As an undergraduate at RPI, I am pursuing a dual major in Mechanical Engineering and DIS (Design, Innovation & Society). Here, I will describe several of the projects in which I have participated. They include both group and individual projects.
Education Project – “Regenerative Design for Youth”
Summer Term 2021 – This was an individual project conducted over the summer ARCH term at RPI. The objective was to develop a program to teach Regenerative Design and the Design Process to young students. I used interactive, hands-on challenges to promote independent/creative thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills. My DIS classmates were placed into teams and presented with a variety of challenges.
Building the tallest structure possible with a variety of simple materials
There were no technical builds for this project; however, my previous experience with Destination Imagination was a huge benefit. My current plan is to work with the professor, outside of a formal class, to help develop a program he can use with elementary students in the spring of 2022.
Gantry Crane Project – “Bring Lobster Fishing Into the 21st Century”
Spring semester 2021 – This was a group project made up of six students total. The objective of the project was to automate the actions of stacking lobster traps. In order to successfully complete the objective, it was determined that the end product must have the following components: (1) a claw to carry the traps, (2) a structure designed to move the claw, (3) a lidar sensor to allow the end product to “see” the world around it, (4) circuitry for the claw that allows it to rotate, move around the ship deck, and pick up/release a trap, and (5) generate code that implements the logic behind all of the tasks, as well as stacking the traps and tucking the lines. Each team member was assigned one of the subsystems based on their area of expertise (see figure below). I was responsible for Subsystem 1 – Mechanical Design of the Claw. I designed the mechanism to pick up and rotate the traps and conducted the stress and deflection calculations. My contribution to the overall project is documented below.
Touch Lamp Project – “Old is Gold”
Fall semester 2020 – This was a group project made up of six students total. The objective of the project was to develop a touch lamp communication system to alleviate the feelings of social isolation in seniors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed design was a pair of wirelessly connected lamps (“touch lamps”) – one given to an older adult and the other to a younger family relative. The two lamps would be connected in a way such that, if one user changes the color/brightness of their lamp, the other lamp of the pair would change as well. The intent was to create a meaningful, “low bandwidth” communication language. Several surveys were conducted with the user group which led to the decision to proceed with four different design types: Metamorphosis, Modern, Paper, and Mini. I was responsible for the physical prototyping of the Metamorphosis design (see below). The project “Old is Gold” was well received and designated a Lemelson Foundation Grant finalist.
Metamorphic Series
Overall moon design
Overall plant design
3D models of the moon and plant lamps
Prior to the physical prototyping, the team started with a pin-up sketch of each lamp followed by 3D models (see above). Below are the physical prototypes that I designed and constructed.
Moon Prototype
Plant Prototype
Scuba Gear Project – “Hands Off Underwater Research”
Spring semester 2020 – This was a small group project made up of two students total, and my first experience in team design at RPI. The objective of the project was to create devices to assist a researcher during a scuba dive. Three devices were decided upon, including a light, a note taker, and a waterproof backpack. The light and notepad were designed to be attached to the diver’s wrists, resulting in the diver’s hands being free; these were the devices I was responsible for creating.
The projects were not complex, but gave me good practice with CAD and 3D modeling/printing. This DIS class started in person during my freshman year, but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were required to move off campus and finish all classes virtually. Although this situation was not ideal, I was able to complete the projects at home through communication with my team member and instructor.