Final project
Final presentation slide
Final presentation video
Video - final project
This is the final presentation video. The music in the video is The wave song by BCD Studio CC.
Final presentation video
System integration
System integration
Read about the system integration in week 16.
What does it do?
The final project is a 3D printed whale model that hovers in mid air over a map that shows how Humpback whales can travel from Iceland to the Caribbean ocean. The map is made of rasterized and cut plexiglass and it is placed at the top of an enclosure (3D printed box). Under the plexiglass map there will be Neopixel LEDs that will light up one by one and show the path that the whale travels. In the enclosure there is a magnetic levitation module, generating a magnetic field that makes a magnetic float hover in the air. The whale model is placed on top of it with a socket.
I have worked as an art teacher in an elementary school for many years and I have also taught other subjects like nature science and math. As a part of the team of teachers in elementary schools in Iceland, we were often encouraged to work with STEM, which is an acronym and it combines the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. When the A is added to STEAM, Arts are included. Since I love working with Art and my impression is that when you combine Art with other subjects, it can spark interest and creativity with students and magic can happen.
This project can be used in STEM or STEAM education to spark students interest in many fields. By what I have experienced when teaching, just by catching the students attention with something that inspires them, it can create an interest in them that can make them want to learn and experiment. I think it can be used when teaching elementary students and even older students in highschool.
Ideas for STEM or STEAM
This project can be used as an introduction to lessons and the possibilites are so many. Here are a few examples that might be interesting to work with:
- Study how whales migrate and why they do it.
- Compare the migration routes of different whale species.
- Create an artwork featuring a whale while studying how Humpback whales can be identified by their different looking tails.
- Study and calculate distances travelled.
- Study and calculate travelling speed.
- Study what kind of technology is used to track whales/or other animals, for example with a tracking device.
- Study how GPS tracking devices are made.
- Study what whales feed on and compare what they can feed on near Iceland and in the Caribbean ocean.
- Study and create drawings that show food chains. Compare food chains between different whale species.
- Study sizes and the weight of whales. Compare sizes and weight between different whale species.
- Sculpt a whale and study how it moves.
- Study and compare the depth of the ocean at certain points.
- Compaire how deep a whale can dive and how deep a human being can go.
- Study what the maximum depth of the ocean is that humans have been able to study. What kind of technology have we been able to use to investigate the deep ocean? How much of the ocean is still unexplored?
- Study how Doppler radar (motion detection sensor) works.
- Study how a button, Doppler radar and/or Neopixels can be programmed.
- Study how a magnetic levitation module works.
- Study how you can design and produce different projects in Fab Lab.
Who's done what beforehand?
Magnetic levitation
Wim Lance did a final project with a magnetic levitation module called Cloudio and I think it is amazing. This project sparked the idea of my final project.
Magnetic levitation
Bambu Lab sells Magnetic levitation modules and they seem to be a better quality than the one that I bought. In this video the Magnetic levitation module is moved around and the Float does not fall down. I find it hard to balance my Float and it can easily fall down, which is a problem, so I would have liked this module better.
Bambu Lab shows different types of 3D models levitated with the Magnetic levitation module. One of them is a figure which sits on an enclosure around the Float that hovers in the air. In this enclosure there are holes for steel balls. These balls are used to adjust the balance of the model and I want to create something similar. The only thing I don't like about this enclosure is that you can see the Float. I want to hide my Float in my enclosure and I think it is enough for me to create holes for the steel balls around the float and not in the middle.
Magnetic levitation
April Johnsons worked with magnetic levitation in her final project when taking the "How to make [almost] anything" but she was not using a 3D model, only steel balls.
Magnetic levitation
Michele Serpico worked with magnetic levitation in the final project and made a levitating RGB lamp and clock. A cool project but nothing similar to what I was working with.
Magnetic levitation
I searched on YouTube for magnetic levitation and found many videos, so many people have tried different things with magnetic levitation. The only video I found with both magnetic levitation and a whale was this one by @craftsmm_official.
Magnetic levitation
When I used the word "Levitation" to do a Google search, I saw that many companies sell levitating objects. Amongst those are levitating flower pots, planets and more but when I searched for levitating whale, magnetic levitating whale and magnetic levitating whale model, nothing seemed to come up. See image below for example of search results when using the word "Levitation".
Whale model
Bartholomew Ting made a whale model in his final project. His whale was made out of cardboard, unlike mine which is modelled out of clay, 3D scanned and then 3D printed. I like his whale and how it moves.
Model of whale
Revisankar S works as a Coordinator at Super Fablab Kerala and he was involved in a project with a moving whale. The mobility in it is different from what I will do. There will not be any joints in my model but it will float in mid air. The model that Revisankar S and Super Fab Lab Kerala made is amazing. I think this whale model is absolutely beautiful.
Who is doing what simultaneously?
Model of whale
I just had to add a section about people who are working with something similar to what I am doing in Fab Academy 2025, because in recitation I saw another one who was also working with a whale model like me in their final project. Her project is quite different but still, her focus is on whales and I like what she is doing.
Model of whale
Evelyn Cuadrado is working on a crib mobile with a whale model for children and I like her idea.
Model of whale
Ashish Joy is working on a retro-futuristic levitating turntable that he will use to play music from Spotify. He is working with levitation like me. This is a very interesting design with levitation.
What did you design?
Model of whale
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The whale model and a socket on top of the magnetic float.
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The enclosure/base.
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The plexiglass map.
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The plexiglass plate and the PCB with Neopixel LEDs.
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The PCB with the embedded Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller.
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The PCB with the button.
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The silicone button.
What sources did you use?
Sources for whale images
When designing the whale in Blender in week 02, I have been using three images as a reference:
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This image from ABC News supplied by ORRCA member, Wayne Reynolds.
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This image taken by photographer David Edgar and appeared on his Instagram account.
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This image taken by photographer David Edgar and appeared at Daily Mail.
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This image by Jón Baldur Hlíðberg. He is an amazing icelandic artist who has done many artworks from icelandic nature, both animals and plants. I searched for his phone number, contacted him and asked if I was allowed to use his artwork as a reference and he approved.
When I modeled the mini whale out of clay in week 05 I did a Google image search and used the overall results with many images when I modelled the whale. Here is a link to the Google search results.
Other sources
- Tracking map for whales - website
- Humpback whales research - NAMMCO
- Information on 5V, 3A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V30F5
- How I Designed A Simple Threaded Container With Autodesk Fusion 360 and How To Create Threads in Autodesk Fusion - 2024 Update - This design did not work but it was a part of the process.
- Map used on plexiglass
- Adafruit
- Images imported into Kicad
- Vinyl cutting settings
- Offset and speed in Roland GX-24
- Gerber2PNG
- Coding a button
- Button and Raspberry Pi Pico
- Commands
- Micropython - Adafruit
- Power for the Raspberry Pi Pico - Guide to using VBUS, VSYS and 3V3 for external power circuits
- Video of a great white shark
- About Blender
I used everything I have learned in Fab Academy to create my final project. I also used my instructors, other instructors in Fab Lab Ísland and my fellow students in Fab Academy in Iceland as a source. Everything I did is documented with information about sources.
What materials and components were used?
The enclosure
- Magnetic levitation module
- Power outlet adapter
- 5V, 3A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator
- PLA Greentech pro
- Plexiglass (upper plate)
- Heat inserts
- M3 Screws and bolts
The PCB with Neopixels
- Black plexiglass
- PCB board
- Neopixels
- Resistor
- Capacitors
- Wires
The plexiglass map
- Blue plexiglass
The PCB with microcontroller:
- Raspberry Pi Pico W
- PCB board
- Pin header male_01x03 P2.54 horizontal SMD x2
- Pin header male_01x02 P2.54 horizontal SMD
The PCB with Doppler radar
- Doppler radar
- PCB board
- Pin header male_01x03 P2.54 horizontal SMD
- M1 bolts and screws
The whale model and the socket on top of the float
- The float
- PLA
- Acrylic paint
The silicone button
- Tooling board
- Zhermack HT 33 Transparent silicone
Where did they come from?
The enclosure/base
- Magnetic levitation module: Amazon
- Power outlet adapter: Verslunin Pan (a local store in Neskaupstaður, Iceland)
- 5V, 3A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator: Pololu
- PLA Greentech pro: 3D verk (a store in Iceland)
- Plexiglass/upper plate: Signa (a store in Iceland)
- Heat inserts: Ali Express
- M3 Screws and bolts: Ali Express
The PCB with Neopixels
- Plexiglass: Signa (a store in Iceland)
- PCB board: In stock (Bought many years ago but was most likely bought from Digikey)
- Neopixels: Adafruit
- Resistor: In stock (Bought many years ago but was most likely bought from Digikey)
- Capacitors: (Bought many years ago but was most likely bought from Digikey)
The PCB with microcontroller:
- Raspberry Pi Pico W: Digikey
- PCB board: In stock (Bought many years ago but was most likely bought from Digikey)
- Pin header male_01x03 P2.54 horizontal SMD x2: Digikey
- Pin header male_01x02 P2.54 horizontal SMD: Digikey
The PCB with Doppler radar
- Doppler radar: Digikey
- PCB board: In stock (Bought many years ago but was most likely bought from Digikey)
- Pin header male_01x03 P2.54 horizontal SMD: Digikey
- M1 bolts and screws: Ali Express
The whale model and the socket on top of the float
- The float that came with the magnetic levitation module: Amazon
- PLA Greentech pro: 3D verk (a store in Iceland)
The silicone button
- Renshape tooling board:
- Zhermack HT 33 Transparent silicone: Kísill (a store in Iceland)
How much did they cost?
What parts and systems were made?
Model of whale
I made the following:
- The enclosure/base
- The plexiglass map that is placed on top of the enclosure
- The whale model and the socket on top of the magnetic float
- The plexiglass plate and the PCB with the Neopixels
- The PCB with the embedded microcontroller (Raspberry Pi Pico W)
- The PCB with the SMD push button
- The silicone button
What processes were used?
Processes
This is a summary of the main processes that were used:
- 3D design in Fusion and 3D printing in Bambu Lab X1 Carbon.
- 3D design in Fusion, 2D design in Inkscape, cut out and rasterized in Epilog mini 24.
- 3D design in Fusion, 2D design in Inkscape, electric design in Kicad, 2D design in Inkscape, cut out in Epilog mini 24.
- Sculpting out of clay, 3D scanning with Kiri engine app, cropping the model in Kiri Engine app, adding to model in Fusion and designing enclosure, 3D printing in Bambu Lab X1 Carbon.
- PCB design in Kicad, milling and cutting in Roland SRM-20 and soldering with soldering iron.
- A mould 3D designed in Fusion, prepaired for milling in VCarve, model milled out of Renshape tooling board in the Shopbot PRS-alpha, a button casted out of silicone.
- Stickers on backside of PCBs designed in Inkscape, printed and cut in Roland VersaSTUDIO BN-20A
- Canva was used to design final presentation slide and parts of final presentation video.
- CapCut was used as a video editor to make the final presentation video.
- FFmpeg was used to compress final presentation slide and video.
- Thonny was used for programming.
Machines used
- Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
- Epilog mini 24 laser
- Roland MonoFab SRM-20
- ShopBot PRS-alpha
- Roland VersaSTUDIO BN-20A
Programs used
- Autodesk Fusion
- Inkscape
- Kicad
- Kiri Engine scanning app
- VCarve
- Canva
- CapCut
- FFmpeg
- Thonny
Processes in more detail
The enclosure/base
I designed the enclosure in Fusion and 3D printed it in a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon printer. I used the heat tolerant GreenTech pro PLA from Extrudr.
The plexiglass map
I designed the outline of the plexiglass map in Fusion, exported it as .dxf and imported the file into Inkscape. Then I designed the map in Inkscape. The map was rasterized and the outlines cut in the Epilog Mini 24 laser.
The plexiglass plate under the PCB with Neopixels
I used the design for the plexiglass map that I mentioned before. Then I exported it from Inkscape as .dxf. Then I imported the .dxf file as graphics into Kicad, where it was used as a reference when placing the Neopixels at the right places. The design was exported (plotted) from Kicad as a .svg file. The .svg file was imported into Inkscape and I used the outline and holes so that the PCB with Neopixels could be fastened on top of the plexiglass. When the design was ready in Inkscape it was exported as .pdf. Finally, the design was cut in Epilog Mini 24 laser.
The whale model
I sculpted the whale out of clay and scanned it with the Kiri Engine 3D scanning app. I cropped it in the Kiri Engine app and exported it as .obj model. Then I imported the .stl model into Bambu Studio and fix ed holes. Then I imported it into Fusion and added a cylinder that extrudes from the bottom. Then I designed a socket on top the magnetic float and the whale model fits on top of it. The model was 3D printed in Bambu Lab X1 Carbon using the heat tolerant GreenTech pro PLA from Extrudr.
The silicone button
The mould for the silicone button was designed in Fusion, prepaired for milling in VCarve, milled out of Renshape Tooling board in the Shopbot PRS-alpha. Then the button was cast with Zhermack HT 33 Transparent silicone.
The PCBs
The PCB with the embedded microcontroller (Raspberry Pi Pico W), the PCB with the Neopixels and the PCB with the SMD push button were designed in Kicad, milled in the Roland SRM-20 and soldered with a soldering iron.
Stickers on the backside of the PCBs
I made small stickers in the Roland VersaSTUDIO BN-20A and added them to the backside of the PCBs. I did this so that I would see easily which pin is which. See details of the process in
Compressing photos and videos
I used FFmpeg to compress videos and photos. I learned how to do this in week 1.
What questions were answered?
Can the project be useful in STEM or STEAM education?
Now that the project is ready I feel as if the project can be useful in STEM and STEAM education. I think that many students will be fascinated by the levitation. I also think that the Doppler radar, that can sense movement, will catch many students attention. I think that many kids are curious about whales and that all these things will get students to be curious, wanting to know more. So, yes, I really think that this project can be useful in STEM or STEAM education.
Will viewers visualize the whale travelling in the ocean between Iceland and the Caribbean ocean?
I think I can answer that question with a yes. At least I feel that when I see the Neopixels light up under the plexiglass map, it looks as if the light is deep in the ocean, indicating the Humpback whale.
What worked? What didn't?
What worked and what didn't?
The whale model levitates above the plexiglass map and it works well.
The enclosure that I designed around the magnetic float does not work. The distance between the magnetic levitating module and the float is short and there isn't enough space. I tried to make it thinner but it still just stands on the plexiglass and does not hover in the air. I was also trying to add a thread to it, so that the upper half would fit with the lower half like a lid on a jar, but that did not go well. I ended up by designing a socket that sits on top of the float and it works perfectly.
The enclosure/base works mostly well but in future spirals I would like to make it better. I am not used to heat inserts and they did not all end up being straight and for that reason it was a problem getting screws all the way in. They went partly in but that is not good enough. I forgot to add stops in some places around the PCBs, so I have to add these stops so that they cannot move. Maybe I have to design everything from the beginning and find a completely new way to fasten everything in the enclosure.
I would like to add something around the wires from the magnetic levitatin module. I would also want to add something to keep the wires connected to the Neopixel PCB secure.
When I designed the Enclosure/base I thought more about what I wanted to design than the Design rules by @BillieRubenMake week 5. I just laid my trust on the supports that were generated in the Bambu Studio. The results were not always perfect, edges and holes were a bit uneven and in some places there were strings. So, I should pay more attention to the design rules.
I think that the overall project looks good. When the Neopixels light up under the plexiglass map, it looks as if they are a light deep in the ocean, indicating the whale moving. I am very happy with that. The small, blue, transparent window in front of the Doppler radar is cool and the Doppler radar works fine. The small smd mounted button and the silicone button function well but I would like the silicone button to be bigger; extrude further. That would look better.
My original idea was to program the button so that it would activate the Doppler radar and then the Doppler radar would activate the Neopixels. I had problems with writing the code and had to ask for help. I told him that it would not matter whether the button would activate the Doppler radar or if the button and the Doppler radar would both function equally as input. Árni Björnsson helped me and found out that I could make them both function as input. I am just as happy with that. This means that the idea of the system diagram changed from the image below and to the final one is in the second image below.
How was it evaluated?
Evaluation
This project can be useful in STEM/STEAM education where you want students to be curious, engaged and creative. It gives a visual representation of how whales can migrate. All parts of the project function well together and the whale model hovers in mid air.
The system integration was designed with care and most of it worked well. Some parts need further development but those issues, mentioned in "What worked and what didn't", should be possible to solve.
The project includes 2D and 3D design with additive and subtractive processes. It includes electronics design and production with an embedded microcontroller design, interfacing and programming.
What are the implications?
Implications
This project can spark students in many areas in STEM/STEAM education. Students can interact with the project and that can make them more engaged in the learning experience. The neopixel lighting under the plexiglass map, with the levitating model, give a visual experience that can captivate students attention.
The project evolves around Humpback whales but it could grow by adding models of other animals with PCBs tracking their migrating routes.
This approach to learning can be used in STEM/STEAM education. The project could also be exhibited at events that evolve around animals, nature, technology or science.
Licencing
Licence
See week 19 to read about how I chose my licence. I would like my work to be open source, so that I can contribute to the open source community, but I would also want to be acknowledged if my work is used.
I chose to use the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence, which is described here. This is a screenshot of what this licence requires:
Images of the final project
Videos of the final project
Button as input
Assembling Inner Walls
Blinking On PCB
Blinking On Map
Spiral development
Design spirals
I have been thinking about spiral development since Miriam Choi explained it in the student bootcamp. I like how Rico Kanthatham explaines spiral development in this image:
Spirals of the final project
I describe every step on the way here and how I evaluated the outcome after the first spiral here.
The second spiral then began here and ends with the final project as I present it.
The final project is not perfect and there are many things that I need to find better solutions to, as I describe here in What worked and what didn't. Maybe I would change the design completely in future spirals.
I would also like to be able to create models of other animals and be able to switch them. It is easy to take a model out of the socket and add a new one. The Neopixels are a bit more complicated. I could design and produce a new PCB. It is fastened to the plexiglass plate with screws so it is also easy to change, but I would have to find a better way to keep the wires tightly fastened, so that they won't weaken.
When I presented my final project, Neil Gershenfeld asked me if I could control the directions of the model's movement and mentioned the possibility of doing that. I find it very interesting and maybe I will get a chance to work with that. It would be fun to develop the final project further in future spirals.
Acnowledgements
Thanks to...
First of all, I would like to thank Neil Gershenfeld and Fab Academy. I have learned incredibly much and I am so pleased that I got a chance to participate in Fab Academy.
A million thanks to my instructors, Svavar Konráðsson and Þórarinn Bjartur Breiðfjörð at Fab Lab Ísafjörður and to my global evaluator, Pradnya P Shindekar.
I would also like to thank Árni Björnssonand Jón Þór at Fab Lab Akureyri and Andri Sæmundsson at Fab Lab Reykjavík. They have helped me a lot when I ran into problems.
I would also like to thank my fellow students in Fab Academy. Thank you Jóhannes Andrésson for all your help with Fusion. Thank you Magnús Pétursson for assistance with programs. Thank you Anna Reneau for your assistance in wildcard week. Thank you Bjartur Leó Hlynsson for saving my computer when I thought it had crashed!
I think that one of the important learnings from the Fab Academy journey is how important collaboration is. I am so thankful for all the assistance that I got from others and I encourage every student in Fab Academy to be ready to help each other. The Fab Lab network evolves around cooperation, sharing ideas, projects and solutions to problems.
During Fab Academy you barely have enough time to dive into everything you find interesting in the weekly assignments, so now that Fab Academy is over, there are so many things that I would like to explore more. Thank you again for everything Neil Gershenfeld and Fab Academy!
Files
File for tracking of whales
File for webpage with the tracking of whales
This webpage with information about the tracking of different species of whales comes from the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commision.
Whale model
File for whale model that was exported from Kiri Engine app
This model was exported from Kiri Engine. You can see where it was cropped. Later the cylinder was added - see models further below.
File for whale model - before it was repaired in Bambu Studio
This model was exported from the Kiri Engine 3D scanning app after cropping the chair from the model. Then the model was imported into Fusion but it needed repairing because of non-manifolding edges. This repair was done later in Bambu Studio.
Enclosure/base
Enclosure for float - did not work
This .f3z Fusion file includes the final enclosure, the inner walls, the final whale model and the socket. It also includes the support poles for the heat inserts. It shows all changes from the first spiral.
Enclosure for float - did not work
This file has the poles for the heat inserts, used to keep the magnetic levitation module in its place.
Inner walls
This is a file that shows only the inner walls, but you can also see the walls in the enclosure file here above.
Enclosure for float
Enclosure for float - did not work
These three files show three attempts at designing an enclosure around the magnetic float. None of them worked. They were too big and the float did not float. There were also mistakes in making the thread.
Enclosure for float/first attempt - .f3z
Enclosure for float - changed to a socket, only upper half
This is the socket I used to place the whale model on top of the magnetic float. I only used the upper half and deleted the lower half when I opened the file in Bambu Studio.
Plexiglass map
Files used to create the plexiglass map and also in Kicad design
Files used to create the upper plexiglass. Outline of plexiglasses was exported as .dxf file and imported into Inkscape. After adding the map to the outlines of both upper and lower plexiglass in Inkscape, it was exported as a .dxf. Then it was imported into Kicad to use as a reference.
Outline of plexiglass exported from Fusion - .dxf
Upper plexiglass with map - .dxf
Lower plexiglass for PCB with Neopixels - .svg
Lower plexiglass for PCB with Neopixels - .pdf
Plexiglass window for Doppler radar
Window
This is the design for the small, blue plexiglass window that was press-fitted in front of the Doppler radar.
Electronics files
PCB with Raspberry Pi Pico W - first attempt (mistake)
PCB for RPPW - failure
These are the files for the PCB with the RPPW. They were a failure because I turned the pins the wrong way.
PCB with Raspberry Pi Pico W - second attempt (final)
Kicad files, step and .png
Here are the Kicad files and .png for the PCB with the microcontroller. The step file was exported from Kicad and used as a component in Fusion design.
Second PCB with RPPW - .gbrjob
Second PCB with RPPW Edge_Cuts - .gbr
Second PCB with RPPW F_Cu - .gbr
PCB with button
Files for smd button
Here are the Kicad files and .png for the PCB with the smd button. The step file was exported from Kicad and used as a component in Fusion design.
Files for PCB with Neopixels
Files for PCB with Neopixels
Here are the Kicad files and .png for the PCB with Neopixels. My first attempt was to create traces that were supposed to be cut out of copper foil, but that did not work. Then I used the same schematic design to create a PCB plate.
Traces for vinylcutting copper foil- .pdf
Traces for vinylcutting copper foil-.svg
Traces for Neopixel PCB - .pcb
Traces for Neopixel PCB - .prl
Traces for Neopixel PCB - .pro
Traces for Neopixel PCB with too big holes - .png
No electronics, only a PCB plate for Doppler radar
Files for Doppler radar
I only needed outline and holes for screws to fasten the Doppler radar. Here are the Kicad files, the .png and a step file that I used as a component in the Fusion design.
Code files
Thonny files with codes
Here below is a Thonny file with the final code. Below it are two Thonny files; one of them worked only for the Doppler radar but not the button and it was the other way around in the file at the bottom.