A new boxing bag was designed –in a team of seven- in response to a customer need. The customer need was that the boxer cannot train alone or has difficulties finding a training partner. The Smart Boxing Bag was one of multiple solutions to that need. Based on thorough analysis, comparisons, and combinations between different solutions and ideas, the team developed The Smart Boxing Bag as a final design to satisfy the boxer need. It has a unique shape which is inspired by the human body, and a programmed lighting system which drives the user to interact with the bag in a specific way. The Smart Boxing Bag passed through multiple design steps including brainstorming and sketching, analyzing, testing, CAD drawings, programming, and final prototyping. Several functional requirements had been specified like total cost, and working lighting system before and after the impact. Testing showed that the final design was able to meet all the functional requirements and satisfy the trainer's need.
The Final Design.
The boxing bag had multiple functional requirements:
· It should be able to withstand impact of 1500 lbf.
· Harmless to user during operation.
· "Smart" functionality remains operational after multiple impacts.
· Costs less than $ 700.
· It should be able to withstand impact of 1500 lbf.
· Harmless to user during operation.
· "Smart" functionality remains operational after multiple impacts.
· Costs less than $ 700.
The Final CAD Assembly using Autodesk Inventor.
An exploded view of the assembly with all of its components.
Human Inspired Shape.
In order to insure the best interaction between the user and the boxing bag, dimensions were very essential and important in the design process. The total height after the bag is hanged was equal to 6 ft. The face dimensions were approximately equal to a standard human face dimensions. The diameter of the torso was equal to a regular heavy weight boxing bag diameter. The leg length was equal to a human thigh length. These parts were repeated all around the bag body. In other words -from a front view- the user can see a head, body, and two legs.
The Lighting System.
What distinguished The Smart Boxing Bag from any other boxing bag in the market is the unique lighting system. It consisted of forty-four 10mm LEDs. Different colors of LEDs have been used. The blue ones indicated to the strike movement, the red ones indicated to the evade movement, while the green ones indicated to the transaction between faces. LEDs were connected to the Arduino board on the top of the boxing bag. LEDs were arranged in a logical way to allow the user to see the lights while training and interacting smoothly with the bag.
For example, in the face, when the right blue LED turns on, the user should hit the face from the right side and when the right red LED turns on, the user should evade a hit from the right side. When the green LED turns on, the user should move to the next face/side. Furthermore, the legs were provided with blue LEDs and whenever one of those LEDs turns on, the user should hit the corresponding leg.
It's Not a Smart Bag without an Arduino Board!
A code was programmed and uploaded to the Arduino board on the top of the boxing bag. Its role was to run all the LEDs in logical and successive way in order to keep the trainer in a continuous movement. The code also switched between the red LEDs and blue LEDs in order to keep the boxer switching between attacking and evading modes. A one-second delay time was set between striking : striking, evading : evading, and striking : evading commands to allow the user to interact smoothly with the bag, and a two-second delay was set as transaction time between faces. Different combinations can be coded in order to meet different customers' needs and levels.
The Inner Structure.
The inner structure was needed in order to support the LEDs in their specific places, and to allow the passage of the wires from the LEDs to the Arduino board on the top of the boxing bag. The structure consisted of the following: aluminum tube, two aluminum plates, and eighteen layers of polyethylene foam. The aluminum made the boxing bag heavier and helped achieve the total weight requirement while the polyethylene foam helped achieve the softness requirement.
The inner structure was needed in order to support the LEDs in their specific places, and to allow the passage of the wires from the LEDs to the Arduino board on the top of the boxing bag. The structure consisted of the following: aluminum tube, two aluminum plates, and eighteen layers of polyethylene foam. The aluminum made the boxing bag heavier and helped achieve the total weight requirement while the polyethylene foam helped achieve the softness requirement.
18 layers of polyethylene foam were shaped using CNC machine.
The Aluminum Core.
Stress Analysis.
Materials were chosen to assure the best feel (not too soft and not too hard).
Thank You!
