KARACHI: A group of students at the National University of Computers and Emerging Sciences (NUCES) has designed a crane for use at dockyards, keeping in view the cost efficiency, ease of control and assurance in keeping danger to life at a minimum.

Studying in their final year at the department of computer and telecom engineering, Saad Chaudhry, team members Moosa Yasir, Naveed Ahmed and S Farhan Ali and supervising instructor Muhammad Asif have presented this fifth semester course project, called “Triptych” at the SPEC-2008 held at the NED University for Engineering and Technology.

The simulated crane is mechanically designed for 4-way motion and is constructed from plywood using gear ratios and torque speeds matching that of a dockyard crane. It has a control box to manage all the circuitry and is implemented using decoding techniques. After decoding, it is possible to reduce the 26 aspects of input required to just 12.

A C++ program is designed to interact with the user. This programme makes the user aware of the maximum limits of Triptych’s movements using a buzzer. Further development plans include modules for a closed loop feedback mechanism, the implementation of a micro-controller module and control using a PDA.

Chaudhry told Daily Times that the industrial models are very different from those described in classrooms. Practical exposure shows how theoretical tools can be applied to real equipment. These projects are the first steps toward actual engineering design and application.

Triptych can lift loads up to 1 kg using an electromagnetic hooking mechanism. Exclusively designed for this purpose using discrete components, it simulates the functionality of modern lifting mechanisms. Not only is it as multipurpose as modern crane systems, but also has the same mechanical sound produced by back and forth movements and complete 360-degree revolutions.

Maneuvering a crane is a very intricate job, often requiring a complete team of skilled personnel and a harmonious working atmosphere. The idea behind the project was to develop a multipurpose and easy-to-manage goods-lifting mechanism by incorporating a new level of creativity and ingenuity to face the challenges of the real world.

There are hundreds of scientifically developed algorithms that can be used to drive the goods-lifting mechanism of a crane. Obviously a plain motor is not suitable for use in a crane because controlling the direction by using the calculated speed of the motor is an impossible task and direction control can only be achieved by using relays or H-Bridges that occupy a lot of space on the PCB and even add to its complexity, Chaudhry added.

The purpose of Triptych is to make man’s work easy. It can revolutionize the construction industry, where a team of laborers is required to construct a high-rise building. With concepts such as Triptych in use, one qualified person can do the job of 100 men, with twice the precision. It can well adjust itself to a harbor as busy as Karachi’s, where tons of goods arrive daily and it takes hours to load and unload vessels. This work can be completed in minutes using half the workforce. The Gwadar port will has contracts to install such cranes in order to facilitate trade and commerce.

Talking about the software, Chaudhry said that the software offers the user the choice of electromagnets available, and then offers a sub-menu to control the course. Once the crane has moved to its limit in a particular direction, the software will restrict further motion and generate a notice for the user. It can maintain a record of movement in all four directions.

The software also has a provision to allow manual control of movement, overriding the built-in limits on movement mentioned above. However, this option is kept password-protected, so that only experienced operators have access.

“We learned to integrate software and hardware with mechanics in a successful manner. Such projects definitely encourage students to move beyond conventional ideas, to display their hard-earned knowledge in a useful and creative way. This project also provided us with the glimpse of how to work for FYPs and execute complex ideas in a way understandable and attractive to the layman,” Chaudhry said.


Daily Times

Alhamdu'lillah.

very well done ...
i hope they get promoters and financers to take that project to another level of commercial production

Very nice I hope our people keep on churning out such ideas. The question is whether there is financial assistance to see these projects become operational.