Lego Mindstorms Elevator

A 3-story elevator with a mechanical door made from Lego Mindstorms and programmed on RoboCore. It moves up and down and reacts to buttons.

IntermediateShowcase (no instructions)10 hours3,560

Things used in this project

Hardware components

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Programming Brick / Kit

2 motors

Husarion RoboCORE

SparkFun Pushbutton switch 12mm

9 buttons

USB-A to Mini-USB Cable

Software apps and online services

Microsoft Visual Studio 2015

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic)

Story

Video Demo

About

We study at Akademia Górniczo Hutnicza in Cracov and this elevator was our project for Mechatronics classes. In small groups we worked on projects like this in order to pass. Our team consisted of 4 people:

Agnieszka Steć

Jakub Belniak

Konrad Migacz

Karol Ciszewski

3 were working on the mechanics and 1 person focused on the code.

We wanted to keep our project simple and yet effective. The elevator cabin moves on a system of rails that keeps it stable. We also designed counterweight that makes the elevator move easily. On every floor we mounted limit switches, which the elevator activates by moving past the middle one and pressing the top and the bottom ones. The doors of the elevator are opened by the electric motor which is mounted on top of the elevator connected directly to the sprocket that opens the door.

Our project was quite successful and we scored 80% total.

Photos

Elevator code

#include <hFramework.h>

using namespace hFramework;


void door_open(){
hMot2.setPower(400);
	hMot2.rotRel(-90);

	//hMot2.rotAbs(90);

}

void door_close(){
hMot2.setPower(400);
	hMot2.rotRel(90);

	//hMot2.rotAbs(90);

}

void on_czek_off_door()
{
    door_open();
    sys.delay(10000);
    door_close();
}




void home_elevator(){
    hExt2.pin1.setIn_pd();//krancowka dolna

	hMot1.setPower(300);
	while(hExt2.pin1.read()==0){
		sys.delay(50);
	}
	hMot1.setPower(0);
}

void semi_elevator(){
    hExt2.pin1.setIn_pd();//krancowka dolna
    hExt2.pin2.setIn_pd();//krancowka srodkowa
    hExt2.pin3.setIn_pd();//krancowka gorna

    if(hExt2.pin1.read()==1)
    {
        hMot1.setPower(-300);
        while(hExt2.pin2.read()==0){
            sys.delay(50);
        }
        hMot1.setPower(0);

    }
    if(hExt2.pin3.read()==1)
    {
        hMot1.setPower(300);
        while(hExt2.pin2.read()==0){
            sys.delay(50);
        }
        hMot1.setPower(0);
    }


}



void end_elevator(){
    hExt2.pin3.setIn_pd();//krancowka gorna

	hMot1.setPower(-300);
	while(hExt2.pin3.read()==0){
		sys.delay(50);
	}
	hMot1.setPower(0);
}





void buttons_thread_loop()
{
    //przyciski zewnatrz
    hExt1.pin1.setIn_pd();
    hExt1.pin3.setIn_pd();
    hExt1.pin2.setIn_pd();

    //przyciski wewnatrz
    hExt1.pin5.setIn_pd();
    hExt1.pin6.setIn_pd();
    hExt1.pin7.setIn_pd();



	while(true){


        //przyciski zewnetrze

        //jazda na 1 pietro
		if((hExt1.pin1.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin5.read()==1))
		{
            sys.delay(20);
            if((hExt1.pin1.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin5.read()==1))
            {
                home_elevator();
                on_czek_off_door();

            }
		}


        //jazda na 2 pietro
		if((hExt1.pin3.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin6.read()==1))
		{
            sys.delay(20);
            if((hExt1.pin3.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin6.read()==1))
            {
                semi_elevator();
                on_czek_off_door();

            }
		}



        //jazda na 3 pietro
		if((hExt1.pin2.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin7.read()==1))
		{
            sys.delay(20);
            if((hExt1.pin2.read()==1)||(hExt1.pin7.read()==1))
            {
                end_elevator();
                on_czek_off_door();
            }
		}

    }

}




void hMain()
{

    //end_elevator();
    //buttons_thread_loop();
    // create thread handling buttons, so you can do other work in hMain
    sys.taskCreate(buttons_thread_loop);

    //while (true) {
      //  LED1.toggle();
        //sys.delay(500);
    //}
}

Lego Mindstorms Elevator