Zoo Team
Partnered with the Colombian Park Zoo
End Semester Report Fall 2006
Team Members
Laura Fisher ldfisher@purdue.edu
Thomas Hornyak thornyak@purdue.edu
Farid Kasim fkasim@purdue.edu
Brandon Kuck bkuck@purdue.edu
Kendrick Lam klam@purdue.edu
Disha Patel pateldm@purdue.edu
Roger Tokars rtokars@purdue.edu
Date: 12/08/2006
Zoo Team End Semester Report, Page 2
Executive Summary
The Colombian Park Zoo
The Colombian Park Zoo is a zoo in Lafayette that focuses on educating the
community, especially children. The zoo will be closed for renovations until the summer
of 2007. While they are closed, however, they still do many things to educate the
community. We will provide them with an animal bingo game to help educate children in
a fun and entertaining manner. We will also provide them with an informational kiosk to
help visitors at the zoo. We will also provide them with a primate biscuit dispenser to
help the monkeys’ cognitive response and to alleviate some work for the zookeepers in
feeding the monkeys.
Animal Bingo Game
This is a children’s game that consists of a map of the world surrounded by 24
animals. There is a light associated with each animal and the place on the map of the
world where the animal lives. There is also a rotary dial on the game board. The children
will spin the dial, causing the lights to cycle. When the children let go of the dial, one
animal (chosen at random) will light up along with the place in the world where it lives.
A fact about the selected animal will also be played through the speaker. Then the
children will place a rock on their bingo card if they have the selected animal. This
project will educate the children about the twenty-four animals in a fun and exciting
manner.
We have the game board and the printed game surface. This semester, we
purchased plastic to cover the game surface from Meyer plastics. It is clear and matches
the layout of the top of the board, with holes for lights, speaker, and dial. The game play
rules were approved by the project partner and printed on the back of the bingo cards, and
the cards have been laminated at the thickness specified by the project partner. A large
sticker containing the zoo logo and the Epics logo has been placed on the game cover.
The circuit has been tested on a breadboard and is functioning properly. The printed
circuit board layout was designed using Express PCB and was purchased. All the circuit
components, each of the lights, and the soundcard reader input have been soldered to the
circuit board. We are in the process of testing the circuit and the game. When testing is
complete, the project will be delivered.
Primate Biscuit Dispenser
The objective of the monkey biscuits project is to create a device that will
incorporate primate interaction to feed the monkeys at the Columbian Park Zoo. The
purpose of this device is not only to make the job of the zookeeper’s easy, because they
will have to feed the monkeys less, but to actually exercise the monkey’s mental health.
It will also give visitors of the zoo an exciting experience.
In order to accomplish our goal, our group has developed a device consisting of
four parts; a primate interaction interface, a DC motor connected to a dispensing
mechanism, the circuit, and a case to house everything. For the primate interaction
interface, there will be three controls, three large illuminated pushbuttons, each
Zoo Team End Semester Report, Page 3
containing a LED. The pushbuttons that we have chosen are 2 large round shapes with
red and yellow color and 1 large square shape with a green color. These illuminated
pushbuttons are about 2 by 2 inch. The buttons are selected to be large and illuminates so
that it will attract the monkey’s attention.
As for the circuit, when the main switch is turn on, it will light up the illuminated
pushbuttons randomly each at a specific time period. Then, in order for the device to
dispense the food, the monkeys will have to push the correct pushbutton. In other word,
the monkey will have to push the button that is illuminating. When the primate completes
the selected task, it will cause the DC motor to rotate and make one full revolution which
will drive a block to push the food into a tube. The food will fall into a tray where the
primates can get it. Right after the gear have completed one revolution, the motor will
stop dispensing the food and the illuminated pushbuttons will light up again.
This will all be housed in a plastic case. The plastic will not only to make the
device waterproof, but also so that the zookeeper can clean the device daily without
causing any harm over time. So far, we have designed the case that will house the device
and in the process of building it. The case basically consists of three areas. The first
compartment is the food storage. This area will hold enough food for a day. It is
designed to funnel the food into a spot right in front of the dispensing mechanism. The
next area will be a compartment that will house the circuit, the DC motor, battery and the
dispensing mechanism. This area will have a service door on it in case something goes
wrong with the circuit or if we need to make any adjustments. The final section will be
the primate interaction face. It will hold the three controls and the tray where the food
will be dispensed.
This semester, we have picked out and received the Plexiglas for the case and
have started building. We also have select and bought a DC motor and corresponding
battery that is rechargeable. . The mechanisms will be made of aluminum and have been
completed and ready to assemble. Different chips including LM555, PLDs, power
Mosfet, voltage regulator, OR and AND gates are used to complete the circuit. LM555 is
used to control the duration of the randomly lit pushbuttons. The input from the monkeys
will then go into an S-R latch. The voltage regulator will connects the digital circuit to
the DC motor which requires different voltage and current loads. A magnetic switch will
be used to get feedbacks from the rotating motor into the PLD that controls all the
process. All of these components have already been soldered to several solder boards.
From here a mechanical arm will be used to drive a block that will push the food over the
edge, which we will have before the semester’s end.
In conclusion, the circuit is finished as well as the final mechanism design. The
mechanism should be delivered by the ME building machine shop in time to be
completed next semester. Also, the case will have to be built. The delivery of this project
should be by week four of next semester.
Informational Kiosk
Our project partner is the Columbian Park Zoo, the zoo is now being modified for
the grand opening in 2007. The zoo serves as a median for families as a way to gain
access to animals around the world. Various animals would be added as the zoo expends
in addition to the animals already exist over the current position.
The goal of the interactive kiosk is to help families and visitors to gain insight of
Zoo Team End Semester Report, Page 4
the zoo. The kiosk is designed to have various functions, first being a guide to the
animals on sight, going over detailed info of animals individually, second is to help
visitors learn the history of the zoo and EPICS, third is to provide new comers with a map
of the zoo indicating the locations of the numerous structures on sight.
Over the past 3 months I've learned the coding language visual basics and gained
some insight over Java as well. To break it down, VB is used as the main language in
writing the program; it started out as pretty much a blank sheet to the point where it
contains around 35 layers in design. Since the beginning of the semester up till now, I've
made various images for backgrounds, edited buttons on layers, loaded the animal info
(So far for testing purpose, completed only 6 out of 18), loaded the map, finished the
second mini game, and attached history and info on both the zoo and EPICS. The map
will be modified later on so that it'll appear a lot nicer and more visible to viewers. Roger
on the cookie dispenser team has been helping me out a lot on the microcontroller which
generates a random sound whenever a donation is made. He revised the code and started
out blank and has been working for hours in Smitty's finding out a solution to the matter.
Things that remain to be finished are basically the third mini game (if necessary),
to compile the codes once complete, put the completed microcontroller in the kiosk, and
to paint the kiosk for water proof purpose.
Overall Summary
The animal bingo project has been almost completed. Testing and troubleshooting
the circuit is the only thing that still needs be done. The project will be delivered early
next semester. The biscuit semester casing has been built, the motor, battery, and
mechanical components have been purchased. Next semester all the parts need to be
integrated and put into the casing. The project should be delivered next semester. The
informational kiosk has the sound portion functioning properly on a breadboard. Next
semester, the programming needs to be completed.
Zoo Team End Semester Report, Page 5
Reflections
Laura Fisher
I have had positive experience this semester in EPICS. I have gained technical
experience, especially in making printed circuit boards. I was able to go through the
entire process starting with the circuit schematic, then using a board layout program to
design the board, and finally soldering the components onto the circuit board. I have had
the opportunity to work with students from other majors and learn from them. I have also
learned the importance of communication with the project partner to design exactly what
they would like.
Disha Patel
While we're learning about resistors and thevinan/norton in class, if we can
get a glimpse of how PLDs and Timing Circuits work it is pretty amazing. Epics this
semester definitely enabled me to apply my current knowledge as a EE and also get an
overview of my future coursework. Also, you gain access to new ideas in technology that
they would not normally have in their pool of resources - like for instance I learnt in Lab
(from the Biscuit Feeder Team how Transistors can help if there are different voltages on
the circuit) and I also heard a mention of the H-Bridge (so you always end up following
all these mentions by Google searches and you learn so much that way!) Along with
learning real-world applications for technology you also develop a sort of community
responsibility.
Roger Tokars
The personal experience was very positive this first semester with the EPICS
program, specifically with the Zoo team. Not only have I been able to give back to the
community as I work toward finishing my project, but I’ve also been able to develop my
skills as an electrical engineer. It was an enjoying experience to work with a team of
different majors as we attempted to maximize our potential. Having the Smitty lab
available to us was very helpful as it not only provided a place for our groups to meet up,
but also many tools and spare parts were at our disposal. A specific example of this
includes being able to use a power circular saw for the first time to cut out the casing
dimensions of the biscuit dispenser. Also the use of power supplies and digital
multimeters was extremely valuable in debugging electronics. Most importantly, the
guidance of the teacher assistants and advisors was helpful in giving us new ideas and
working through problems. Next semester, I’m looking forward to working with the Zoo
team again and becoming a leading force since I’ll be an experienced EPICS member.
Kendrick Lam
From what I've seen in the past three months, the project has been fun and
educating for me, I was able to learn new programming skills as well as working with
others finding solutions for problems that can't be solved by myself. Even without the
presence of "teammates", it's been a great experience in my life.
Zoo Team End Semester Report, Page 6
Tom Hornyak
My experience with EPICS has been a positive one. I was able to work with
people who are in different disciplines and increased my knowledge in my own. I not
only was able to become familiar with some ME software programs but also with the
tools in the workshop and little bit about circuit boards. I also learned some lingo used in
printing and different grades of paper and lamination. I’m not sure why the circuit board
is not working but I’m slowly learning how they work and are put together. I think it’s
safe to say the project could have been delivered this year but definitely the first thing
next semester. I was not however, a big fan of filling out the never ending surveys, forms
and notebooks.