March 10, 2019March 10, 2019 by Matthew Lee

Lighting Up the Bulb

Circuits & Arduino

This week, we continued with our learning at the Fab Lab. Instead of working on the motion-sensing watch like last week, I got to work on a circuit and learn how to use a multimeter. Playing around with the circuit reminded me of my elementary school days when I got to tinker around with the flashlight kit and a mini motor car kit in a science class. Though I did not understand the details during then, I still enjoyed trying various configurations to see which one lights up the bulb and runs the motor and which one does not. With the good memory in my mind, I had fun with the breadboard, resistors, and multimeter, trying to figure out how much of a difference each type of a resistor made to the brightness of the bulb.

A circuit with resistors, lightign up the bulb dimly
A circuit without a resistor, lighting up the bulb brightly

After playing around with the circuit, we were very briefly introduced to Arduino and its capability. Although this technology is probably not what our project group would use, it was interesting to think how such a small component can have so much computing power.

Example of how an Arduino is used for a motion sensing watch
Top view of the motion sensing watch

Team Rotam Project Ideas

We also got to meet and receive feedback from the Milestone Labs on our idea of the project. They recommended that we look into different materials that would allow our product to protect the joystick of the power wheelchair. For example, they suggested that we look into the scuba diving suits, which I did not even think of. After hearing the recommendation, it seemed so obvious to me that I should have thought about this before, but while brainstorming, it never came to my mind. That recommendation, however, sparked few ideas of my own, such as looking into the materials of umbrellas. Upcoming week, my team is planning on looking more into what is available in the market for the purpose of protecting the joystick of the power chair as well as different types of materials that could be used to protect it from the water.

After receiving the feedback, the team got together to brainstorm further on our ideas. Last time, we were focusing on additional parts that can be added to the wheelchair to serve the purpose of protecting the joystick, but this time, we focused on how we may be able to make our product be applied to different types of power chairs and not just that of Ryan’s. One idea that we came up with was a DIY molding package. We were thinking that if we could provide a DIY molding package to the users, they can customize the part on their own, ensuring that not only will it fit their power chair, but they could add personal touches and additional comfortability with grooves on the mold and so on.

Outside of the Class

Outside of the class, I managed to find time to go back to the lab to laser cut my own face of the motion sensing watch. While designing this face, I was thinking ‘simple is the best,’ which is how I came up with the design below. I hoped to design the face in a way that it would be very simple and easy for the user to understand it.

Completed face of the motion sensing watch

Though this face makes clear sense to me as a designer, I am wondering how different people would perceive it. This thought made me realize how challenging designing is, which is why human-centered designing is crucial. Through the constant feedback from the users, the designer can ensure that the end product would be easily used by the users for the purpose that they are looking for. This is something that my team will constantly keep in our mind as we proceed with the project.

While using the laser cutter, I was curious as to what else the device is used for. I discovered that this technology can be used not just on wood but also on other materials, such as glass and acrylic as demonstrated by various objects shown here. It was also interesting to find out that there are various ways to use the machine, such as cutting, engraving, and vector etching, which are explained here. Looking through images of different things that this machine is used for, it amazes me how much of a detail that this machine can handle.