Assembly Procedure 

 

After a stable design was created in Autodesk Inventor, and the materials were selected, the construction of the project was able to begin. The project consisted of two main parts – the chassis, and the electronic system used to drive it. The construction of the “Yard Mess Eraser” chassis began by cutting two 2”*4” wooden planks into sections of forty inches in length. Following the forty inch planks, two thirty inch planks were cut as well. The planks were then assembled in order to form a rectangle, the main base for the system.

 

After the establishment of the base, a series of specifically cut wooden edges were placed on the sides, front, and back of the chassis. They were then secured with bolts, to establish and strengthen the main shape of the eraser-device. Finally, the chassis was re-enforced with 1” steel beams, collected from a series of scrap-metal deposits. Commercially available 4” wheels were purchased, and bolted onto the back of the metal frame.  

 

The leaf sweeper method of collecting leaves was purchased commercially, and attached to the front of the main chassis using a series of bolts. This allowed the device to roll completely, in a functional manner. This was also the main method used to collect the leaves from the ground. By drilling holes, and bolting a large 50” wooden attachment to the top, the main leaf sweeping device achieved completion. This allowed the beginning of the construction of the radio-controlled system.

 

The radio system consisted of a basic radio/receiver combination, two electronic motors within the shell of the drill, two speed controllers, and a series of batteries. The speed controller/receiver combination is the central aspect of controlling the device. Both controllers were hooked in series to the batteries, and the main receiver. Another connection from the speed controllers connected directly to the motors. 

 

After the circuit was made, the drills were directly bolted onto the front wheels of the Yard Mess Eraser. Consequently, the device was completed.