College - Author 1

College of Engineering

Department - Author 1

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Engineering

Department - Author 2

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Engineering

Department - Author 3

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 4

College of Engineering

Department - Author 4

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 4

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Date

6-2020

Primary Advisor

Sarah T. Harding, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department

Abstract/Summary

The purpose of the Heavenly Bodies RSVP project was to design and fabricate planet props, as well as a mechanism by which they could be raised and lowered in California Polytechnic State University’s Pavilion theater. The project team was comprised of four fourth year mechanical engineering students: Allison Turnbaugh, Braden Lockwood, Jack Boulware, and Justin Spitzer. We conducted extensive research to determine the ideal solution for the design problem brought to us by our sponsor. In our analysis, we discovered that the most important aspects of our design were the absolute reliability of the system, fire retardant material selection, and the overall aesthetics of the planets. These criteria along with our past product research allowed us to design a product that aligned with the vision of our sponsor. The system of planets was planned for use by the Music Department for the 25th installment of their annual diverse transmedia series entitled RSVP XXV: Call and Response. Sponsored by Dr. Antonio Barata, the show’s artistic director and producer, and professor in Cal Poly’s Music Department, the project featured design considerations unique to the location and nature of the production. For instance, the project had a hard completion deadline set for May 17, 2020, as stage construction would have been completed in preparation for rehearsals the following week. We determined that approximately 20 planets would be manufactured by the end of the project as well as a system to deploy them. Our objective was to make these planets safe, quiet, aesthetically pleasing, lightweight, and suitably reliable for use in the play. Though our design was unique to the needs of our sponsor, research of patented mechanisms provided inspiration for a system to raise and lower the planets. This information was utilized during ideation, which resulted in the creation of a few viable solutions, discussed later in this document. Working with our sponsor and advisor, the team finalized and tested a design, then created a structural prototype. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the team was forced to forgo construction of a final product, as the production was cancelled. In response, the team devoted its remaining time to creating a set of online instructions to assist others in building and implementing the developed system.

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