Me and pops
Embedded Files
Strength and Growth
I think I am generally pretty comfortable with the process of coming up with a design. Normally, I'm pretty happy with my designs.
I only have basic knowledge of the electrical engineering we're gonna do in this class.
Commitments
I want to take pictures throughout the process rather than finishing and then trying to take progress pictures
I want to keep my page organized
I want to write good descriptions that I can look back on
We chose this design (top right), a silhouette of our friend group, because it's both creative and unique to us. It also has more meaning than just a cool-looking shape and is something that will remain relevant and special for many years.
Description of what you made
We made a circuit board in the shape of four people. The silhouette comes from a photo of our group of friends (Christopher, Cillian, Charlie, Jake in order). We traced an image in Rhino and imported the outline into Fusion. The circuit board will have 4 lights in parallel, 1 for each person. Each light has its own switch, so we can illuminate different combinations of people. This is all connected to a coin cell battery.
Who worked on this project
Christopher and Cillian
One or more things you will remember about printed circuit board design.
I will remember to have lights in parallel when you can, so that each can be the same brightness. I will also remember that you can make your circuit board any shape by importing a Rhino file into Fusion.
Main takeaways from feedback:
The organic shape of an airpod might be hard to print
I would only be able to use one speaker if I only made one airpod, maybe make two
some design ideas: volume control, stand for the airpod, lights
Design Sketch 2
Reflection:
Why do you believe this is an excellent design to design and build?
I think this is a great design because its creative, its a challenge, and its a design that I am going to be happy with when I am finished.
How are you challenging your current skill set?
I have never really used the 3D printer so its going to be a major challenge to figure out how to use the software and print such organic shapes in a way that actually works. I have also never worked with such organic shapes in Rhino or other 3D modeling softwares.
Model Progress 9/28
At this point I have the screw holes and the place to mount the speaker and I also figured out how to give the model thickness. It's pretty much ready to print. Just need to figure out the final size I want.
Next steps
Finalize dimensions (including thickness and speaker choice)
Make speaker mount in Rhino
Minimize supports and test print
Notes:
Use Milliput to smooth 3D print
Reflection
What is your idea?
My idea is a 3D printed oversized airpod. The speaker and all electronics will be inside the airpod. The speaker will emit sound at the same place where a normal airpod emits sound. I will add a volume nob and a charging hole to the outside.
What did you learn from your prototype?
From my prototype I learned that I might need to make my airpod a little larger to fit all of the electronics. Through making the prototype I also learned where I should but volume nob and charging port.
Does your design need modifications?
I needed to make the design a little larger. I might have to add an additional support piece or slightly change the location of volume nob and charging port.
Amplifier Circuit - Breadboard
Is there something about the circuit you understand now that you've spent time prototyping it?
I now understand how each component is necessary to make the whole circuit function properly.
Name one part that is a complete mystery to you. Look it up on Google or Generative AI. What does it say the function of that part is?
How does a potentiometer control sound?
Google AI overview: A potentiometer controls sound by acting as an adjustable voltage divider, which regulates the amount of electrical signal sent to an amplifier. It has a resistive track and a movable wiper that changes the resistance in the circuit as the knob is turned, allowing you to increase or decrease the signal's strength, and thus the volume.
Fusion Amplifier Circuit - Raj and Christopher
I got better at using fusion, I also learned about the specifics of circuit connections, eg what it means to be in parallel or in series and what that looks like in a schematic. I also learned how to make these connections in fusion so my schematic works as intentended.
Unsoldered Circuit Board
PCB Custom Circuit Board
Our original idea was to make a circuit board in the shape of a photo. The photo was traced by hand in Rhino.
I worked with Cillian
I am very happy with the product because the board shape came out very detailed and exactly as we imagined.
Finished Amplifier Circuit
Enclosure Build Process
I broke the Airpod into several printable pieces, this is one of them. The rest have the same thickness, scale, etc.
A description of where you are with the building of your project
So far, I have put a lot of time into the enclosure build. Although I don't have the physical enclosure yet, most of the work for my enclosure was in the 3D model, and my model is now ready to print in Prusa Slicer. To get to this point, I had to 3D model my speaker mount so it would be perfectly flush, scale the model, import it into Blender to fix non-manifold edges, add a solidify modifier to give the model a thickness to be printed, then work on it in Prusa so it could be printed with minimal supports.
What do you still need to do?
Now all I have to do is run the print for each of the 7 pieces of the model. Then I install the speaker, glue them together, sand the hole thing, fill in any holes, make holes for the wire ports, and that should be it.
What were the goals for your amplifier?
My number one goal for this amplifier was for it to look as similar to an apple AirPod as possible. This meant having a good 3D file to print from, making sure I included every signature element and feature, and spending a good amount of time on a careful assembly so it would look as clean as possible.
What did you make?
I made a scaled model of an apple AirPod pro headphone using white and black 3D printed material.
Thinking about the work you created, what are you most satisfied with this semester?
I am overally really satisfied with the accuracy of my speaker. It looks nearly identical to an apple AirPod and that was my main goal throughout the whole process. I am also proud of the amount of work I put it, making this speaker definitely took a lot of time and effort.
If you were to start over, knowing what you know, what would you do differently?
If I were to start over, I would be able to make the AirPod 3D model much more quickly and efficiently. One of the things that took the longest in this build was the 3D model because there was a lot of trial and error involved. Now, however, I know exactly what it would take and it would be much faster if I were to make the model again.
What did you learn this semester that will likely still be with you 2 years from now?
I am definitely going to use my knowledge of circuits and PCB design and manufacturing. That is a crucial aspect of engineering and robotics technology and that's something I definitely plan on continuing to explore throughout the rest of my life, especially as an engineering major.
If you didn’t finish, what held you back?
I am basically finished but what made this project tricky was the amount of time it took to make the 3D model, specifically the organic nature of an AirPod. However, it was also time consuming to finish the assembly because I coudn't just glue all the pieces together.
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