After an initial brainstorming session, we would each pool in some ideas of what we would want our shell to look like:
Our shell design was based off the long running American cartoon sitcom, The Simpsons using the character “Homer Simpson”. To do this we would use a parametric design software called ‘SolidWorks’ that is used to design all sorts of products such as automobiles, marine equipment, airplane parts, cell phones, cameras, furniture, electrical assemblies, glasses, lighting fixtures, toys, vacuum cleaners etc.
The final design for the shell was accomplished by our circuit and shell designer, Xiaoyu Xi.
Initial CAD design…
On the left is our initial design for our shell, In the beginning we focused more on resemblance than the correct proportions so that we could get an idea how it would look.
Minor Adjustments…
We realized that we would have to leave out the mouth so that we had two small oval shaped holes slightly below the nose of our shell so that our IR sensors would work without being blocked. When printed it was easy to identify what character we were depicting so had no further issue with the vanity aspect.
Finishing Touches…
The next step was to add Homer’s iconic ‘see-saw’ like hair around the circumference of his head and two semi-circle shaped hairs strands for the top of his forehead. For this we kept it simple by hot glueing black pipe cleaner.
A Perfect Fit…
With everything ready all that was left was to see how our micro mouse would fit inside our shell. Thanks to our designer we needn’t worry as all measurements were very precise, it fit perfectly inside with no extra screws or drilling required.
Homer was ready to show the world!
