Final Project: Final Blog (Discussion)

Reflection

I was satisfied with our final design not only because it worked but because my teammates and I have worked so hard on it and improved the music box. It accomplished our goal, which was to create "light-controlled music" or a device that could "read" music and then play the corresponding notes. One could draw the notes on a long piece of white paper (that fits), and the music box could play the tune or song. 

We were really stuck on the LED problem, but each of us tried very hard to solve the issue. We recognized the problem, tried different methods (calibrate, create a different program, work with several professors), and in the end, the LED board worked beautifully. 

I felt like these four weeks made me learn and better understand the engineering process. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned from this project was to record. This helped us remember what we have done and helped us recognize problems and solve them in an organized and efficient manner. 

Our group had a little disagreement in the middle about the design, but we dealt with it fairly and tried to respect each other's opinions.

My first blog post:

EXTD160: Personal Goals

I've always wanted to work with different tools and equipment but never had the time. During high school, I was busy memorizing formulas, reading textbooks, and studying for exams, but I wanted actual hands-on experiences that would require me to apply my knowledge of various concepts. (I wanted to make stuff.) I realize that EXTD160 is the beginning step, but I hope to learn as much as possible about the engineering process and how to use different tools (laser cutters, Solidworks, 3D printers, and more)and skills (basic programming) so that I could build and learn from the experiences/mistakes and also so that I can take more engineering classes in the future. I'm really excited!

I have accomplished several of these goals, such as working with different tools and programs (bandsaw, Solidworks, MATLAB, PICOBlocks, etc.). I also learned a lot about the engineering process and built a lot in this class. In addition, I have learned that there has to be a reason for every step of building (you can't just build and hope something works). For example, I had to consider concepts such as gear ratio to make the car carry the weight as fast as possible. Lastly, I have worked with different people and had a lot of fun.


Improvements

I realize that although I am satisfied with my project, it is not perfect. If we had more time, we would have worked to create a more advanced program so that we do not have to rewind the music scroll. We could also make the drawer (with the controller) come out smoother and work more on aesthetics. Another improvement could be a way to replace the music scroll more easily. We had to attach our scroll to the scroll ends with tape, but we could have done something else to attach them. Lastly, it would be interesting if the music box could read dots of different colors and play higher or lower notes.