Passion Project Reflections
Reflection 1
This is our first progress report for our passion project. For our passion project we decided to make a “Useless box” which is a device where if you were to click the switch up the box would open and a arm would come up to close it. It would have many different interactions and would powered by an Arduino Uno. We decided to make it because I saw videos about it roaming around on Youtube and thought it would be a funny and fun project to work on.
Our steps to make it
-Figure out the dimensions of the box
-Model the prototype on fusion
-Print out/Laser cut prototype
-Arduino board(coding + wiring)
-Connect all the parts
-Fix minor problems
-Make final box
When we were figuring out the dimensions of the box we don’t know how big the switch was because I ordered it online and it didn’t arrive yet. So instead we just made a square hole for now because it was a prototype model. We made another hole for wire that gives power to Arduino board. The hole for switch was is 3cm to 5cm, because it was just a rough estimate. On the other hand we had the wire already so we can make the correct dimensions for it. The wire was 3cm x 3cm. When we measured our first box we made it 15cm by 10 cm by 8cm. The way we got these dimensions is by using my pencil case to estimate the length of the box. For the height and width we just estimated it. During this time i also ordered the servo motors needed for the project.
Reflection 2
This is my second progress report of my passion project. This reflection all about making the prototype model. We printed the carboard layers using the laser cutter. Taehyun made the model using Fusion 360. In this step Taehyun learned how to make a box with Fusion 360, and also started learning about making hinges on the side for the final product. During this step i was also watching and learning many things about the Arduino to learn how to code and understand it. At the same time i was looking at many tutorial videos on how to make a useless box but unfortunately none of them worked. In the prototype model we didn’t put anything in it yet because I didn’t start the wiring.
Reflection 3
This is my third progress report of my passion project. This step is all about starting to make out final product of the “Useless box”. The motors and switches arrived so we can accurately measure all the dimensions again. For the box Taehyun added the hinges to the sides of the box so they can connect together. It still needs glue but it does make it more stable and easier to connect. For the wiring and coding i didn’t really start yet because i didn’t know how to do the wiring. However i do know how to code. For now i was just scrolling through the internet about tutorials on “how to make a useless box” and hopefully one would come up with a wiring tutorial. I also made the Prototype for the arm.
– New model of the “Useless box”-
-Prototype model of the arm-
Reflection 4
his is my forth progress report of my passion project. This step is mostly about the coding progress. I found a code online about how to make a useless box with the coding and wiring included. the wiring was good because i had all the materials needed to make it. The one thing i didnt have however was a solder. Luckily my friend had one so i can use his. I put all the wiring and code on “Tinkercad” but realized the code was wrong. So i have to try to edit it so it works for the final product. I also made the final model of the arm for the box.
-Schematic diagram of the “Useless box”. -> made with Tinkercad-
-Final model of the arm-
-Finished Useless Box (Closed)-
-Finished Useless Box (Open)-
Reflection 5
This is my 5th and final reflection (maybe) for our “Useless Box” passion project. This part of the reflection is about fixing problems and connecting everything together to finish the project.
-wire everything into the box
-hot glue every thing into their designated spots (servo motors, box pieces, arm, teddy bear head, etc.)
-make and put stickers onto the box
-finish code
-add small details (example -> sign)
-finish poster
After we fixed all the problems and assembled everything we were officially done our passion project!!!!
After we finished our project we realized that it wasn’t a fun project to work on after all because it took a lot longer than it sounded like.
Final Reflections
How did your entire project go
When we first started the passion project I had high hopes that we would be able to finish our project in no time. However this wasn’t the case. The reason why i say this is because of the wiring and a little bit of the coding. Since this was basically the first time i used an Arduino and breadboard, which meant I didn’t have any knowledge about the wiring coding . I watched many videos online but still did not know how to do the wiring which caused me a lot of stress at the time. However I did learn how to code which made me happy (temporarily). Luckily I found a schematic diagram online which had the wiring included which made me happy again. Another thing that made me stressed was that I ordered 3 servo motors online but it took around 1/2 months for it to arrive which caused a massive delay. In the end it was very stressful and without the diagram I found online I would have been a dead man.
How was the event?
Before the STEAM fair started i was very nervous because i didn’t want to present Infront of people i didn’t know. However when more and more people come up i started to get used to it and actually enjoyed it a lot. When i was presenting to the people they frequently say the same comments like “its so cute” or “how long did it take for you to make it”. Overtime i just respond the same way without hesitation. However one of the worst questions they always ask was “did you decapitate the head”. Whenever they say this i didn’t know what the proper way to respond. Around 20 people asked that same question which was something i wasn’t expecting. In the end i enjoyed the experience of presenting and also saw many other cool projects which was cool.
What Would you do differently or keep?
One of the things i would do differently is to get my parts ahead of time. The reason why i say this is because the delay of the order costed me a lot of time to make even more interactions and ideas. Another thing i would do differently is to make the whole thing out of wood. The reason why i couldn’t do it is because the servo motor for the door wasn’t strong enough for it to to lift the amount of wood i would be using. Overall however i thought the final product was good because it was able to function.
I don't plan on working on it in the future since i borrowed most of the parts from school and I don't have much of a dedication to add more stuff. However if I were to add more I would…
-Make the entire box out of wood
-Use door hinges instead of tape
-Add more unique interactions
-Fix minor problems.
How was the process
Our planning for this project was not very good and could’ve definitely been improved. The reason why i say this is because i didn’t do enough research about coding or wiring before the passion project started and I didn’t order the parts on a better website or order even earlier so i can start working even faster. These issues costed me a lot of time but we still worked hard and worked on it almost everyday. Our hard work ended up paying off because we finished it in time.
How was your presentation?
The presentation went alright, mainly because many people were interested in the project and wanted to know what was so special about the box. Lots of people were interested in the title of our project (probably because it says useless). I was doing most of the talking while Taehyun would add on to what I say. The presentation went really well in my opinion.
Bonus question!!!