In this post, I reflect on my growth and work related to this year’s course criteria that weren’t considered throughout the year. I’ll share specific examples of what I’ve learned and how I know I’ve improved, and why this demonstrates my work in one or many criteria.
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1. Robotics Systems and Control
Through my personal project, I clearly demonstrated my ability to construct a robotics system. My project required me to apply my knowledge surrounding mechanical engineering as I had to assemble separate components that I created separately and connect them to work together. I demonstrated my skill in electrical systems, as my project ran on Arduinos and required precise circuitry. I also showed my growing understanding in programming and creating control systems, as the several different modules of my project led to quite a bit of programming and ways to control the system so that it was usable. Through the many prototypes of my project, I also demonstrated my ability to improve through iteration and troubleshooting, which is what led me to a final prototype with no coding errors or hardware problems. All of these components, particularly my code and hardware, I was able to explain during the year-end trip, when I had to explain my project to curious university students and visitors at the science fair.
2. Ethical and Sustainable Design
Through the many areas of consideration for my personal project, I demonstrated my ability to apply ethical thinking in my designs, include sustainable features, and be culturally sensitive. For example, due to my project being used in airspace shared with wildlife, I considered how I might implement my system in the wild to interfere as little as possible with wildlife in that area. This included researching the locations where certain birds were present and the height they flew at, and adapting my system to fly at altitudes that did not clash with the birds’ cruising altitude. My research into how to leave natural environments undisturbed also allowed me to be culturally sensitive. I tried to reduce the impact on local communities where the drones would fly so that the system would not interfere with their everyday lives and disrupt any cultural traditions. I also pledged for my project to run entirely on sustainable fuel sources in the end. I decided that my drones would all be built through cheap and recyclable materials and powered by renewable energy sources such as electricity generated by hydropower, as charging stations would be built near rivers.
3. Fabrication and Implementation
Through my exoplanet vehicles group project, I demonstrated my ability to use tools, materials, and techniques appropriately and efficiently. Material and hardware being my main role in the group, I was responsible for building much of the chassis and wheels of the vehicle. This forced me to think critically about which materials to use to make the process as easy as possible, while keeping costs and time spent down. This included considering which manufacturing techniques and machines to use, whether it was 3D printing or laser cutting the body. My work on the vehicle’s wheels allowed me the chance to choose the best accessible material, which turned out was TPU filament. Through the entire building process, I also had to adapt to the materials available, as some were too complicated for us to use, too expensive, or would not arrive in time. Throughout the entire project, I always had safety considered in every decision. I would clarify how tools were supposed to be used, and check for any potential hazards around me before using a dangerous tool like an exacto knife.
4. Project Planning and Management
Throughout my fusion project, documenting my work was key to maintaining efficient and organized work. At the start of the project, before I began making anything, I took time to create a clear plan and timeline for what I wanted to accomplish every week before we left for UVic. I also planned out ahead of time what materials I would need, which allowed me to order them in time for them to arrive. Along my project timeline, I also set major milestones, specifically when one core component of the project would start working. When this would happen, documentation would also be required of the code and what I did differently compared to previous, failed designs, so that I could stick to this iteration in the future without losing my work. Alongside this demonstration of my ability to document projects independently, I also showed my strength in doing so while working as a group. In the exoplanet vehicles project, I planned the workflow, timeline, and documentation of our vehicle through a shared file. This allowed my group to communicate ideas effectively and share documented data together, which allowed us to present information efficiently in the end through our blog posts.
5. Iterative Testing and Refinement
Through my group exoplanet vehicle project, I demonstrated extensive understanding in the skills related to the testing and refinement of designs. To find the optimal radius and material for our vehicle’s wheel on the unique terrain found on our exoplanet, I created a simple but effective test that evaluated the bumpiness and energy efficiency of each wheel design. By recording data through a seismoscope app on my phone and comparing the data, I was able to refine the wheel dimensions and material to create the optimal design to use on our final prototype. Throughout the entire project, this method was used several times, whether to find the optimal size of the vehicle chassis, or the best amount of magnets for the doors for them to be accessible yet not prone to falling off.
6. Prototyping Strategies
Through my entire personal project, I showed above average ability to develop and implement prototyping techniques based on my project requirements and the place on the timeline I was at. Specifically, I used a technique where I split my project into sections based on each Arduino module, which allowed me to focus on the much simpler task of getting one module to work by itself before bringing them all together in the end. Towards the end of the project, I shifted my strategy to testing through modifications the best UX that could be achieved through my code by testing different data storage formats and seeing which one was most easy to read. This required me to create quick modifications to my existing code instead of entirely new code, which allowed me to cycle through many ideas quickly yet still experience what the final design might feel like.
7. Technical Communication and Presentation
With my two presentations at the University of Victoria of my personal project, I demonstrated outstanding ability in communicating my processes, results, and designs effectively. With the poster I created for the science fair, I was able to explain my project, process, and ideas through pictures, writing, and drawings alike. My participation in the science fair also required me to share my project verbally. While presenting my project to university students, I used more technical words and drawings, as well as digital presentations to help me better communicate my project. While still presenting mostly verbally, having more industry-specific elements to my presentation allowed me to receive better feedback from the students, and also mold my presentation to be more interesting for them due to their existing knowledge of basic concepts.
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