Final Project

As mentioned in Week 01 assignment, I am planning to make a musical box featuring photo-screening function through a projector.
It is a stuff that I have planned long time ago, since way before I joined Singapore Polytechnic FabLab team. Personally, I like both music and drawing. Hence, I am thinking of design a personalized music box that allows me to screen through all my drawings since young age.
When started to learn all the theory behind to make my dream comes through, it’s getting harder for me to achieve because of:
1) I am not good in Electrical and Electronic Engineering; therefore, all those components and connections are tough for me to start up.
2) I am not sure what are the recommended components to be equipped with my design.
It is a pleasure that I have this opportunity to be part of the FabLab team and learn all the possible skills and knowledge to be able to “Make (Almost) Anything”.

This week I started to think of the possible components that helps me to achieve my dream product:
• Self-made musical box components.
• A mini projector that flashes montage/photo slides, together with the screen.
• A 3D-printed enclosure.
• Respective electronic components that share signal between the musical structure and the projector system.
Based on the above listing, it seems to be difficult to pack all the parts/components into the tiny egg shell. So, I switched the enclosure design to a DIY box house, at least it gives a larger space internally for me to store my components.
I started to familiarize Fusion360 3D design software and generate a simple house structure without any confirmed dimensions using parametric concept. This method can largely reduce my modifying process time.

During one afternoon, when I am having lunch with my colleagues (all went though Fab Academy course), they are curious on what my partner, Florimond and my final projects are to do. When I briefly describe on mine own project, they seem to be interested and provide suggestion and ideas to me on each part of my design.
One interesting part was the photo screening function. My initial thinking was to in-build a mini projector and paired with a magnifying lens to shine out the montage/photos. But my guts feeling tells me that I might be struggling on tagging these components while doing my project. One of my instructors, Mr. Willie Tay suggested to clear film with printed image on it then shone out by a light beam. To make it more interesting, there will be a rotating plate with a series of photos onto it.
Given a certain interval, the plate will rotate when the musical box is playing, and different photos will be shown through the magnifying lens and project to the external surface. Just like this:

I find that this idea is much more feasible do handle compare to the initial idea. All thanks to the lunch meet up with my colleagues, who has contributed quite a number of ideas for my final project.

This week I learnt about embedded programming. Generally, I need to decide what micro-controller incorporate with the programming to use for my final project. Since I am totally new to this field, I will pick the combination that most of my colleagues has proposed/used before to master it (at least enough to complete my final project).
In the end I have decided to use SEEED XIAO RP2040 micro-controller with Arduino programming. From here, I need to plan how many functions that my final project required, in order to make sure that there are sufficient input pins for me to use.
After discussed with Mr. Steven Chew, I need to have 3 different functions for my final project:
1) Playing music – Either old-kind using drum and pins or playing song tracks through external media;
2) Photo-screen function – Torch light projector (kids’ toy, which mentioned in previous week);
3) Lighting effect of my musical box – Either internal lighting effect, or external lighting effect, or apply both into my final project.
Based on the above-mentioned suggestion, I will have a more realistic picture on how my final project will be look like.

Since I joined Singapore Polytechnic FabLab, this was the topic that I want to try when I get in touch into 3D printers. I was always curious on “How can a hinge be printed in a single build plate without any assembly required?”. Until my student share with me on the term “PRINT-IN-PLACE” technique, then I realized that those impossible stuff in the end all become POSSIBLE!

Since I still yet to decide the size of my musical box, I just use this week’s learning to determine what are the details that I should keep to for my final project, such as the gap between the hinges, the numbers of hinges that I should have in order to support my screening panel. Also, I will also need the 3D printer so much for ALL my miniature models that should be included in my musical box (depending on the theme that still yet to decide also).

Although this week we learnt about electronic design, but with minimal knowledge that I know at the current stage, in terms of the component’s usage, the possible connectivity among the components, and the types and models of the components that suits on my final project, I choose to diverse myself to model my final project with simple structure.

I bought one of the models set from my daughter’s art class that can inspire me on the OUTLOOK of my final project.

This outcome of the process helps me on visualizing how can my final project be presented with the possible electronic components that should be added to carry out the functions.

Since already know that my final project won’t be something big and huge, I spend this week to conceptualize the design for my final project by trimming down the designs in order for me to decide the theme that I am going to use.

I am planning to make a miniature bedroom of my 2 daughters. It is just a very simple, small but warm bedroom for my daughters, of cause for my wife as well, as she will be the one who always accompany them to sleep during night time.

Here is the draft plan view of my daughters's bedroom.

Once the idea is there, the rest should be coming out smoothly, in terms of designs, parts to use, and of cause what miniature models that I should 3D print for my tiny bedroom.

This week has been my tough week, as I am preparing to do produce a printed circuit board for myself. Knowing that I am struggling on both circuit design and hands-on soldering, I have put in more time and effort to “master” the skills set, in order to cope with the tight timeline to make my final project. So, there isn’t any productive things that I have done on my final project.

On this week, I learn about input devices. For this I have started to think of what input device should I use for my final project to toggle all the functions that I required. Basically, I just need a few BUTTON SWITCHES to trigger the output devices. As of now, I still yet to decide how many switches required for my final project.
Instead of using some physical switches, I would like to challenge to convert all the switches into touch pads, so that the surface of my final project will be smoother. So, I try to push myself to pick up all the required knowledge to master the concepts of STEP RESPONSE, knowing that I am not allow to direct using CAPASITIVE TOUCH SENSOR as a button switch.