CSC 200 Undergraduate Problem Seminar: Project
Impossible Project:
Millennium Artifact
Have you heard of the
wonderful one-hoss shay,
That was built in such a logical way
It ran a hundred years to a day...
See the project report
The goal of the class project is to design and build a (single) self-contained
electronic artifact that will still be functioning in one thousand years.
The functional electronic aspect could be as simple as a clock/counter
or even an occasionally blinking LED, but it must keep working.
The artifact must also satisfy the following constraints
- It should be compact, e.g. it will fit in a pocket or even be wearable.
- It should be of attractive appearance.
- It should be durable enough to tolerate being dropped on the sidewalk
or run through a washing machine.
- It must be self-powered, and need no explicit maintainance other
than benign neglect (i.e. no winding or replacing of batteries.)
OK to assume exposure to light consistent with ordinary human environment,
but must be able to "hibernate" if stuck in a dark drawer for 20 years.
(but only because the NRC will probably not let us purchase a nuclear
trickle cell)
- It must encompass an "information treasure" of some sort
(e.g. actual information or information functionality))
that gives it "value" but is not separable from the artifact in a way that
would encourage its destruction.
(e.g. not made of gold, or with diamonds inside).
The information or functionality must be accessible without non-biological
technology
(e.g. it is ok to assume that people can read English, but not that they
have a smart phone or a flash-disk reader, or an electron microscope.)
The treasure could be separate from the electronic functionality,
which could serve simply to advertise it.
- The components for the artifact must be obtained for less than $1000.
No constraints on the value of student hours put into it.
The completed artifact will be placed on permanent public display in the
CS department, so that its long-continued operation can be observed.
- Other?
The class will be broken into 4 teams of 4-5 people with the following
responsibilities.
1. Electronic functionality
Group Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/337846616248998/
- Amsal Karic 200akaric@u.rochester.edu
- Nathaniel Book 200nbook@u.rochester.edu
- Piset Virachunya 200pvirachu@u.rochester.edu
- Garrett Rosenblatt 200grosenbl@u.rochester.edu
Plans, Results and Action Items:
- Build simple harmonica using quad 555 timing ICs, op-amp,
Piezo speaker, and photoresister sensors.
Piezo speaker will need protection. Pinhole plate, removable
for cleaning would probably suffice.
- Incorporate LED blink beacon.
- Incorporate LED treasure light. (controlled how?)
- Should run at 4-5 volts (lower is better)
- Try to find mil-spec components with max temperature and
vibration ratings.
- Look into pre-burned-in components
2. Power systems
Group Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/279351465462874/
- Andrew Wong 200awong16@u.rochester.edu
- Mikhail Domrachev 200mdomrach@u.rochester.edu
- Thomas Swift 200tswift@u.rochester.edu
Plans, Results and Action Items:
- Power system based on solar cells and 4F worth of ultra-capacitors
charging to 6-8 volts max.
- Solar cells may need voltage-boosting IC and voltage regulation
- output may need voltage regulation (Smaller capacitor and IC).
- Research voltage-boosting and regulation ICs
- Spec out ultracapacitor manufacturers for 1F and 2F 5.4V units.
- Possible solar cell vendors: Radio Shack,
Sundance Solar 700-11304-00 14.95;
Solarbotics SCC3733 8.00;
Plastecs SP4-25-8 10.00;
3. Physical/Mechanical Housing
Group Page:
http://www.reddit.com/r/CS200_Framing/
- Donato Borrello 200dborrel2@u.rochester.edu
- John Bernier 200jbernie2@u.rochester.edu
- Benjamin Clifford 200bcliffor@u.rochester.edu
- Connor Bohan 200cbohan@u.rochester.edu
- Shuopeng Deng 200sdeng3@u.rochester.edu
- Tanner DegenKolb 200tdegenko@u.rochester.edu
How to Use a Milling Machine
How to Use a Lathe
Plans, Results, and Action Items
- Aluminum prototype, rectangular box 1"x2"x5" externally.
- Production material stainless steel (316),
aluminum bronze (e.g.,
954),
or possibly a nickel-base alloy (e.g. Inconel 625).
Stainless steel is difficult but possible to machine using standard
tools and methods. Inconel close to impossible, and probably out for
that reason.
Material will probably be Aluminum Bronze.
- Embedding material: Dielectric grease, or possibly paraffin.
- Figure out how to seal windows, and top (and bottom) lids
(e.g. teflon gaskets, Silicon sealant...)
4. Treasure
Group Page:
http://www.reddit.com/r/millennialtreasure
- Erica Hyman 200ehyman2@u.rochester.edu
- Brett Sheingold 200mo001k@u.rochester.edu
- Matthew Overlan 200bsheingo@u.rochester.edu
Shall I compare...
Floral resurrection
Plans, Results, and Action Items
- Nano-ArK seems flakey. Hard to get a straight answer from. Still in
startup phase???
- Precision Laser Technology of Rochester seems able to engrave
characters .040 inches or less high, resolution .001", on stainless
steel or other metal. That would be 25 lines per inch packed.
Cost, relatively high for us, $500 for a few thousand characters.
Maybe less for less? They might be able to do line drawings as
well.
- Check out resolution of laser printers, also ink-jet photoprinters.
- Check with Tom Hsiang and Phillippe Fauchet in ECE regarding
UR silicon fab (mask and etch) capabilities.
Check with Tolga Soyata (ECE) regarding the MOSIS fab facility
education account for low res, (i.e. 10 micron) fabrication.
Check with Hui Wu (ECE) regarding use of Cornell Nanofabrication
Facility.
- How much can you see at once through a Loupe-like lens?
Would incorporating a rotatable disk help? Can we get sealed bearings
that might hold up?
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