Past Projects
Projects range from in-class prototyping to research and competitions.
Stage Machine Design Competition 2023
The Stage Machine Design Competition is a collegiate competition hosted by Purdue University’s Fusion Studio for Engineering in Entertainment. The studio invites teams to compete in a design challenge in user-oriented or theatrical experiences. The 2023 challenge centered on developing an interactive exhibit for children to explore family game night. The exhibit would feature the game “Guess Who?” and required the development of a panel-lifting mechanism to simulate gameplay. Our team received awards for best teamwork and most elegant design for prioritizing safety, user experience, and interactivity.
I frequently contributed during the initial design phase of the project, creating many sketches for potential mechanisms, lever arms, and drafting ideas for the mechanism's case. Then, as the project moved into the construction phase, I worked hands on to develop prototype mechanisms out of scrap wood. Furthermore, I aided in the continued iteration through the design phase, researching potential solutions and sourcing materials to create prototypes.
IZZY
The Open Source Intelligent Scenic Platform
IZZY, the intelligent, open source scenic platform, is a unique project, developing an inexpensive piece of equipment intended for improving access to theatrical automation. The platform will use induction sensors, LiDAR, and absolute positioning to transport flats and other set pieces on, off, and around a stage.
I focused on the development of the platform’s induction sensing system, specifically, the potential for induction sensors to detect a current-carrying wire. Additionally, I worked to develop a PID control system for the second-order controls of the induction sensors in order to optimize and smooth the travel path.
STEM Education Research
AP Research is a unique class offered by the College Board. As a part of the AP Capstone curriculum, the course exists as a part of a two year plan of study where students learn vital skills in research, analysis, collaboration, writing, presentation, and evidence-based argument. Students engaged in AP Research spend the school year planning, researching, and developing an academic paper in a discipline of their choice, then summarize and present their findings in a twenty minute professional event, where they must answer questions and defend their process in a panel review. I explored how LEGO may be used as a tool to promote learning in open-ended (often referred to as ill-defined) problem solving skills. I received a ‘5,’ the highest score allotted by the College Board, for my work in this project.
The project required an in depth planning and permissions phase in order to conduct a study with human participants. After working with the school administration and Institutional Research Board, I received full approval for my project. Next, I worked with teachers within the math department to finalize my study, gain access to in-class instructional time, and contact participants and their parents for consent to engage in the research. Once the study was completed, I aggregated the data, performed statistical analysis for significance, and summarized my findings in my paper.
The design specification review for the project. Within this report, I contributed multiple sketches, areas of research, and developed multiple specifications. Additionally, I created a functional block diagram to represent the mechanism and aided in the creation of decision matrices.
IZZY Prototype as of April 2023
Abstract:
This paper will study the effects of a LEGO “Free Play” warm-up on well-defined and ill-defined problem solving abilities through fundamental algebra concepts. LEGO “Free Play” is a form of LEGO activity which is considered open-ended or ill-defined, with no set goal, no set instructions, and only intrinsic creativity to motivate the builder (Pirrie 2017). Previous research has identified that LEGO has direct impacts on creativity and performance in STEM topics, with well-defined, or instruction-based LEGO play hindering students' abilities to solve open-ended problems (Moreau & Engeset, 2016). Additionally, research in this field has identified LEGO as a helpful tool in engineering design curriculum, which improves student performance in fundamental concepts within engineering topics (Li et al., 2016). This study aims to discuss ill-defined LEGO play and its direct impact on ill-defined problem solving in algebra fundamentals. Through an experimental design method, it was found that a 10 minute LEGO “Free Building” activity is correlated with an improvement in seventh grade students' ability to complete ill-defined algebra problems. This study aims to provide foundation for future research into the applications of LEGO and induced creativity across STEM courses in U.S. middle and high schools.
