 6 more messages
1. MarkBravo1
  - 5 years ago
  Ok, I understand. Thanks for considering my observations.
  - 5 years ago
2. TriassicXYZ
  - 5 years ago
  Thanks for the clarification, NASA
  - 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Also I consider Triassic is right. The criteria for choosing the winner should also emphasize the instant releasing under the “excessive load” condition. If your mechanism is not fast enough (because actuator has to be commanded in order to be released) then it may not open on time when an Astronaut hits accidentally the AstroBee. Actually the AstroBee and/or Astronaut will absorb the force peak in sudden strokes. And yeah, I also prefer the frictionless "pull-away" implementations, that is a nice-to-have overlooked feature :D
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  Marco & Triassic, Thanks for your feedback. We are examining the issue that you have raised. We have several updates/tasks that we are working at the moment since there we are managing several active and upcoming challenges. Thanks for your patience as we study the issue.
  - 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Seems that 7 of us (40% of all the participants) interpreted the requirements the same way. We embedded the "pull-away" and "excessive load" functions in our mechanical designs, as we used springs or some other elements to release the handrail mechanically during those conditions.

Please consider that this may not have been a design decision, but the way the requirements were interpreted, that the MDC should be responsible for performing everything by itself, without the AstroBee Arm Control assistance. Probably the same pattern will be seen in the EDC contest.
- 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Congrats Nino :)
- 5 years ago
Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
This contest is now closed. Thank you for all of your hard work on some really great designs. The team will be evaluating the submissions and announcing the winners as soon as we can (likely about a week). There are several other contests currently active with even more launching this month. We look forward to seeing more of this amazing talent! Thanks!
- 5 years ago
jianhhe
- 5 years ago
Sorry again, I find a dimension mistake in my submission: entry 12. So, I modified it and re-submit. Pls. ignore the entry 12. Thanks a lot.
- 5 years ago
engFady84
- 5 years ago
yes Can we please have the 5 days extention?
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  It has been extended.
  - 5 years ago
GabrielBorjaM
- 5 years ago
Is this extended? I see 5 days remaining
- 5 years ago
TriassicXYZ
- 5 years ago
Is this extended? I see 5 days remaining
- 5 years ago
yesidgp
- 5 years ago
#extended please.
- 5 years ago
varunvp
- 5 years ago
What exactly do you mean by break away force? Should the material fail at that force? Or should the gripper go to the released configuration? Also, #extended please.
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  There are described breakaway forces in the contingency forces section. The MDC is allowed to break away/detatch from the ISS Handrail when those forces are applied, but afterwards, it must be able to resume normal operations if commanded to do so. This means that no part of the MDC is to break such that the MDC cant be continued to be used.
  - 5 years ago
varunvp
- 5 years ago
Also, what do you mean exactly by loop of material?
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  This is meant to describe wires, strings or threads that could catch on things in the ISS.
  - 5 years ago
itsnaitsme
- 5 years ago
#extended please
- 5 years ago
ashishnalpady007
- 5 years ago
Done!
- 5 years ago
Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
Please refer to the contest description and the attached submission guidelines for all of the elements required for this contest. Make sure you take the exit survey and include the resulting code in your submission.
- 5 years ago