I have several main goals with these projects:
Apply classroom skills to real-world contexts while expanding upon areas of knowledge which I'm less familiar with.
Gain experience with mechatronic design by creatively integrating modern electronics into traditional mechanical design.
Develop familiarity with industrial design principles to create publicly appealing and marketable designs, moving beyond the function-over-form design language normally associated with my schoolwork and extracurricular experience.
Of course, it's also very rewarding when my designs actually solve a real-world problem I'm having!
Objective: Build a speed-adjustable ventilation system for removing soldering fumes.
Key skills: Arduino programming, timer registers, USB-C PD, SOLIDWORKS assembly features and in-context modeling, circuit design and assembly
I designed an adjustable window fan using some spare electronic parts to help remove solder fumes from my workspace. A custom control board both drives the fans through 33Hz PWM (low frequency for better low-speed control) and relays speed and supply voltage data to an OLED display. An Arduino Micro controls a TC4420 MOSFET driver IC which then drives an IRFZ48N N-channel power MOSFET, minimizing switching losses and heat generation. The fan speeds are individually calculated using hardware interrupts triggered by falling edges on the fans' signal lines. This allows for a moving average to be applied to the data to smooth out fluctuations and also facilitates stall detection and automatic shutdown.
The design's emphasis on modularity allows for future modifications and/or expansions. By using a USB Power Delivery module, it is also capable of running on battery power or any available USB power supply, further increasing its versatility. The folding handle doubles as an adjustable stand, and easily removable front and rear mesh grilles keep dust out of the fans and ensure user safety.
Objective: Build an oscilloscope with modern connectivity and an improved user interface.
This project is currently in the conceptual design phase. In my experience, the overall design of entry-level oscilloscopes has been unchanged for quite some time, and as such I have identified that the interface can be overwhelming to beginners (especially with small screen sizes), and there can be some difficulties with offloading data for future use. My plan is replace some of the traditional controls with a touch screen and five-way joystick to simplify the control panel and create a more intuitive user experience, especially for the modern generation of electronics beginners. Additionally, wireless streaming abilities will allow for screen mirroring and additional data processing on the user's laptop or other device.
My plan is to make a battery-powered device centered around a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller (ARM Cortex-M7 at 600 MHz) that handles data acquisition and digital processing. The onboard SD card slot and RAM expansion chips help make this possible. The main board will then communicate with an ESP32-C6 SBC for Bluetooth and/or WiFi. I will also implement the usual analog front end (for selecting coupling modes, initial signal conditioning, etc.) along with the aforementioned user interface.
My motivation for this project (beyond wanting an oscilloscope for my own use) is to explore the world of signal processing and high-frequency electronics, branching out from my previous experience with mechatronics and other more "physical" electronics. Although the final capabilities of the product are unlikely to be impressive due to budget limitations (good ADCs get really expensive really quickly!) and initial design concessions (ex. using discrete ICs instead of FPGAs like many commercial models), it will certainly be a great learning experience and something I can be proud of.
Objective: Demonstrate my understanding of the sequential gearbox layout.
Key skills: Fusion 360, FDM 3D printing
One of my first ever major CAD projects, this fully functional model is an early example of my ability to turn my understanding of mechanical principles into functional real-world designs. The design was successfully tested up to 1000 rpm using a power drill on the input shaft. One major issue I encountered was initially having too much clearance between the shift barrel and the selector forks, resulting in rough or entirely missed shifts. This taught me the importance of being intentional and careful when specifying fits between components—fractions of a millimeter can make a huge difference in the operation of even a simple mechanical device like this one. Learning experiences like this are critical takeaways to apply to future projects.