Week 1, Project Management and Documentation
Objectives
- Plan and sketch a potential final project
- Read, sign (add your name to) the student agreement and commit it to your repo
- Work through a git tutorial.
- Build a personal website in the class archive describing yourself and your final project. Refer to the lecture material for examples.
- Upload parts 1 and 2, to the class archive.
Documentation setup
Spent the week setting up Git Hub and MkDocs and deciding how to setup the documentation site. I eventually settled on the Material theme for MkDocs as it has the most flexibility and good aesthetics.
The development of the site proceeded in a spiral development path. Initially, I started by modifying the provided html pages and adding custom pictures. This was done initially with Sublime as that is what I was familiar with helping my kid in her Computer Science class. This worked fine until my free trial of Sublime ran out and I didn't want to pay $99 to continue.
After reviewing the Fab Academy documentation, I looked closer at MkDocs and decided to give it a try. I downloaded it, did some light custimization and proved that I could add pictures, change text, update the tab icon, and push to Git with the included themes. This included installing Python and GitBash software to handle the repo setup and control. The initial development on MkDocs was done through Notepad, which worked, but was not very user friendly.
After reviewing some YouTube videos about the MkDocs'Material' theme, particularly the one from James Willett, I decided this would be a good base from which to take the project docs forward. I downloaded the package and installed it. After seeing James use VS Code as the editor for the MkDocs code, I downloaded that as well. After some initial setup and testing the platform, it seemed easy enough to use, so I invested more time in customizing the pages and adding content. I finished up by adding the Lightbox plugin to my site to have more control over the images without having to do too much editing before adding to the repo. Developed a custom Favicon (Kite One Font) and added to site.
| sample setup code | |
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References:
Material Theme Lightbox Plugin
Final Project Ideation
After a deep dive of some old and new ideas, I have 2 competing ideas for a final project, and a page of other ideas too.
Photo Effect Flare Reducer
This concept is a replacement flare reducer for a DSLR camera that would allow for unique photo effects. There would be a series of LEDs that would be directed into the optical path to add color filtering. There may aslo be a telescoping element with reflective material to create prismatic flares. Examples of the effects are shown below.
Photo shot with and LED flare effect from a DSLR camera
Sketch of what this could look like including a flexible sleeve that is illuminated by side emmitting LEDs and a standard addressable white LED ring
Desert Plant Condition Monitor
This would be a plant monitoring device that could be used in desert environments to monitor plant conditions in harsh conditions such as those found in Namibia. Lithops (living rocks) are small species that grow in clumps in Namibia and South Africa and are also cultivated in lithopariums, botanical gardens, and in the home. Not much is known about the acutual conditions that these plants experience in situ, so a monitor with long range data transfer (like LoRa) may be able to uncover key insights about their habit and habitat and potentially alert conservationists if known habitats are at risk of poaching.
Lithops geyeri growing in Namibia
Potpourri- Other ideas that could be fruitful
Open source robot
Automated Chameleon Tank
Refurbed aluminum can thing
Refresh a boardgame
Mechanical fan with different tones (rotating blades)
Kinetic art
Automatic hose nozzle fertilizer dispenser
Automated Lithops Garden
Reboot inventions from the book 'The Hottest New Business Ideas For 1978'