Week 0 - Journal

During Week 0, we didn’t have a formal assignment to fabricate—this week was all about getting to know each other 🤝, exploring the workspace 🛠️, and becoming familiar with the machines we’ll be using throughout the program. It was more of an orientation and a warm-up to what's ahead.

We kicked things off with a fun ice-breaker game where each of us had to stand in the center and introduce ourselves to the group. As someone who’s not super social 😅, I found it a little awkward at first, but it turned out to be a great way to connect with everyone and break the ice.

After that, we got an introduction to the lab machines like the 3D printer, laser cutter. We learned how each one works, the safety rules ⚠️, and how to prepare them properly before running any job. It felt like we were getting our first tools for building.

The highlight of the day was the main activity, a hands-on electronics game called "Hit the Number" 🎯. It’s a simple reaction game: the display shows a random target number, and when the count starts, you need to press a button exactly when that number appears. If you get it right ✅, you hear a winning sound and see a victory message 🎉; if not ❌, there's a different buzz and a "better luck next time" message.

Even though it wasn’t a full project, it was a fun and interactive way to kick off the program. It also sparked some ideas 💡 for future projects and gave us a small taste of what digital fabrication is all about.

So, calling it “machines” might sound like a stretch😅 but in this case, one of the main tools we used was the humble screwdriver. The game kit we worked with was already pre-cut and ready for assembly, so our task was mainly to put it all together by tightening the screws.

As for software, we used Processing, which was pretty exciting! This came into play in the second mode of the game. In that version, we had to connect the kit to a laptop using an Arduino data cable 🔌. Then, once the app was open, the gameplay involved pressing the button exactly when the moving line reached the target zone 🎯. It added an extra digital-interaction layer to the physical kit.

The material used for the body of the game kit was plywood. It's lightweight, strong, and perfect for quick assembly kits like this; especially when pre-cut with precision tools like laser cutters (even though we didn’t do the cutting ourselves this time).

The implementation process this week was relatively smooth and straightforward ✅. We closely followed the instructor’s guidance as well as the step-by-step manual that was shared with us.

First, we started by connecting the electronic components and sensors to the Arduino 🧠. This included the basic wiring and making sure each sensor was placed correctly.

Then, we began assembling the components onto the chassis 🛠️. We attached the tilt sensor, LCD, and Arduino to the frame, ensuring everything was fixed securely.

Overall, it was a hands-on process that taught us a lot about integrating electronics with fun, and it was really satisfying to see everything come together in the end! 🤖💡

Of course, the questions were all over the place since it was a relatively new experience, and all the help was needed. I'm saying this even though my experience in this field isn’t small but learning never ends as we go through the journey of life.

To add to that, the instructors were very helpful and supportive throughout the process.

There weren’t any major challenges, as the assignment was mainly focused on the assembly process. However, one frustrating part was dealing with the screws. The body had dedicated slots where I had to insert the screw and align the nut so that when the two body parts were assembled, the screw could hold everything in place. The tricky part was that the nut would sometimes fall into the box or slip out of the slot.

Adding to the difficulty, my fingers aren’t exactly thin, so that made the process a bit more frustrating. On top of that, since the game was designed to be handheld, there wasn’t much space to work with—making it a bit challenging to connect the wires and arrange the components neatly.

For the first session, it might be a bit early to talk about the final project, but I did take away something important. If I ever decide to make something handheld or relatively small, I’ll definitely think twice about the challenges and limitations that come with that concept. Space constraints, component arrangement, and ease of assembly are all factors that I’ll consider more carefully moving forward.