Week 1

Principles ​and Practices, Project Management

My Passion for Innovation and MIT

From a young age, I have been deeply passionate about inventing and creating products. I have always explored new technologies and developed various projects, even without formal training or certification. MIT has always been an inspiring institution for me because of its immense contributions to the world. I actively follow MIT updates on LinkedIn, and when I discovered FABLAB, it completely fascinated me.

Enrolling in the 20-week FABLAB program has been a transformative experience. It has shaped my vision and provided me with a structured approach to project development. One of the biggest challenges I faced was documentation. Initially, I struggled with maintaining records of my work, which led to inefficiencies in my product development process. However, through this program, I have realized the importance of systematic documentation and have actively incorporated this habit into my workflow.

Documentation

The first week's assignment was to create a personal website to showcase our profile, weekly assignments, and final project. Before joining the FABLAB program, I had been using two tools for documenting my progress:

Notion

  • A versatile workspace for organizing notes, managing projects, and collaborating in real time. It provides a seamless way to structure thoughts and integrate multimedia elements.

Obsidian

  • A powerful markdown-based note-taking tool designed for knowledge management. It enables users to create interlinked notes, making it easier to build a structured knowledge base.
Sample
Sample

Final Project

For my final project, I have chosen an onion storage monitoring device. This project is particularly close to my heart because, during my college days, I was passionate about solving problems related to agricultural losses. Onions alone account for more than ₹1,000 crore in post-harvest losses due to inadequate storage systems. My goal is to develop a solution that minimizes these losses and benefits farmers. Final Project

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My Website Development Approach

To build my website efficiently, I used a pre-designed template and customized it to fit my needs. This approach saved time and allowed me to focus on structuring my content rather than designing from scratch. I modified the layout, color schemes, and sections to make it a unique representation of my work. The website includes:

  • Homepage: Introduction about myself and my journey with FABLAB.
  • Assignments Page: A weekly documentation of my progress.
  • Final Project Page: Details about my onion storage monitoring device.
    •  I linked my Reference Site Sample

    Verion Control

    What is Version Control? Version control is a system that helps track changes in files over time, allowing multiple people to collaborate efficiently on a project. It ensures that all modifications are recorded, enabling users to revert to previous versions if necessary. Key benefits of version control include:

  • History Tracking: Keeps a record of all changes, making it easy to roll back to earlier versions.
  • Collaboration: Enables multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously without conflicts.
  • Backup: Provides a secure backup of files, reducing the risk of data loss.
  • Branching: Allows users to create separate branches for different features, facilitating parallel development.
  • Merging: Combines changes from different branches, ensuring a smooth integration of features.
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    Install GIT

    Learning Git and GitHub

    Git is a version control system that helps track changes in files, collaborate with teams, and maintain project versions efficiently.

  • Visit Offical Site and download the appropriate version for your operating system.
  • Follow the installation instructions and complete the setup.
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    Configure Git

    Open a terminal and set your name and email: 

                      git config --global user.name "Your Name"
                  git config --global user.email "your-email@example.com"
                

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    Sample

    Generate and Add SSH Key

    Run the following command to generate an SSH key:

                      ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your-email@example.com"
                

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    Installing and Using GitHub Desktop

    GitHub Desktop is a graphical interface that simplifies the use of Git without requiring terminal commands.

    Download and Install

  • Download the GITHUB Desktop and install
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    Connect GitHub Account

  • Open GitHub Desktop and sign in using your GitHub account.
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    Clone a Repository

  • Click Clone a repository from the Internet
  • Enter your repository URL or select a repository from Gitlab Student account.
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    Commit and Push Changes

  • Make changes to your files and commit them using GitHub Desktop.
  • Push the changes to your repository to update the files on GitHub.
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    Installing and Setting Up VS Code

    Download and Install

  • Download Visual Studio Code and install
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    Clone Repository Using HTTPS URL

  • Open Visual Studio Code and type the code in the Terminal .
  • Click on the Clone Repository option and enter the HTTPS URL of your repository.
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    Sample

    Commit and Push Changes

  • Make changes to your files and commit them using Visual Studio Code.
  • Push the changes to your repository to update the files on GitHub.
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    Student Arrangement

    The Fab Academy is responsible for

  • Teaching principles and practices of digital fabrication
  • Arranging lectures, recitations, meetings, and events for the class
  • Evaluating and providing feedback on student work
  • Offering clear standards for completing assignments
  • Certifying and archiving student progress
  • Supervising class preparation
  • Reviewing prospective students, instructors, and labs
  • Providing central staff and infrastructure for students, instructors, and labs
  • Fund-raising for costs not covered by student tuition
  • Managing and reporting on the program's finances, results, and impacts
  • Publicizing the program
  • Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination
  • Encouraging a diverse, accessible, and equitable community
    •

    I am a Fab Academy student, responsible for:

    1. Attending class lectures and participating in reviews
    2. Developing and documenting projects assigned to introduce and demonstrate skills
    3. Allowing the Fab Academy to share my work (with attribution) in the class for purposes compatible with its mission
    4. Honestly reporting on my work, and appropriately attributing the work of others (both human and machine)
    5. Working safely
    6. Leaving workspaces in the same (or better) condition than I found them
    7. Participating in the upkeep of my lab
    8. Ensuring that my tuition for local and central class costs is covered
    9. Following locally applicable health and safety guidance
    10. Recognizing limits on lab and staff time
    11. Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination

    Signed by committing this file in my repository, 

    Hariharan M
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