Hello. I have a furniture project I'm trying to make, it's like a combination of those plastic toilet seat covers at the airport that automatically advance after you get up and the old hand towel dispensers that were fabric and fully contained within the holder on a loop.
Except this is a chair and I am trying to move fabric from one dowel onto another dowel. And it it activated by waving your foot under the body of the chair.
I have no idea what I need to buy.
Can anyone offer any guidance?
So, in general, I try to be more generous and less dismissive than a lot of people on this forum, but even I’m having trouble with this one. The problem here is that you’ve provided virtually no detail about what it is that you want to do here, so it is hard for others to make any suggestions. Here’s a list of things to consider to get you started.
Purpose of machine: What is the purpose of this machine? Is this to change the type of fabric being displayed on the seat or the back of a chair? Does it swap out disposable fabric like the paper towel machine? Does this machine run more like a treadmill with a single loop of fabric, or does it run more like a cassette tape that moves tape from one reel to another? What does the fabric tensioner system look like for this machine? How tight does the fabric have to be? How fast does the fabric have to move?
Power: What type of power supply are you planning on? Does it plug in to the wall? (if so, 110V or 220V?) Does it run on batteries? How much power will it take to run the motor(s)? Are you already aware that you will need a small power supply for the Arduino and a larger power supply just for the motor(s)?
Motor: Are you planning on using a stepper motor or a servo motor or some other type of motor? Are you planning on one motor or multiple motors? Do you know how much torque it will take to move the fabric? Does the fabric need to stop at an exact location or does it not matter much if it overshoots or undershoots a bit?
Sensor: Do you have an idea of what kind of sensor you want to use? There are several different types that may work, but we don’t know which to recommend to you because we don’t understand what the machine does yet.
Some additional questions for you: Have you considered what type of fabric you are using? Is it light or heavy? Is it smooth or rough? Does friction play a roll in any part of the chair, like under the arms or along the bottom of the seat? If you’re planning on using a batter power source, how long does the battery have to last? Do you know where you are going to embed the electronics on the chair? Have you considered how much heat will be generated, and if this could damage the electronics or battery?
Basically, nobody is going to be able to help you without a through description of the project, as well as at least an initial proposal of how you think it will work. Pictures are very very helpful, even if they are hand drawn. A list of constraints is also extremely helpful so that we don’t start helping with a design that won’t satisfy the constraints. A list of motors that you have considered or sensors that you have considered would also be very helpful. Datasheets for any parts that you think you will use are very helpful. If you are already starting with an instructable or something similar, a link to that would be helpful.
In general, this sounds like a project that is about 90% mechanical and about 10% Arduino and electronics. I can help you with some of the non-Arduino part of the design, as I already have some experience in textiles, eTextiles, furniture, etc. However, we need a lot more from you to get a good discussion going.
I hope this helps!
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