Hexapod (in development)
Hexapod is a six-legged walking robot whose purpose is to further my knowledge of the relationship of electronic components such as motors, microcontrollers, manufactured hardware, and computer programming. The current iteration of Hexapod features 18 servo motors, two motor controllers, one screw switch, and one ESP32 S2 Lily Go WOOR microcontroller. This has been my main independent design project, picking it up when time allows. The microcontroller needs replaced as the pins providing power to the servos is nonoperational. Once that is replaced, I will be able to use Arduino IDE to program this robot allowing me to further explore concepts such as Inverse Kinematics.
Project Prometheus
Project Prometheus was a project conducted through my experience in Engineering Design Studio IV: Product Design at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The opportunity was to develop a solution aid backpack campers in the process of building, maintaining, and containing their fires. This portable firepit collapses to fit in a backpack and can extend for use. This is a prototype, the actual device would use a material such as steel for a cooking surface, the darker grey section. The rest of the core structure would be made of titanium to withstand the heat while being rigid. A fiberglass material mixture would shroud roughly 2/3 of the sides to help protect the fire from wind and precipitation. The target group being backpackers, the device was engineered to be lightweight and easily portable.
Blink Dog
Blink Dog was a project conducted through my experience in Engineering Design Studio IV: Product Design at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Tasked to develop a remote to automate some process for a fictional character, I designed a wearable device allowing Will Byers from Stranger Things to control his teleportation. The device was designed with the intent to deliver a positive visceral reaction to Will, taking inspiration from the Nintendo NES with significant beauty grooves and lack of large curvature. The device can be operated simply by selecting the location he wishes to travel with the switch, pulling the black trigger away, causing the large teleportation button to raise, and pressing the large raised button.
The behavior of the remote was designed to help Will build confidence and feel empowered. The simple opperation allows for the user to easily use the device. The large button “pops” up with a spring to help encourage Will to feel great when hitting it to teleport. The project called for a deep user analysis which can be seen in various aspects of trying to make a device similar to those of the time period, the size, and even the name. Blink Dogs are creatures in Dungeons and Dragons, a game that Will loves, which teleport to avoid danger, just as this device enables Will to accomplish.
Designing a device to complement the emotional values and aspects of the user leads directly to a more successful product and pleased user. It is easy to begin designing a device for yourself, however it is important to always think of how you can better accommodate the user. This is why user testing is so critical in developing a successful product.