FABACADEMY 2017

Week 19 - project development

Assignment


Project development

Evaluate project plan

What is the schedule?

Due to my visit at the Fab13 my deadline is the 9.7.17

  • 1.6. - 7.6.: Drawings, buy material and assamble the acryl-parts and 3d-prints
  • 8.6-10.6.: Assemble the aluminium-profiles Design and mill the electronics
  • 10.6-12.6: Program the electronics
  • 12.6-29.6: Evaluate and making improvements
  • 9.7.: Deadline !
  • My project plan is in any case possible to realize, even if it is very tight in time. Neil said that the actual work in the lab lasts longer than one does it. But I have left some time windows, which will allow to finish my project plan as planned

    Apply time management techniques

    Time management is the right key word. This is one of the most important things about my project. I spent the last weeks almost every day at least 10 hours in the laboratory to improve the last fineries. If I had started to implement the ideas, it would certainly not have been so tight. For this reason I have learned for myself the time management really is very important to have just before the end not too much work at once

    5 Time Management Techniques

    Here I have used Technique #4: Block your time:

    I have given myself some time windows for special tasks every day. Important tasks the much time in demand I have always here first solved. Furthermore, I have tried to keep all 3 hours of short breaks from the work to be able to concentrate completely for the next task.

    what tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?

    Since our presentation on 21.06.17 I have finished my system with the basic functions. Basic functions are controlling the relaiy card with the real time clock, dht temperature and humidity sensor and water level module. Everything is working fine. Only the rotary encoder has to be integrated into the system.

    what has worked? what hasn't?

    The system works as described above very well. Only the rotary encoder has not been integrated. I will start with the expansion of the i2c bus, in order to be able to browse various sensor values in the lcd display.

    what questions need to be resolved?

    I have to find for the different plant types still the optimal exposure times. This is where the scientific part of my project begins. I know from own experience eg the chilliplants a high exposure time like. The salat-sorts, which I currently have in the box, react to the set 17 hours exposure synonymous very well. In addition, I am currently testing various nutrient solutions

    On the following picture you can the the rising roots of a tomatoplant after 1,5 weeks in my current nutrientsolution ;)

    what will happen when?

    The trials with the exposure times have been running since 18.06.17 and will continue until september. Then the plants of the respective species are started.

    what have you learned?

    Throughout the Fabacademy, I have learned how important time management is. The weekly local reviews were very important. The biggest learning effect for me, however, was the electronic design and production, as well as the embedded programming assignments. These tasks were completely new to me and it gave me a lot of fun to learn that new stuff. It was also interesting to learn about the different types of licenses.

    I also found very fascinating and instructive was the composites and the molding and casting assignment because I have never done something like this before and it was fascinating to see how hard and stable composite materials can be. Lastly I would say that I could improve by the korrospondenz during the fabacademy my english a lil bit.

    Summarise and communicate the essence of a project

    A summary for this project I wrote down at summary-section.

    Project development stages:

  • 1. First Ideas (January 2017)
  • 2. Concept and Germination-tests (April - June 2017)
  • 3. Build the Box and the nutrientsolution-container (April - May 2017)
  • 4. 3D-Prints (May - June 2017)
  • 5. Electronics (June 2017)
  • 6. Software (June 2017)
  • 7. Putting it all togheter (June 2017)
  • 8. Testing and Conclusion (July 2017)
  • 9. Summary (July 2017)
  • The video and the slide you can find in summary-section

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