Fun Projects!

Based off a mini-game from 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,' we wanted to design a tilting maze controlled by an iPad that only one person outside of the room could access. That way, the team would have to yell commands to the lone person to get the ball out of the maze. The maze was machined primarily out of laser-cut MDF with 3D-printed motor mounts and ball joints to facilitate movement. The maze was powered by NEMA17 stepper motors connected to 5V portable chargers. The first prototype was controlled by a joystick, which I programmed in Arduino. Moving the controls to an iPad took some help from other members in my stack. I think the kids had a lot of fun with this one!

What I used/did/learned: Onshape, laser-cutter, 3D-printing, Arduino

In order to figure out the password to solve the maze, I designed a circular pantograph that exposed different numbers as it expanded in size. To keep it budget-friendly, I laser-cut it out of some cardboard and pinned it together with some leftover wire.

What I used/did/learned: Onshape, laser-cutter

For the room's final puzzle, I remixed the Da Vinci Code cryptex to have an alphabet based on the in-game language, Sheikah. I modeled the cryptex in Onshape and 3D-printed it on an Ender 3.

What I used/did/learned: Onshape, 3D-printing

My dorm was holding a dinosaur-themed party. So, I took a T-Rex file I found online and blew it up to size. To keep the structure on a low budget, each piece was made of 4 layers of cardboard. The pieces were cut up and arranged for DXFs using Onshape for efficient machining on our school's 2'x3' laser cutter. To help the dinosaur stand on its own, I built a stand out of leftover 2x4's with a friend (seen to the right).

What I used/did/learned: Onshape, laser-cutter, chop saw.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in Formlabs' annual hackathon during my first week interning with them! For this event, I designed a desk-and-chair set that could be cut out of a single sheet of plywood and assembled with no adhesives or fasteners. Pieces were modeled in and exported from Onshape, and cut using a CNC ShopBot.

What I used/did/learned: CNC ShopBot, machining, Onshape.

I was actually inspired by a TikTok video I saw, and designed this earring holder resembling a clothes rack with hangers. The pieces were modeled in Onshape, and laser cut from acrylic. The hangers were designed to allow for both wire hook earrings as well as earrings with backings, such as studs. The whole rack was designed for easy assembly (slotted with adhesive).

What I used/did/learned: Onshape, laser cutter.