Mind Reborn - Space Apps Challenge

Mind Reborn| Let's Connect

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For bigger spacecraft capable of executing bigger missions, some of the assembly may be done in space. Your challenge is to design a simple approach that enables components to be assembled in space.

BiKene Docking System

Summary

BiKene Docking System (BDS), which we designed by ourselves, helps to build future construction on space faster and more practical compared to what we have nowadays, autonomously. In simple terms, this system is a docking system, which contains a mechanic mechanism and a magnetic mechanism. Unlike what we have now, this system can do the docking regardless of the position. We used the magnetic docking system along with the mechanical one to minimize possible errors.

How We Addressed This Challenge

In this project, we looked for how to build space buildings faster, more practical, and more appropriately. Eventually, we could manage to get an answer. BDS shows us a way to do construction easily both in outer space and on the surface, from the near future's Artemis Project to the possible buildings and space stations on Mars. So, whenever an integrated process is needed, they can do it quite effortlessly anywhere. In view of these features, we named our docking system. The name BiKene comes from the phrase "Bi-" which explains that we have two systems in one docking system and "Kenetlenmek" which means docking in our mother language. If we consider the full name, it also means "one tick" in our mother language, which we find amusing since ticks find the right spot and bite into them.

BiKene Docking System

We used two main mechanisms in BDS, which are the mechanic system and magnetic system. We designed our model considering a multi-docking system that happens concurrently and is fully autonomous.

The design of BDS involves two major components. These two components can be found as active or passive in two units that need to be docked. These units should be at a specific distance for docking to happen.

The bobbins inside the active and passive parts are designed to be polarized with an electric current. The camera inside the active part is in interaction with the symbol of the passive part. With the help of received data, the level of magnetic force that is needed in the bobbin and the magnetic pole's direction are specified. Correct locating is provided by magnetism. (Locating is provided by the movement of the active part)

To prevent probable errors to happen in bobbins, the usage of electric current in bobbins and electromagnetic bidirectional polarisation, which relates to the other one is controlled fully autonomously.

There are six particular connection bars, which have chains inside in our design, for helping connect the active part to its unit. These connection bars can move in 360 degrees and change its length. These bars help the active part to reach long-distances and take a small place, which can transform into a constant structure by tightening up and can be released when required. When the docking is about to happen, BDS's active part takes its place by coming to the front side with the connection bars. Thus, it can move freely.

There are mechanic docking systems between active and passive parts, which is like a lock and key mechanism. Docking cogs in the active part and the ports for those cogs in the passive part are designed in this manner as you can see on the attachments.

After the positioning is done, the magnetic attraction of active and passive parts provides an ideal setting for mechanical interlock. The unit's active part is attached aligns and unites as a result of interlock with special connection bars. After that, the interlocking fasteners of the active part of the BDS, connect with interlock fasteners of the passive part of the BDS. This enables a gas-proof, isolated setting. After the connection of the units is ensured, gate locks open, which enables transition between units. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCTTzgmyO2c) BiKene Docking System integration is enabled by the procedure. The Interlocking system can be unlocked by doing the procedure reverse or the procedure can be done over and over again to achieve the desired goal.

Attachments:

https://yadi.sk/d/P9JeqmWnQnKH9A?w=1

Animations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHfGG-YByak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T3h3K-xjfU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCTTzgmyO2c

How We Developed This Project

We decided to focus on this project because of our knowledge, oriented towards this area. Likewise, most of our teammates tend to design new things since each one of us was full of imagination when it comes to creating new ideas. Our goal was making construction more simple, faster, and completely autonomous in space. We couldn't come up with a project right away. However, after the first meeting, when we were sharing and explaining what we got so far, in the light of the pieces of information which we manage to research, we could be able to produce a roughly outlined design with the mechanic and magnetic docking system.

Göksu Gamlı

Boğaziçi University

Undergraduate, lingustics, 1st year

Göksu helped in creating a design by researching Zipnuts, Astrobee, and TALISMAN, which makes astronauts' work a lot easier. She designed our team Mind Reborn's logo. By using Photoshop and Premiere Pro, she made animations to show the docking model and the mechanism of the docking system. She prepared the report. She is in charge of social media, which shows the progress of the project. She also helped other teammates to understand some scientific articles by translating them into their mother tongue. She did the dubbing of the video.

Yaren Çakmak

Gebze Technical University

Undergraduate, mechanical engineering, 1st year

Yaren was following the whole process closely by deciding work distribution and checking each work afterward. She detected all the problems and came up with a solution when needed. Yaren created both the design and the mechanism of the system with Tuna. She visualized the symbolic space premises' model. She prepared the report's technical parts.

Tuna Ferik

Izmir Institute of Technology

Undergraduate, mechanical engineering, 1st year

Tuna made sure that each of our teammates is capable of doing their works by match each one of us with the work we fancy. By researching electromagnetism, docking systems, and mechanical action systems, Tuna created both the design and the mechanism of the system with Yaren. He prepared the video's text.

Emre Güleç

Uludağ University

Undergraduate, electrical and electronics engineering, 2nd year

Emre had a role in deciding which kind of mechanism we were going to use, and minimize the probable errors on the design model by doing detailed research on electromagnetism and quantum levitation. As a result of the data he got, he decided on the fact that quantum levitation is not suitable for our project. He also searched ISS's construction as a source of inspiration. He is the delegate of our team on discord.

Duygu Erdemir

Eskişehir Technical University

Undergraduate, mechanical engineering, 2nd year

Duygu helped with the design of the BiKene Docking System (BDS), which we designed all by ourselves. She also did the technical drawings with Solidworks and Autocad, which helped to visualize our design better.

In this hackathon, our team faced lots of challenges. Some of them were:

Understanding what exactly is wanted. Since it was an open-ended project, each one of us come up with various kinds of designs and solutions.
Due to pandemic, we couldn't meet, which caused a lack of communication.
When it comes to sharing our knowledge and exchanging ideas, which were necessary since all of us had different tasks to do, it was not easy.
One of our teammates changed his mind about joining this project with us, which created great chaos and changed all of our plans.

For sure, we had to solve every problem we faced during this progress. So, we learned:

Choosing the best rational outcome between a ton of disagreements on ideas.
Extending our meeting times online since it is not easy to manage.
Summarizing every research we do by taking notes on significant parts.
Doing crisis management. Thankfully, we could find another teammate in that short time.

And the last but not the least,

We learned that being a part of a project which is arranging by a notable organization like NASA is not only a dream as long as you go for it!

TRY IT UNTIL MAKE IT!

How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project

After examining the designs of NASA docking systems shared by NASA, we thought about how we could make our project faster, more risk-free and completely autonomous. Thus, we decided to use a magnetic system which is safer, more tolerant to errors and less risky. Considering that it is dangerous and difficult for units to approach each other, we developed mechanical systems of Nasa Docking System and add a magnetic system to avoid these difficulties and to increase the capture range. As a result of these, we created the more advanced BiKene Docking System.