PROJECT_19_project_development
My final project is the Zen Desk Garden, and it will be greatly needed in order to meditate and relax once this final project is completed. It will sense the metal rocks on its surface and change the color of the gently glowing LEDs. There will also be sand and rakes for meditative pleasure.
Here is what I am up to this week:
- Evaluate Project Plan: This is my priority. I have so much to do and so little time to do it. I must first get my sensing system working, then I must get my output system running (on LEDs), then I must build the box and cast the stones. Depending on NO hiccups in the programming phase, that means I should be finished in about 22 hours. Plus, however, I need to make the project video and the final slide, which will take me an additional 3-5 hours. So, folks, wer're looking at almost 30 hours I need to work on this project this week in order to get it done by the deadline.
- Apply Time Management Techniques: Since it turns out that I will be teaching summer camps this week (thanks to a staff member being out sick), I will have to use my free time wisely. I will work in the mornings pre-camp (6am-8am) and again after the kids leave for the day (4pm-midnight or beyond). It is going to be a very busy week, but not a moment of it will be wasted.
Questions and Answers
- What is the deadline? How much time do I have left? I am presenting my final project on June 22nd. I have approximately three days left until my presentation.
- What tasks have been completed and what tasks remain? I have completed my circuit design: input and output devices with an Arduino board. I need to bulid the box (which has already been designed in Inkscape), I need to switch out the arduino and instead program the modified Satshakit board work in the project (this will entail creating some wire connectors), I also need to test the new configuration and make changes.
- How will I complete the remaining tasks in time? Unfortunately, my Fab Lab camp instructor has been in the hospital all week, so I am teaching Fab Lab camp from 8-4 daily. Which is exhausting. Anyway, that leaves about nine hours nightly if I am to sleep for a few hours each night. I am pretty sure I can do it, but I think the kids might suffer for it. :(
- What has worked? My entire system has worked on an Arduino board.
- What hasn't My system hasn't worked on my modified Satshakit board. I haven't tried to fit the top liner and the sand into the board yet.
- What questions still need to be resolved? Will the modified Satshakit board work well with the power hack I did to it? Also, I need to figure out the size of the top liner so that it can fit around the LED lights, since I couldn't use a string of lights and had to do a bit of soldering.
- What have you learned? I have learned not to reinvent the wheel (aka the inductance coil circuit). Next time I'll use a pre-made sensor.
Presentation Files
Here is my slide.
Here is my short video.