Project Management

1. Thought Process

Overview and Motivation

My professional background is in electronic and industrial systems engineering, with experience in IoT, automation for agriculture, and prototyping for construction and education.

I am motivated by projects that combine digital fabrication, electronics, and real-world applications. The key challenge I want to address is how to integrate intelligence (sensors, electronics, and data) into physical systems that are traditionally passive, such as molds, agricultural tools, or educational toys.

For my final project, I want to develop a modular and portable system that can be adapted to different contexts such as production, agriculture, and education.

2. Project Ideas Exploration

Option A (Merged)

Smart Mold & Block Production Monitor

A modular monitoring system embedded in construction-block molds to optimize curing and production quality.

Description

A monitoring module integrated into molds used for fabrication of construction blocks. It measures curing conditions such as temperature, humidity, time, weight, and vibration, and provides feedback through LEDs and a web dashboard.

What it will do

• Measure temperature, humidity, curing time, weight, and vibration.
• Detect curing stage and estimate “ready to demold” status.
• Show status locally using LEDs (and optional buzzer).
• Send data via Wi-Fi to a simple web dashboard.

Who will use it

• Technicians in block production and prototyping labs.
• Construction material startups and research labs.
• Educational environments working with material fabrication.

Pros

• Directly connected to my current work and lab prototyping.
• Strong integration of fabrication + electronics + data.
• Industrial application with measurable improvements.

Cons

• Sensor integration can be challenging in harsh environments.
• Mechanical + electronic integration requires careful design.

Option B

Modular Smart Agro Node

A portable IoT node for open-field precision agriculture that monitors and controls irrigation.

Description

A portable IoT node designed for open-field plantations. It monitors soil and environmental variables, and actively controls irrigation through a valve or pump.

What it will do

• Measure soil moisture, temperature, and ambient humidity (and light if needed).
• Control irrigation (valve/pump) automatically based on thresholds or schedules.
• Send data via Wi-Fi to a web dashboard.
• Operate as a modular and portable unit (easy to move between locations).

Who will use it

• Farmers and agricultural technicians.
• Agricultural research projects.
• Educational institutions teaching smart agriculture.

Pros

• Leverages my experience in IoT and agricultural automation.
• Clear user and measurable outcomes (water efficiency).
• Scalable: multiple nodes can be deployed.

Cons

• Similar commercial systems exist (needs differentiation).
• Power and connectivity can be challenging in open fields.

Option C

Smart Modular Educational Wooden System

Modular wooden blocks/figures with embedded sensors and feedback (sound/lights) for learning and motor skills.

Description

A modular educational system made mainly of wood (blocks, figures, and assemblies). It integrates sensors to detect interaction (assemble/disassemble) and provides feedback through lights and sounds. The goal is to support learning of colors, shapes, and motor coordination for children.

What it will do

• Detect assembly/disassembly using sensors (touch, magnetic, or mechanical switches).
• Provide feedback through LEDs and sound.
• Support learning goals: colors, shapes, and motor skills.
• Use digital fabrication: laser cutting / CNC routing + small 3D printed parts if needed.

Who will use it

• Children (3–8 years old).
• Teachers and educational centers.
• Parents and makers interested in learning toys.

Pros

• Strong integration of digital fabrication + interaction electronics.
• Very visual and easy to demo.
• Safe and tangible interface.

Cons

• Requires careful safety and durability considerations.
• Interaction design can take more iteration time.

3. Defining My Project (Preliminary)

Preliminary selected option: Option A — Smart Mold & Block Production Monitor. This option connects with my current work in construction material prototyping and has strong potential for integrating mechanical design, electronics, and data-driven improvements.

Initial system concept

• Sensors: temperature, humidity, time, weight, vibration
• Outputs: status LEDs (optional buzzer)
• Controller: ESP32 (or similar)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi (web dashboard)
• Fabrication: CNC / 3D printed enclosure + mold integration

4. Development Plan (4 Phases)

1. Phase 0 — Design and Concept: define mechanical integration, select sensors/components, sketch architecture.
2. Phase 1 — Mechanical and Electronic Prototype: design enclosure/attachment, fabricate parts (CNC/3D print), produce PCB, assemble.
3. Phase 2 — Programming and Communication: sensor acquisition, Wi-Fi communication, basic web dashboard.
4. Phase 3 — Integration and Testing: test in real conditions, collect data, refine thresholds, validate improvements.

5. Website Setup (How I built this site)

For this assignment, I created a simple documentation website based on the Fab Academy student template. My goal was to keep the site clean and readable while reflecting the UPS identity (colors + logo) and organizing the weekly documentation clearly.

Process (steps)

1. Gather course structure: I reviewed the Fab Academy 2026 schedule (weeks and topics), and used it to plan the navigation and the list of weekly assignments.
2. Define the visual identity: I selected a UPS-inspired palette (dark blue + subtle yellow) and added the UPS logo in the navbar to keep a consistent brand feeling across pages.
3. Build the landing page: I created an index (home) page with a hero section and a grid of weekly cards. Weeks not completed yet are visually disabled.
4. Create core pages: I updated about.html, week01.html, and final-project.html to match the same layout and footer structure.
5. Use ChatGPT as a structured assistant: I used ChatGPT with clear prompts about Fab Academy requirements, Git/GitLab workflow, and HTML/CSS structure to accelerate writing and formatting — then I tested and adjusted locally until the site rendered correctly.

Evidence (screenshots)

6. Local + Online Workflow (Step-by-step)

In addition to editing directly on FabCloud GitLab, I documented my workflow showing both offline (local) work and online (web) updates.

Offline / Local

1. Download as ZIP from GitLab (Code → Download ZIP).
2. Extract the project into a local working folder.
3. Edit HTML/CSS locally (Notepad / VS Code).
4. Test by opening the pages in a browser offline.

Online / Web

1. Upload files to the correct folders (images, files).
2. Edit pages online (Web Editor) by pasting verified content.
3. Commit / push changes to publish the website.

7. Version Control (Git)

I use Git + FabCloud GitLab for version control and publishing updates. My typical workflow is pulling changes, staging files, committing with a clear message, and pushing to the remote repository.

git pull
git status
git add .
git commit -m "Week 01: Project Management updates"
git push

Hero push evidence

The screenshot below shows a successful git push to the FabCloud GitLab repository, confirming that my local changes were uploaded and published.

8. Student Agreement

Signed agreement: Agreement (PDF)

9. Checklist

• ✅ Sketched final project ideas
• ✅ Described what it will do and who will use it
• ✅ Made a website and described how I did it
• ✅ Created a section about myself on that website
• ✅ Added a page with sketches and description of project ideas
• ✅ Documented steps for setting up Git repository and adding files
• ✅ Pushed to the class GitLab repository (with screenshot)
• ✅ Signed and uploaded Student Agreement