Final Project Proposal

Project Ideation

1- Tell us about the purpose of your project. Which problem does it solve? Why do you care about this? What were you inspired by? Include images and videos of similar projects

The real engineer

LEGO Spike Essentials kit

I have grown up with the Hello Crazies of science asylum and the What If of Vsauce. Time moves forward and around the age of 15, I have a few papers telling what I then thought was a scientific script!

Study felt fun! 9 hours straight didn't present a problem and there was no need for a disparate fight with the books to learn something new...why were exams nerve racking then?

Mark Rober, Sal Khan, Derek Muller, and a few dearest teachers and friends taught me that the world makes sense, unlike most of the classroom rant.

I found answers to my most existential questions in learning. From what on Earth I can do to a genocide through what my role is towards homeless people I meet everyday to what I owe my family and friends and how to counteract root problems of our society: decent education.

That is what I am hoping to get one step closer to through this project.

"Create an engaging, low-cost home-lab where parents and children can have fun experimenting and learning."

2- Describe the project idea and general features. How would it work?

A desktop physics lab, construction parts and a challenges list that displays to the learner through a screen.

The learner scrolls through the challenges menu and chooses a one.

The screen starts directing the learner on how to do the challenge, with guiding questions and potentially printed or QR coded images.

The learner uses the variety of material and construction parts available to try and answer the questions.

3- Sketch your project: You may use pen and paper or a simple sketching tool like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop

Project Planning

4- Describe the Technical Modules that your project consists of

Construction Parts

A wooden box enclosure that houses the main control unit (screen, Arduino, battery)
Smaller boxes on the perimeter of the sides to house the game's construction parts

Input

(Sensing, Tactile Input, and/or Graphical Input)

Capacitive touch sensor to act as a conductors detector
Voltage sensor to act as a voltmeter
Direction pushbuttons to help the user navigate the screen
Power button

Action

(Physical and/or Graphic)

Screen displaying congratulations when done with a challenge
RGB LED lighting green when the capacitive touch senses a conductor, red when it's not a conductor
Voltage sensor reading displaying on the screen

Brain

Arduino Uno, potentially Nano as well

Power Management

Battery mounted inside the main unit

5- Create a cardboard prototype of your project, demonstrating the project face as well as internal movements and mechanisms. Include a demo video and photos of the prototype.

6- Categorize your project’s User Features into: Minimum, Complete, and Nice-to-have features. List the required action and input components per feature.

Minimum Features: are the least amount of features that would demonstrate the coverage of all the technical modules and their complete integration
Complete Features: are the set of features that will complete your original project objective and vision
Nice-to-have Features: are the extra set of features that will make the project cooler, yet they need extra time, effort, and/or resources to finish

Minimum User Features

Screen displays menu and scrolls through challenges when user presses right and left buttons
- Action: LCD screen displays menu
- Sensing: none
- User input: Pushbutton
There are 5 challenges split between mechanical and electronic
- Action: LCD guide text
- Sensing: none
- User input: Pushbutton
Construction parts (links and joints) are available and utilized
- Action: assemble the parts (manual)
- Sensing: none
- User input: Pushbutton
Main control unit functional and provides instructions on the screen, displays the voltage when the volt sensor is used, and identifies conductors when the capacitive touch sensor is used:
- Action: 32x4 LCD
- Sensing: voltage sensor, capacitive touch sensor
- User input: Pushbutton

Complete User Features

Add external sensor module with nano that connects with the main control unit
- Action: user interface (eg MIT App Inv) to code the nano
- Sensing: sensor modules the user utilizes, like ultrasonic, IR
- User input: interaction with MIT App Inv

Nice-to-have User Features

Create a visual guide with photos on MIT app inventor
- Action: photos on the app
- Sensing: none
- User input: phone touch screen
Wire the components on a perfboard

7- What are the required electronic components and materials for the project?

Component/Material

Amount

Link

Lab Weights

Push Button

Button

Potentiometer

7-segment and module

Buzzer

Voltage sensor

RAM

Capacitive touch sensor

RAM

On/Off switch

Terminal for the voltage sensor

RAM

9V battery

Gears

"buy or make?"

Arduino Nano

Bluetooth module

Perfboard

8- What are the project tasks and its time-frame?

Task

Sub-Tasks

From:

To:

Test the construction parts

Finalize sketches from challenges
Design on Fusion
Fabricate on plywood
Redesign if needed

9/8

9/13

Test the joints and gears

Finalize sketches from challenges
Design on Fusion
3D print
Redesign if needed

9/13

9/15

Code the control unit functions

7 segment, buzzer, button (score counter)
Voltage sensor
Capacitive touch sensor
LCD and light control

9/15

9/17

Test the minimum features and assemble

Test each of the past steps and assemble

9/17

9/18

Control the nano with uno

Code the Bluetooth module
Create the user guide for coding the mobile module (nano)
Implement nano coding through Arduino