Senior capstone
Problem Statement
"To design a low-cost, novel system to deploy a tethered payload to regions previously inaccessible to traditional rovers and landers on Mars."
Introduction
My senior project was sponsored by Northeastern University and NASA Jet Propulsion labs. It sought to address the problem of rovers and lander being unable to access areas beyond treacherous terrain for data collection. Our solution was to build a two-part system: one is the launcher and the other is the "payload" that houses the sensors. The payload is deployed out over difficult terrain with the launcher. An electro-mechanical tether connects the payload to the rover to transfer data and power. Once the information is received, the payload can be detached and disposed of.
Personal Achievement
Besides the contribution to the overall project, I worked on a side project to address the problem of winding up very long lengths of tether in a consistent manner. With every launch, the spool of tether unravels. I modified a fishing reel with custom 3D-printed attachments I modeled in Solid-works to achieve this. Our sponsor really liked my final product and requested to keep it to show to his colleagues. Since he worked with tethered robotics, he found it useful.
Adaptive Ride-on Car
As part of the Enabling Engineering club, I worked as the project leader for "Go Baby Go", which sought to design a custom ride on car for a child with disabilities. Our target user was a young boy with motor difficulties. His legs tend to flail so this car had to be completely operational by hands with improved security restraints. Our team thought about the best way to re-incorportate the brakes into the car to be used with hands, leg restraints that kept him safe as well as a body seatbelt harness.
Verbal Vest
Within another project of the Enabling Engineering club, I worked a contributing member of "Verbal Vest". This was a wearable communication device for a our client, Hector, who was a 4 year old boy who lived in an orphanage in Ecuador and had physical limitations, non-communicative autism and partial blindness.
We took many design considerations into account after observing our client and discussing their needs. The communication device would feature pressure sensitive buttons, and would project sounds to express his needs (ie "I need the bathroom", "I am hungry"). Due to his autism and hyper-active tendencies, we decided to adapt a weighted compression vest used to calm children down. He tends to pull things so all the wires had to be tucked away inside the vest. Since his caretakers needed to track the number of times he pressed something, there was a UI. The device needed to be waterproof for when it would get washed.
Winning Contest Design
Introduction
The ScholarJet challenge, hosted by Proctor & Gamble and sponsored by Non-spec, asked us to create a completely new technology to better the lives of people with disabilities. Based on feasibility, creativity and originality criteria, the judges chose my design - an "all-terrain electro-magnetic levitation wheelchair"
For a Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design assignment, we had to come up with a new product to put on the market that utilized the mechanisms learned in class with thorough calculations. Inspired by my love for housing and passion to make housing accessible to all, I came up with HIARNAP (higher nap) - an elevator bed.
•Initiated the idea to address the unfair housing situation in Boston and maximize livable space by freeing
up bed space available during the day with an "elevator bed"
•Worked collaboratively with a team to thoroughly analyze force/stress, identify appropriate material, and
design gear train, connectors and components to meet requirements
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Robotic Arm
Introduction
A friend wanted to design a kit to assemble a robotic arm targeted at young students to learn. I was asked to help with making an easy add on that attaches to the arm to hold a pen/marker.