Pumped-Up Nameplates

"Team Prime Time"

Team building exercise that illustrates the requirements and challenges inherent in larger design projects. Experiences include: converging on a design, understanding constraints, designing within constraints, keeping to a project schedule, scheduling team work time outside of class, and actual building and testing of the product.

PROJECT

Pumped-Up Nameplates

CLASS

GEEN 1400

DATE

02/09/23

Design Process

Brainstorming

- 1 hour brainstorming session: write down all ideas (good or bad)
- focus on sports with addition of new head coach 'Prime Trime'


Planning

- decide upon distribution of tasks amongst team members
- split up members to take certain workshops; allows for efficient workflow
- search for scrap materials in wood workshop / consumables closet

Create

- laser cut buff logo, made of acryllic; central point of focus
- 3D printed football to hide wooden dowel (support)
- electronic circuit for LED animation & tail wag using servo motor




Individual Contributions

I suggested using an LED animation along with the tail wag on a servo motor, which brought a unique flair to the nameplate design. My primary contribution to this project was in coding the circuits using Arduino. I made use of my skills in programming to bring the various components together and create an efficient, and functional system. My contributions were invaluable to the team, as they helped to integrate the different components into a cohesive whole, and make the whole project a success.




Personal Growth

Throughout the course of the project, I had the opportunity to learn and grow as an engineer. I was able to take on different roles and responsibilities within the team, which allowed me to gain experience in areas beyond my core competencies. I also learned how to work collaboratively with my team members, exchanging ideas and troubleshooting issues. We were able to become closer as a team due to the amount of time we spent together. We had to spend hours outside of class to make sure we could have a polished final project. Overall, this experience taught me the importance of taking risks and being innovative in my engineering designs.





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