Featured School Projects/ Internships
Surround Strap Senior Design Project 2021-2022
As my final capstone project for my undergrad, I worked in a team of six developing the Surround Strap. This belt-like device was designed to help deaf/ low-hearing gamers experience and video games to their fullest. It used machine learning to memorize and recreate in-game audio files, and then generate vibratory haptic feedback on the users body using six motors placed around the strap. These motors utilized pulse-width modulation to produce these vibrations on the belt in a location that roughly corresponded to the same direction that the sound was coming from in the game.
Duolingo App Redesign Project Spring 2022
Another fun project I worked on was the Duolingo redesign project in the spring of 2022. I wanted to feature this project here because while it does not contain much hard manufacturing or other engineering concepts, it challenged me in different ways related to engineering. I worked in a team of three in identifying a product, or "artifact", that was not fully inclusive in its design. Our team analyzed this app for ways to make it more accessible to various users. From there, we conducted research and interviews on the app's benefits and drawbacks, brainstormed hypothetical features to make it more inclusive, and presented our findings in a final showcase event.
"What's In the Box?!?" Illuminance Project Fall 2021
This group project was my final assignment for my Data Analysis and Visualization class in Fall 2021. I wanted to feature this project because not only did I find very fun and challenging, but it also taught me the importance of communication through data visualization. This project consisted of testing the level of illuminance (lux) for two different light sources (halogen and LED) reflected off of three different surfaces (aluminum, steel, and pine wood) using a light meter, thermistor, and a black box. Using the measured temperature change identified by the thermistor, and a series of heat transfer equations, our team was able to calculate the lux from each light source for the three different materials.
Internship at GTSP Summer 2021
This is Tracy, a completely autonomous air filtering robot designed and programmed to combat COVID-19, and the robot I worked on during my internship at Global Technology Specialist Partners (GTSP). Her design implements fans all around her to bring air into a series of ultraviolet lights, which neutralizes any harmful air particles. I collaborated with other interns, and iterated on the design by brainstorming and generating CAD models to improve her stability and efficiency. I then exported the designs from SolidWorks to URDF, and employed Ubuntu and Docker repositories to test the files in Gazebo Simulator under the Robot Operating Systems (ROS) middleware. Then, I tested the properties behind the potential designs to determine if they were functional and applicable.
Circuits/ Oscilloscope Project Fall 2020
This project was the final project for my Circuits & Electronics lab class in Fall 2020. Completing it involved constructing an infrared emitter and detector circuit on a breadboard using an infrared (IR) emitter, phototransistor, and three light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This meant building and joining several comparator and voltage divider circuits, then testing them using the WaveForms Oscilloscope software on an Analog Discovery 2 DAQ device. With the correct waveform, the oscilloscope could detect IR signals, and output them as disturbances in the waveform.
CAD Key Fob Project Fall 2019
My Fall 2019 semester was perhaps the most challenging semester of my engineering undergrad (including my time in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic). Though challenging, I am grateful for one thing: my sharpened skills in CAD and design drawings. I learned how to utilize the different features to construct assembly models of real world objects, such as vehicle engines, wheels, and even the model key fob shown on the right. What's more, I learned how to generate proper CAD drawings through GD&T, and display a bill of materials (BOM).
Aerotek for Medtronic Internship Summer 2019
During this internship, I was responsible for assembling surgical pencils on a production line, and performing control verifications for them along with other medical devices to ensure their quality was up to spec. This role demanded strict 12-hr shifts, and high precision during the manufacturing process. As a bonus, interns were given DMAIC (Design, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) training, and tasked to utilize our new skills to identify potential inefficiencies within the production line. At the end of the internship, all groups presented their findings to Medtronic executives and supervisors.
"Mirror Mirror" Smart Mirror Project Fall 2018
This group project was our final assignment in my undergrad projects class. As a team, we wanted to build something unique that featured multiple engineering concepts, but was also feasible to complete within our allotted time. We decided to go with building a smart mirror. This device acted like a normal mirror, but could also display other information like the time, date, weather, and local bus routes by using a Raspberry Pi DAQ device and OpenCV4 Python libraries. We also employed a proximity sensor and facial recognition so that the mirror could turn on when a recognized user approached it.
Engineering Internship at Spectroglyph Summer 2018
During this internship, I worked at a startup company known as Spectroglyph in Kennewick, Washington. I assisted in the manufacturing of mass spectrometers by soldering 1" and 2" ion funnels, and assembling multiple different kinds of cables- including laser fan cables, high-pass and low-pass filter cables, thermocouples, and contact closure cables. Strain gauges and multimeters were used to check durability and current continuity. This internship helped introduce me to the diverse manufacturing methods that mechanical engineers must be familiar with.