This week we need to answer a list of questions regarding our final project development. This set of questions would be even more interesting if they were to be answered after the final is done.

To Do

  1. Answer the given list of questions

The "Doing"

Questions

  1. what is the deadline? How much time do I have left?

    2. Today is 6th of June and my presentation is on 20th of June. So I have 2 weeks to go. I have to say there are still many things to do. And I was very optimistic with my planning on assignment 18. But that is how we should face life, with optimism, isn't it?



  2. what tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?

    3. Almost all the electronics are done. Most of the code is done also. The frame is ready, but I need to make the hinges and cut the doors. Main thing left is the pieces of clothes and adding electronics to them. Then, of course, integration.



  3. how will I complete the remaining tasks in time?

    4. I have split the big tasks into smaller ones. Smaller milestones. My plan is to go systematically through them, not jumping from one to another. But still, I have a background task, that is the clothes making.
    As I've learnt (maybe), anything can go wrong and take longer than expected. Therefore I will first focus in completing the different parts of the structure to be sure they work mechanically as I expect.
    It is important to follow the plan and try not to be tempted of changing it (unless it is not working at all). I will, in any case, continue testing everything on each step, so the integration will be, hopefully, smoother.



  4. what has worked?

    5. Neopixels in attiny44!! I managed to program the neopixels in C in Atmel Studio, with a pure C library. This way I reduced a lot the size of the generated code as no libraries for arduino needed. Therefore, there was more than enough space for the code in the ATtyni44A



  5. what hasn't?

    6. My problem is mainly time management and risk management. The boards I had to mill took much longer than expected because of several small but time consuming problems. So I knew the process, but still, I had to repeat the process several times. Then, soldering the neopixels also took longer than expected.



  6. what questions still need to be resolved?

    7. At this point, the only open question, because I have not done that before, is how to attach the neopixels I have to the fabric. I have an idea on how to solder the neopixels to the thread. And I hope it will work fine. Apart from that, I'm confident the rest of the structure will fit fine.



  7. what have you learned?

    8. I have learnt I have still to learn about time management. Risk management, mainly. And I should know about this already: what can go wrong, would probably go wrong. It is even more important when you do not have that much free time. Management

    At Fab Lab with my kids (by Kati )
    I have learnt that applying what I already know from coding (that is that modularity is almost always a good choice) to the digital making of something, is also a good idea.