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BaggerBot Feeder full automation against floods and natural disasters

What is it?

The BaggerBot Feeder is an apparatus to feed empty sandbags into an already existing machine that fills and sews the sandbags to be used in floods and other natural disasters.

why make it?

Floods Impact:

  • Economic & agricultural damage
  • Loss of homes
  • Loss of biodiversity
  • Loss of cultural monuments
  • Pollution

In 2019, there were $20 billion in flood damages within the United States (NOAA, 2021)

Increasing Frequency Floods → Need for sandbags

The baggerbot

A team of 6 candidates for BS degrees in mechanical engineering at San Jose State University have teamed up with Brigade Automation Corp. to develop an apparatus to make their BaggerBot machine fully automatic.

SJSU Sr. Design Project Team with Tom Burns (CEO of Brigade Automation)

Their BaggerBot machine is a semi-automatic bag filling machine that uses operators to insert the empty bag to be filled and sewn automatically.

Below is a video highlighting the purpose and function of the BaggerBot:

Learn More

The Project

The purpose of this project is to make the BaggerBot fully automatic by automating the feeding process to the main rig.

Our objectives are:

  1. Achieve an operation speed of 9 bags per minute.
  2. Design and build a frame capable of interfacing with the Baggerbot for completing the automation process.
  3. Design and build a removable cassette capable of supporting up to 600 bags and keeping bags in specific and accurate positions for loading.
  4. Design an electronic and pneumatic control system that is suited for a harsh and dusty environment.

The results:

  • Successfully designed an automatic pneumatic and electromechanical machine to open and feed empty sand bags at a rate of 12 bags/min with over a 95% success rate.
  • Successfully fabricated a robust and functional prototype, demonstrating proof-of-concept while meeting design specifications.
  • Successfully integrated prototype onto existing Baggerbot machine.
  • Successfully incorporated a waterproof electronic and pneumatic control system.

Below is a video demonstration of our project in action:

Existing window of BaggerBot with bag clamps and solution for integrating BaggerBot Feeder to the main machine
Initial Prototype
Final Prototype

Project Components

Our project utilized the following components to achieve picking up and opening a single bag from the cassette:

  • Arduino Uno R3 Microcontrollor
  • SparkFun Electronics CAN-BUS Shield DEV-13262
  • CubeMars AK60-6 KV140 BLDC Motor with Driver and Encoder
  • 5/2 Solenoids
  • 2/2 Solenoids
  • Pneumatic Cylinder Pistons
  • CV-15HS Venturi Vacuum Generators

Program

The program for the BaggerBot Feeder was written in C++ for the Arduino to control the solenoids for the cylinders and vacuums, as well as utilized CAN protocol through the CAN-BUS shield for controlling the BLDC Motor.

GitHub
Additional Slides
Full Project Report
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by hecos - "Soldiers standing in line on existing sandbags flood protection covered with nylon and improving it with additional sandbags during flood" • Casimiro - "Real c / c++ code developing screen. Programing workflow abstract algorithm concept. Lines of c / c++ code visible under magnifying lens."