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My Portfolio
This is an archive of past projects that I have completed. This ranges from High School projects to College projects along with some personal ones too.
Solarbrella
This device resulted from my NYU Tandon EG-1004 class's semester-long design project where we were tasked with creating a device for solving a specific problem. My group consisted of two other members one being another mechanic engineer and the other a computer engineer. I took a team lead type position and did lots of the communicating for the group with our professors and group mentor. I was also the head of design for the team making a large majority of the drawings and CAD for the project. The computer engineer was the head of programming and did lots of the wiring and coding for the project. Lastly, the other mechanical engineer did lots of the logistics for the presentations and also was the head of production which included presentation, appearance, and the construction of parts that were not directly tied to the design.
This was a mock industry project which required progress with three main milestones. For our first milestone, we had agreed on the first real design for the Solarbrella, had done preliminary research on similar products on the market, and researched materials that we would most likely need. This presentation also had cost predictions, and a teamwork agreement outlining our group's functionality and responsibilities. We had also decided on our company name being WitTech Junction and the product name being the Solarbrella. At this point, we were still in a very conceptual phase of the design process and were on budget and schedule.
By milestone two we had gone through two more additional iterations of the Solarbrella design. I had changes made to how the solar panel arrays would actuate to help optimize their rotation for the touch of our servo motors. There were also discussions on what items we would need to purchase for the device which included a solar controller for regulating the energy that would be used to charge the lead-acid battery, along with missions on what solar panels and batteries to buy. For this benchmark, we are still on a budget but were falling behind on the physical development of not only the device but the specialized sunshade that was needed for mounting the panels.
By milestone three we were back on schedule with a finished design for the Solarbrella (V6) and a constructed umbrella ready for the device to be mounted. budget was still met and we were within all of the project's specifications.
V6 had little changes from V5 but there were lots of changes over V1. The solar tracking system was now regulated by four photoresistors in a box formation separated by walls. The photo resistors would sense for light and if there was no light sensed then the device would either rotate or raise or lower the panels to be in direct sunlight. This would happen since the walls separating the photoresistors would cast a shadow on specific resistors unless the light source was directly perpendicular to the panels and resistors.
there were also improvements to the overall physical properties of the Solarbrella. Across the last three versions, there was a 34% weight reduction and the center of mass was now almost entirely in the center of the sunshade. this was hard to accomplish since there was a small space to work with and mounting different modules to different sides of the inner walls of the device would have a large impact on the center of mass. An imbalanced center of mass would result in the Solarbrella being unstable when rotating making the device potentially unsafe.
By the time commission day came around my team was five days early and ahead of schedule. We used this time to work on our final presentations and prepare for our formal final presentation of our semester-long design project and passed with extra credit. NYU EG 1004 professors like the Solarbrella so much that it was pulled from decommissioning and saved to be used in future EG 1004 classes as an example.
This was a mock industry project which required progress with three main milestones. For our first milestone, we had agreed on the first real design for the Solarbrella, had done preliminary research on similar products on the market, and researched materials that we would most likely need. This presentation also had cost predictions, and a teamwork agreement outlining our group's functionality and responsibilities. We had also decided on our company name being WitTech Junction and the product name being the Solarbrella. At this point, we were still in a very conceptual phase of the design process and were on budget and schedule.
By milestone two we had gone through two more additional iterations of the Solarbrella design. I had changes made to how the solar panel arrays would actuate to help optimize their rotation for the touch of our servo motors. There were also discussions on what items we would need to purchase for the device which included a solar controller for regulating the energy that would be used to charge the lead-acid battery, along with missions on what solar panels and batteries to buy. For this benchmark, we are still on a budget but were falling behind on the physical development of not only the device but the specialized sunshade that was needed for mounting the panels.
By milestone three we were back on schedule with a finished design for the Solarbrella (V6) and a constructed umbrella ready for the device to be mounted. budget was still met and we were within all of the project's specifications.
V6 had little changes from V5 but there were lots of changes over V1. The solar tracking system was now regulated by four photoresistors in a box formation separated by walls. The photo resistors would sense for light and if there was no light sensed then the device would either rotate or raise or lower the panels to be in direct sunlight. This would happen since the walls separating the photoresistors would cast a shadow on specific resistors unless the light source was directly perpendicular to the panels and resistors.
there were also improvements to the overall physical properties of the Solarbrella. Across the last three versions, there was a 34% weight reduction and the center of mass was now almost entirely in the center of the sunshade. this was hard to accomplish since there was a small space to work with and mounting different modules to different sides of the inner walls of the device would have a large impact on the center of mass. An imbalanced center of mass would result in the Solarbrella being unstable when rotating making the device potentially unsafe.
By the time commission day came around my team was five days early and ahead of schedule. We used this time to work on our final presentations and prepare for our formal final presentation of our semester-long design project and passed with extra credit. NYU EG 1004 professors like the Solarbrella so much that it was pulled from decommissioning and saved to be used in future EG 1004 classes as an example.
OHCHS Physics Department - Slingshot
In mid-February 2022 The OHCHS Physics Department came to OHTS Pre-Engineering to request the manufacture of a new physics slingshot. This was to replace the old homemade wooden slingshot that the school had been using which was becoming very old and imprecise. Two classmates and I were assigned to create a new slingshot with a deadline of late March to early April. What is meant by a "physics" slingshot is that measurements can be made. This meant that there were to be force indicators and angle selectors.
My team and I researched some slingshots online looked at the old slingshots and got a general design down. Our idea was to have a full aluminum frame with two towers on each end with one larger tower having the slingshot elastic cords attached (the launch side). The other shorter towed would have a crank and a tensioning cord (the trigger side). This would all run through pulling in the center of the base of the frame that would allow the slingshot to point up but pull the tensioning cable in the upward direction too.
The frame was designed and the measurements were made and drafted on paper to ensure that all parts would fit together since there was limited extruded aluminum for the manufacturing. Frank Damond and another team member cut all the aluminum for the frame and began assembly. I worked with a Senior Level Pre-Engineering student Dawson Joseph to create a triger system.
The trigger system was a flip latch which was tied in the middle of the tensioning cord. This trigger had an "L" shaped piece that rotated along a small frame. A loop was tied and bound in the tensioning cord so that the loop could hook around the "L." A second hinge was made that would hold the "L" in place and had a trigger cord that could be pulled on to relieve the loop from the hook. this was all assembled and thread-locked and functioned as designed.
For force measurement, there were markings made in the tensioning cord that would give a rough estimate of the Newtons that the elastic potential energy the bunjy cords had to exert. There was a crank winch used to tension the cords to keep users away from the launch side and torqued to crank with ease. The device was fully assembled tested and delivered to the Physics Department mid to early April due to delays from school snow days.
My team and I researched some slingshots online looked at the old slingshots and got a general design down. Our idea was to have a full aluminum frame with two towers on each end with one larger tower having the slingshot elastic cords attached (the launch side). The other shorter towed would have a crank and a tensioning cord (the trigger side). This would all run through pulling in the center of the base of the frame that would allow the slingshot to point up but pull the tensioning cable in the upward direction too.
The frame was designed and the measurements were made and drafted on paper to ensure that all parts would fit together since there was limited extruded aluminum for the manufacturing. Frank Damond and another team member cut all the aluminum for the frame and began assembly. I worked with a Senior Level Pre-Engineering student Dawson Joseph to create a triger system.
The trigger system was a flip latch which was tied in the middle of the tensioning cord. This trigger had an "L" shaped piece that rotated along a small frame. A loop was tied and bound in the tensioning cord so that the loop could hook around the "L." A second hinge was made that would hold the "L" in place and had a trigger cord that could be pulled on to relieve the loop from the hook. this was all assembled and thread-locked and functioned as designed.
For force measurement, there were markings made in the tensioning cord that would give a rough estimate of the Newtons that the elastic potential energy the bunjy cords had to exert. There was a crank winch used to tension the cords to keep users away from the launch side and torqued to crank with ease. The device was fully assembled tested and delivered to the Physics Department mid to early April due to delays from school snow days.
Automatic Fish Feeder
When The Aquaponics Project first started my class was divided into different groups to tackle different tasks. My group consisted of myself and my classmate Caroline Sheets. Our task was to use the engineering design process to create an automated way to feed fish that required little to no maintenance.
When we set out not the internet for inspiration we found many different automated feeders for sale that had a variety of feeding methods. Some would use large cavities for each day, others would use corkscrews. Our idea for this divide got most of its inspiration from MacDonald though(Caroline's workplace). McDonald's uses a device with a rotating disk to move Oreo bits from one side of a container to the other by letting the Oreos fall into holes that slide to the other side of the disk and fall into their containers. this design also allowed us to avoid the problem of moisture. the separate stages of dispensing allow the food to stay dry from all the evaporating water in the take keeping the food fresher.
By the end of the 2021 school year, we had designed the entire lower rotating cavity and had begun designing the upper half. When school started up again in the fall of 2021 Caroline had left the Pre-Engineering class and the rest of the project was now my project.
I used new knowledge of transistors to replace the need for a large relay in the design. To use a DC motor I had to research to learn how to adapt an ATX Power Supply to fit my needs and to work along with an Arduino Uno board. Once I had constructed a mock version with just electronics I began to work on the mechanical part aging. Using many screws and adapter parts I was able to 3D print the full device by mounting the motor above the food holder and having an enclosed shaft to spin the disk below. Mounted above the motor the Arduino with all the wiring is enclosed and I added an indicator light to show if all the power was being received by the device. this was important since the device would only run once a day meaning it would be easy to miss if the voltage disconnected.
This is now in its finished form and works like a dream. The feeder can last a long time without needing to be refilled. At one point I hope to go back to this because there is a slight problem with food getting stuck behind the shaft but the amount lost is very little.
When we set out not the internet for inspiration we found many different automated feeders for sale that had a variety of feeding methods. Some would use large cavities for each day, others would use corkscrews. Our idea for this divide got most of its inspiration from MacDonald though(Caroline's workplace). McDonald's uses a device with a rotating disk to move Oreo bits from one side of a container to the other by letting the Oreos fall into holes that slide to the other side of the disk and fall into their containers. this design also allowed us to avoid the problem of moisture. the separate stages of dispensing allow the food to stay dry from all the evaporating water in the take keeping the food fresher.
By the end of the 2021 school year, we had designed the entire lower rotating cavity and had begun designing the upper half. When school started up again in the fall of 2021 Caroline had left the Pre-Engineering class and the rest of the project was now my project.
I used new knowledge of transistors to replace the need for a large relay in the design. To use a DC motor I had to research to learn how to adapt an ATX Power Supply to fit my needs and to work along with an Arduino Uno board. Once I had constructed a mock version with just electronics I began to work on the mechanical part aging. Using many screws and adapter parts I was able to 3D print the full device by mounting the motor above the food holder and having an enclosed shaft to spin the disk below. Mounted above the motor the Arduino with all the wiring is enclosed and I added an indicator light to show if all the power was being received by the device. this was important since the device would only run once a day meaning it would be easy to miss if the voltage disconnected.
This is now in its finished form and works like a dream. The feeder can last a long time without needing to be refilled. At one point I hope to go back to this because there is a slight problem with food getting stuck behind the shaft but the amount lost is very little.
M&M Despenser - 2022 OHTS Tech Challenge
Every year Oxford Hills Technical School has there annual Tech Challenge where every tech program holds a competition for its students to test their abilities and learnings competition against their classmates. The 2022 season for Pre-Engineering’s challenge was to create an M&M dispenser that was both consistent and documented with a user manual and diagrams for each part. This competition would take place from the end of December to mid-January for Pre-Engineering.
There were very few restrictions beyond these so I want for an automated approach using Arduino and servos. My design was a clear reservoir to fill with M&Ms that would convert into four separate channels. These channels had a slot that an M&M could fall through into a slider that was connected to a servo. The slider was just used to direct the M&M’s around a bar that would stop all the M&Ms from falling to a large funnel underneath all the reservoir channels. The funnel was then connected to an output tube and tried where four M&Ms would be dispensed.
A few of my challenges were the actuation of the slider and to avoid jamming the system. To actuate the slide a pin and slot design was used for moving the slider side to side from a rotating servo. This servo was then run by an Arduino Uno. To avoid jamming in the instruction manual I made it so that when the slot activated to accept the M&Ms there was a time delay to shake the dispenser to alline all the candies into the slots. Then the slider would pull them around the blocking bar. This was indicated with a shake LED. there was also a safety measure put in so that if the slider james on a misaligned M&M the servo would turn off instead of torquing the slider.
I had 27 parts in my device and 18 of them had drawings made with dimensions and visuals for reproduction. My presentation was viewed by my class and the OHTS director and resulted in my receiving first place gold. I have a few changes I would like to make at one point including a better anti-jamming solution. My impressions left on the department resulted in being asked to be a judge for the 2023 season the next year.
There were very few restrictions beyond these so I want for an automated approach using Arduino and servos. My design was a clear reservoir to fill with M&Ms that would convert into four separate channels. These channels had a slot that an M&M could fall through into a slider that was connected to a servo. The slider was just used to direct the M&M’s around a bar that would stop all the M&Ms from falling to a large funnel underneath all the reservoir channels. The funnel was then connected to an output tube and tried where four M&Ms would be dispensed.
A few of my challenges were the actuation of the slider and to avoid jamming the system. To actuate the slide a pin and slot design was used for moving the slider side to side from a rotating servo. This servo was then run by an Arduino Uno. To avoid jamming in the instruction manual I made it so that when the slot activated to accept the M&Ms there was a time delay to shake the dispenser to alline all the candies into the slots. Then the slider would pull them around the blocking bar. This was indicated with a shake LED. there was also a safety measure put in so that if the slider james on a misaligned M&M the servo would turn off instead of torquing the slider.
I had 27 parts in my device and 18 of them had drawings made with dimensions and visuals for reproduction. My presentation was viewed by my class and the OHTS director and resulted in my receiving first place gold. I have a few changes I would like to make at one point including a better anti-jamming solution. My impressions left on the department resulted in being asked to be a judge for the 2023 season the next year.
Aquaponics System
This was a very long project details are on the way.
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