Exercise 18. Final Project Development

Assignment: Project Development

• Complete your final project. Track and document your progress.

Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate project plan
• Apply time management techniques
• Summarize and communicate the essence of a project

Evidence

• Clarify deadline and how much time you have left
• Identify what tasks have been completed and what tasks remain
• Document what has worked
• Document what hasn't worked
• Identify what questions still need to be resolved
• Describe what you have learned

Answers and Process

Deadlines

The deadline for weekly assignment completion and documentation is June 11, 2018. I have completed all weekly assignments but I still have documentation to catch up on. For my final project I plan on being much better about documenting as I work rather than waiting until I get to some end-point.

The deadline for my final project is June 20th, when I will present my physical project, slide, and video in class. I still have much of my final project to do. Currently, I have a designed a modified Barduino (Imliduino!) with the color sensor on it. I have milled and stuffed it. I will use the Barduino I milled/stuffed for Networking to receive code from the Imliduino to control the DotStar LED strip. I also have already designed the crankie box that I will machine on the ShopBot

Remaining Tasks (Running log)

My project is now divided into five distinct but interrelated areas:

1. Programming
2. Machining
3. Laser-Cutting
4. Integration
5. Documentation

Since programming is my weakest skill of I will invest a great deal of time on this, seek assistance where I can, and document as I go. Machining and laser-cutting must happen at Dassault so it is likely that my workload will be split into separate day and evening tasks.

Programming

• Basic program for DotStar
• Write code for sensing colors on the Imliduino
• Write code for receiving color data on the Barduino

Machining

• Cut crankie box and scroll pieces
• Rough assemble and testing

Laser-cutting

• Design three puppet examples
• Laser-cut puppets

Integration

• Design and hand-cut three scene examples
• Print colored sticker strips and affix to scenery
• Mount boards and DotStar strip to crankie box
• Ensure everything works as an entire system

Documentation

• Make the video presentation and add to root folder
• Make the slide and add to root folder
• Finalize project documentation

Process (Further documentation)

Successes
I found a box generator that I was able to use for my crankie box design and successfully modified and translated sketches of crankie designs I'd found online to a 3d design in Fusion 360.

I've tested a commercial board with the same color sensor as the one I put on the Imliduino and calibrated it to detect different colors.

I will be using the same serial bus setup that I'd successfully used for networking to communicate between the two boards.

Failures
The biggest failing point at this stage is that I'm still wrapping up documentation from earlier exercises which means I have less time to dedicate to my final project.

Questions to be Resolved

• How will I get the color sensor to work when there is background light from the bulb and DotStar potentially interfering?
• Will the puppets be visible with light from the bulb and the DotStar? At what distance do they and the bulb need to be to project a shadow onto the scroll?
• What will my concept story be? I'd like to use a traditional Marshallese folktale, likely the story of the first sail, but have not decided how to break this down into scenes or puppets.
• I need to ensure that my code allows enough time for the colors to be registered as I turn the scroll and communicated to the 2nd board.

Things Learned
I have a lot of work to do but I've already learned a great deal about project management- budgeting more time than I think I will need, document along the way, break up larger tasks into smaller ones, and build from simpler tasks to more complex ones.