NXT Power Saw

Fun Projects for your LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® NXT!

Power Saw

Building:
Program:

Note: Make sure that the half bushing at the top of the size 6 axle is not pushed on too right, so that the gears can spin easily.

Important: Make sure that all of the orange teeth are pointing in the direction shown below.

Connect two wires as follows:

Touch Sensor	Shortest (20 cm) wire	Port 4
Motor	Medium (35 cm) wire	Port C

Power Saw Programming

Use the Power Saw program for the Power Saw. This is a simple program that just powers the motor whenever the touch sensor is pressed.

Challenges

Try experimenting with different gear ratios to see if a higher (or possibly a lower) speed might make it easier to cut through a sheet of paper. A higher gear ratio will make the blade spin faster but with less power, so it will stall easier. A lower speed will be less likely to stall, but it will probably make it harder to get the cut started.
To get more speed and more power at the same time, you could try adding a second motor next to and running in parallel with the first motor, and changing the program to power both motors. You are ultimately limited by how much power the batteries can put out all at once, but two motors will be better than one.
If a robotic saw were used in an automated factory, the program could be used to implement various checks and safeguards. For example, can you modify the program to sound an alarm if the blade stalls? How you can tell if the blade has stalled?

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