20. Project development¶
Goal(s):
what tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain? what has worked? what hasn’t? what questions need to be resolved? what will happen when? what have you learned?
Outcome¶
Tasks Completed?¶
As far as the project is concerned, the primary goal of achieving freezing using Peltier modules has been achieved without the necessity of a freezer. The freezing of plain water with no added salts and the freezing of salt water with 2% salt have bothe been achieved.
Tasks Remaining?¶
The remaining sub-systems for the machine including mold prepapration, automated filling and control of the sus-systems is pending. As thi is a project that is larger than my capapbility to complete alone, I will be partnering with funding partners, automation partners and other stakeholfders in order to bring this as a viable solution to the problem of single-use plastic
What Has worked?¶
The following modules have worked without error
project management computer-aided design computer-controlled cutting 3D scanning and printing computer-controlled machining molding and casting applications and implications wildcard week invention, intellectual property, and income
What Has not?¶
The following assignments presented varying degrees of error and I am looking to resolve these in the coming months as I upgrade my knowledge of machines, electronics and workflows
electronics production electronics design embedded programming input devices output devices networking and communications interface and application programming machine design mechanical design
Questions to be resolved?¶
- Is the process to make the machine worth making open source?
- Is there a viable market for such a product beyond events and public gatherings?
- Will this machine require food safety licenses and will they they be received in time for events?
- Will there be copy-cat machines produced after this project is launched
Upcoming Tasks?¶
- There are pending issues in the electroincs development that have yet to be resolved to satisfaction
Time Management Methods¶
As outline in the original talks and and recitations by Neil, the concept of Spiral Development stuck with me and it really works as a great time management technique.
With Spiral development as a Time Management process, the immediate goal is always to figure out the best way to achieve the simplest and most fundamental goals first and then keep adding spirals to the process after reviewing progress and planning for the next phases.
Since my project is expected to be a complex one, I understand the limitation of working as a single student and while this experience hase been extremely grueling as the only studnet in a first time Fablab, it has also been illuminating from the point-of-view of how the course can be made better with time and for all types of students (Espcially noobs like myslef with little experience in Machine design or Electronics production)
Learning¶
Fortunately, the learning has been the greatest experience of Fab Academy at the moment primarily for the simplest reason of learning about all the open-source tools and community that is distributed around the world in order to achieve similar goals in democratising technology.
The best learning for a first time student of Fab Academy in the First Fab Lab in Bangalore working with multiple constraints both against time and resources ahs awakened a new respect for Fabrication specialist who already work in this area but without the benefitof a community to support their work.
The most important learnings in this coure practice have been the very first principles discussed at the beginning of the course.
- Time Managament
- Documentation
- Completing projects on time