Projects

Welcome to our projects page, where you will find all of our current projects at CRoC! Feel free to stop by the club room (B215.105) to come check them out in person!

BoozeBot

Started in 2016, BoozeBot has undergone 3 progressive version changes. BoozeBot is an automated drink serving robot intended to mix andserve a variety of drinks.

BoozeBot is intended for use as catering at events, or small scale commercial use. Previous versions of BoozeBot were a great success at events, and it’s publicity makes it one of the Club’s most popular externally-facing projects.

The project uses a number of high accuracy pumps, a pressurised system and a linear rail, combined with a detailed front and backend codebase to accurately serve drinks. We hope to make successive improvements on BoozeBot for years to come.

Laser Tanks

The Laser Tanks project started in 2016, and aims to create a competitive game of laser tag, played by four remote controlled miniature tanks, in a Mario Kart-esque arena. Over the years, there have been multiple design iterations, most notably in the design of the tanks themselves.

The project is made out of entirely custom parts, with the tanks being modelled in CAD, before being 3D printed and fitted with custom
PCBs. The tanks traverse the arena, picking up power-ups such as speed or range boosts,
and attempting to fire upon other tanks in the arena.

Laser Tanks focuses largely on developing skills in programming, networking, electronics, and mechanical design. The project requires fundamental knowledge in one or more of the listed areas, though allows for upskilling whilst involved.

Winston the UR5

Winston the UR5 Arm was donated to the club by Woodside Energy in 2022. The project’s team aims to design and build a gripper for the arm in order to carry out simple tasks, such as picking up and placing down objects.

This gripper will be designed from the ground up and led through all stages of design to final conception. Once the final concept has been determined, production of the gripper will commence with the final product to be fitted onto the UR5 arm.

This project provides members with the full experience of designing and manufacturing a product that must integrate with a pre-existing design. This project is suitable for beginners as it covers CAD design, mechanical construction, electrical design and integration, and manufacturing.

XY Plotter

This project was started in 2021. The aim of the XY-Plotter project is to design a sketching machine that will be constructed of rails and 3D-printed components that are modelled using CAD software.

The project involves creating a custom G-Code converter, allowing users to create drawings from uploaded images or drawings.

XY-Plotter is well-suited to beginners looking to develop fundamental skills in programming, electronics, and mechanical design.

Kenny the Echidna

Kenny is a 1980’s Echidna mark bomb disposal robot built by Brisbane company Evans Deakin Industries Ltd. that was donated to Curtin a decade ago. Kenny was named after the Echidna in the classic children’s show Goodnight Captain Possum.

In 2019, Curtin faculty handed the robot over to CRoC; resulting in the start of a project to renovate and repurpose Kenny into a base platform that any member can use for learning and upskilling in path planning, localisation, and navigation.

The current scope of this project consists of replacing all electronics in Kenny with modern electronics, designing a gearbox and drivetrain, and making a basic control system using motor controllers and an Arduino. Future plans include creating a full Robot Operating System (ROS) software stack.

TinyBot

TinyBot is a small robot designed and launched in 2021 by our 2021 and 2022 Project Admin. The robot can be built by a single person, and is designed with simplicity in mind, which means that it can be built in merely a few hours. This project provides all necessary materials and components, as well as highly informative instructions on assembly and basic coding.

The project is aimed at introducing new members to the fundamentals of robotics. 

ARC

Project ARC, our latest project, a collaboration with The Nostalgia Box, is crafting a cool retro video game controller for individuals with mobility constraints. Through electronic integration, CAD, and 3D printing, we're making gaming more accessible. Join us on this journey towards a more inclusive gaming experience!