Project Information
Every kid (and parent) knows how annoying it is to sort Legos after a build. You could use bins and sort all by hand with respect to Lego piece type, size only, or even color only. But at the end of the day, you would like your next build to be easy to find the perfect part. Or you could just throw them into one large bin and hope for the best the next time you need to find that perfect part. This is a classic industrial engineering problem that can be automated with the right sensors, equipment, and control logic. Regardless of what you will be sorting, this process happens in just about every Industrial setting — from sorting boxes at Amazon to sorting parts In a conveyer belt on an appliance assembly line. So, what way will be best so you can continue building into the future with your Legos? Do you need to sort every single piece, or just the majority of them? Do you need to sort them perfectly so a robot could assemble your next creation or good enough for a human to interact with them? Does color even matter or does size and functionality do the job better? How much will you be willing to sort by hand within a single drawer after the major sorting process is complete in order to find the perfect piece? These are the types of questions that will need to be answered before concepts are even generated for a solution.
Scope of the Work
To design, build, test, and iterate where needed on an Automatic Lego Sorting Machine that sorts by Lego piece type for all classic pieces (brick, plate, rail, etc) and some specialized pieces that make sense to design for. The system must NOT require human interaction after Legos are loaded into the machine and until they can be stored after sorting.
Expected Milestones
1. Sort a representative sample of Lego pieces by hand to get the big picture of this problem
2. Research Sensors and sorting techniques that could be used in this design space
3. Prototype Sensor application and individual sorting techniques
4. System Integration of all subsystems required to completely sort the Lego collection
5. Full system testing and iteration as required 6. Final Delivery to the client
Requirements
1. Can use standard wall power (120VAC, 60hz)
2. Must be safe enough that a child can run the system
3. Must sort automatically • Cannot exceed $500, unless further fundraising can be obtained
4. May be judged by a room full of kids (or adult kids)
