The Capstone is a unique and demanding challenge. In completing it, what did you learn about your subject? Your skill set? Yourself
Throughout the capstone, I had to design circuits, coding, and 3D print which I never taught deeply at the school. It required my advanced understanding of Physics, especially electrical and computer science. I learned that it is possible to learn anything if I have willing to do that because we have those technologies to learn by ourselves.
How is your project relevant to you, the school or the community-at-large?
My project is relevant to my future goals and interests. I recently decided to attend the University to take Biomedical Engineering for the next five years. This project helped me to extend my understanding of what engineering will be like and what I will be expected to do in the near future.
How did you demonstrate the six Core Competencies throughout this project? (Google BC Curriculum Core Competencies)
My project result strongly demonstrates Creative Thinking among six Core Competencies. On the site, each process of fixing solutions also shows Critical and Reflective Thinking. Throughout the project, however, I also demonstrated Communicating and Collaborating with my mentors since I had to learn 3D printing, coding, designing a circuit, and mostly fixing problems I found during processes. Lastly, on the Proposal page of the site, Personal awareness & Responsibility, Positive Personal & Cultural Identity, and Social Awareness & Responsibility are shown by the reason I decided to do my project. For example, because I burn myself often hot water from a faucet and I thought elders who have difficulties moving might have the same problem I decided to make an electrical thermometer that is easy to check only by clicking the switch. Thus, I could say the thinking process to decide the project was well related to Personal Awareness & Responsibility and Social Awareness & Responsibility. Moreover, when I was dealing with problems, I had to keep my positivity and believe that I can fix problems with patience. I had a tough time believing in myself and my posibilities three years ago. Compared to that time, I developed this personality throughout my school years when I had always faced problems and difficulties. Thus, It is related to Positive Personal & Cultural Identity.
What impact, if any, did your Capstone project have?
It made me sure that I’m interested in and have a desire on the project for finding problems and solutions which are what the engineering department expects from me. That means, throughout the Capstone project, I became more sure that this is what I want.
Thinking about the whole process and your finished product, what are you most proud of?
I’m proud of myself for finishing this project that I’ve thought it would take forever to finish. It was ambitious when I first started but now I have the actual form that I was thinking about.
What was a difficulty you encountered and how did you solve the problem?
The difficulty I found was designing the case for the project with 3D printing software. As you can see in process III, I went through various problems and had to solve them all so that I can make the final result very close to what I’ve thought of.
What is one thing about your finished project you wish you could change? Why?
There are gaps between the top and bottom because of the 3D printing process that I put the top and bottom slightly open. It made the top case’s bottom line uneven as the 3D printer prints perpendicularly. I wished to make this even so that the case can protect the circuit from water and dust. Then, it will extend the usage of my project.
What advice would you give to a student who will be completing their Capstone Project next year?
Start as soon as possible if you have an idea for the capstone while thinking of other options to change your first Capstone idea because starting early allows you to have enough time to finish during school days and to find proper mentors. If you have another idea and the first idea turns out to be hard to complete, do not hesitate to change.
What source from your research helped you the most? (or least?).
During the coding process, website #5 was helpful the most because I could find where I made a mistake to connect LCD and Arduino Broad then I could get the right connection between Arduino and LCD screen before activating the coding for the temperature sensor.
During the 3D printing process, the video I used as a reference to make a hinge: https://youtu.be/gzF2QgMh6nw was not helpful because the gap inside the hinge which they recommended did not work properly and I had to sand the hinge down and attach a metal hinge.
What is one thing about your approach to your project that you wish you could change? Why?
I'd wish that I was familiar with using a 3D printer and designing 3D objects, I would’ve ended up with a better quality of the project’s case.