EP1000

Digital Fabrication Final Project

Objective:

1. Demonstrate the digital fabrication skills learnt in the production of a project.
2. Present and defend the ideas/technologies used in the construction

Task

In this final project you will demonstrate the skills and techniques that you have learnt in the module. This is an individual project. The project must have the following components:

1. Documentation - Idea, Construction, How-do, Instruction manual
2. CADD and/or Digital graphic components (vector/raster)
3. 2D cutting and engraving
4. 3D printed part
5. Embedded control using a micro-controller with
   • input(s)
   • output(s)

You can select your own project, however, it must meet the above requirements. You can select your project from

• one of the suggestions below
• taken from the Internet (Instructables, Thingiverse etc), or
• of your own design

However, all design drawings (CAD, graphics) must be done by you. If you have selected to use a design from the Internet, you need to

• attribute the original design to the author
• reproduce all design drawings
• make changes to the original design as published
• make changes to the code used for the embedded controller to suit your purpose.

We would suggest the following steps before starting on your project

• do a search on the Internet for similar ideas
• do a paper sketch of the project to help in later design, of what you intend to fabricate
• list down the items/tasks that you have to perform
• run the design idea by your lecturer to finalize the scope of what you need to do.
• plan the time allocation for each of the sections.

When you select and finalize your project, please take note of

• what you intend your project to do, what are its limitations
• who your project is intended for (the users)
• who has done your project before and why it is different

Before you start fabricating your project, you should consider writing out a Bill-Of-Materials (BOM). The BOM shows the components needed for the project. You are allowed to use other components/modules for the project. please consult your lecturer regarding availability. For example, you might require a Real-time clock module for the Arduino to keep track of the time. Your lecturer may need to order the item in for you and it usually takes 2-3 weeks before the module is delivered. The BOM will show what you require and whether it is in stock. It helps you plan the development of the project. Please don’t ask for “fantastic” modules e.g. GPS or Gas-sensors, these are expensive and we most probably do not have them in stock, however, you are free to acquire them at your own expense.

Submission

The submission of the final project will include (located on your github folder)

1. The documentation of the project, housed in github together with your module journey. The documentation must contain the following sections:
   • A preliminary project sketch
   • the project design (where it came from, who has done what before, what changes you have made)
   • a detailed “how-to” in the construction of the project
   • original design files and code.
   • photos, images of your project journey
   • BOM (Bill of materials)
   • what was completed, what was successful, what needs more work
   • the user manual
2. A presentation of the project, which includes
   • A formal presentation
   • A demonstration of the project
   • A single page “cover sheet” of the project
     • saved as _presentation.png
     • resolution of 1920x1080
     • describes the project, creator, features
   • A one-minute video of the project
3. The completed project

The submission date of your project (online) is Wednesday, 12noon, 12th August 2020. All late submissions will be penalized.

The project presentations will be held from Mon 17th August to Friday 21st August 2020. You will be informed of the schedule at a later date.

Project plan

We would like to suggest the following project plan towards the completion of your project.

Target Date	Duration	Tasks to be completed
Lesson 1A	4 hr	Selection of project, internet searches, project scope
	2 hr	Project sketch, bill of materials
Lesson 1B	4 hr	Clear idea, requirements, scope through your lecturer, finalize intentions
Lesson 2A	8 hr	CAD designs, 2D layouts, 3D designs, preliminary embedded design
Lesson 2B	8 hr	Laser cut, 3D printed, prototype mock up
	4 hr	Embedded design, I/O considerations, testing
Lesson 3A	12 hr	Finishing touches, testing
Lesson 3B	12 hr	Submission of project, presentation preparation	allocation of presentation date
Final Week 1A		Presentation (to be allocated)
Final Week 1B		2359hrs Final deadline for all submissions

Note that there is no time(s) allocated for the documentation. You MUST document as you go, otherwise you will not be able to complete the tasks as well as write the documentation at the same time.

Project Suggestions

The following are some project suggestions. The titles and explanations are very broad-scoped, you will need to do some research and write down what you think can be done, considering the time allocation and limits of 2D, 3D and knowledge of embedded micro-controllers and programming.

1. Mood lamp, a lamp which changes color based on environment, light or if someone walks near
2. Information display which displays environment readings e.g. temperature, humidity, time
3. Automated tea maker able to make the correct tea brew with a tea bag
4. Automatic watch winder to simulate hand-wearing or just to wind it up completely.
5. You have to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds - a system to remind you, when you are at the sink.
6. Contactless Hand sanitizer dispenser, just place your hand under the nozzle.
7. USB controlled volume adjustment for your laptop
8. Multi-tone doorbell/intruder alert to your private spaces
9. Moving art feature which changes its display when it has an audience
10. Laser Engraved clocks using light
11. Time lapse photo controller
12. Most Useless Machine Ever Project

Assignment

In order to have a better idea and focus to what you will be doing for the next few weeks, use the following table to focus your thoughts. You will need to include this table in your submission and the Project Preview.

Template to use
Replace the comments delimited with “<” and “>” which show what you should write in this areas

Final Project:

Description	Comments
Project Title	<choose an appropriate title to name your project>
What it will do	< wire one or two paragraphs on what your project will do or perform >
Who has done it before	<where did you get your ideas how much are you borrowing from the site are you making a similar item put in URLs as references>
Production
Lasercutting	<What will you laser cut?>
3D printing	<What will you 3D print?>
Microcontroller	< which microcontroller will you use? most of you will be using an Uno or Nano (ATMega328), however there may be exceptions
Input devices	<which input devices will you use>
Output devices	<which output devices will you use>
Misc	<which items will you need to purchase/borrow/acquire from the lab>

You should also have a plan to decide what you want to complete by which date so that you can show a milestone progress to your completion.

  Updated: Jan 2021