This esaay is written by Ryan.
If necessity was the mother of invention, we rarely sought after more than what technology already offered in the service of our lives. Yet, looking through past MnT projects, each was just as inspiring as the next. It was always something we didn’t know we needed, or something that could even be a welcome addition to society. The ideation process changed our perspectives on what constituted a necessity, and challenged our capabilities to value add.
Our initial ideas weren’t the best, either. A proposal to build a robot that could play a theremin (a musical instrument that’s hard enough to be played by a human) quickly sparked off a search for easier alternatives. After this initial setback, we set no limits to our imagination as we brainstormed for further ideas. Through this, we learnt to tread the fine line between fantastic creativity and grounded expectations. Finally, we landed on a machine that could automate titrations, which are chemical processes that are tedious to be done manually. We acknowledged that such machines already exist, but are also very expensive.
And so, after a few block diagrams and preliminary sketches, we were all on the same page and could start out on the project. As we progressed, problems surfaced in almost every aspect of our work – some equipment we had to order online arrived with defects; the software we wrote didn’t always work on the first try; we realised we overlooked certain spatial, ergonomic or logistical constraints in designing our prototype. Yet, while we were waiting on a solution to a problem, we always strived to work on something else. We managed to achieve tangible progress with each day, and despite the hiccups, I like to think that we were spurred on by the small successes. Through troubleshooting, we also gained a better understanding of the “right” things to do. We started to adopt an increasingly sensitive approach to problem-solving. Our designs were purposeful and took into consideration multiple factors including user-friendliness and practicality. Even if it meant taking a stab in the dark, we wanted to do so with surgical precision.
We have learnt many valuable lessons over the course of this project, and are continuing to do so. Our interdisciplinary project taxes each member of our group in varied ways, and even a glimpse into a different science is refreshingly stimulating. Certain concepts like 3D modelling and printing are completely foreign to some of us, so picking up a new skill was an expected challenge as we embarked on this enterprise. Fortunately, with the help of others at the MnT lab, we could be rewarded with witnessing our efforts come to fruition. Even our members who are more well-versed with coding and electronic engineering faced challenges in their designs of soft- and hardware. We appreciated that failure was an inevitable part of any project, and rather than let it hold us back, we chose to see it as a learning experience.
At the time of writing, our prototype is slowly taking shape, and the road ahead is decently clear. Although innumerable obstacles continue to challenge us in unexpected ways, we take solace in the fact that if our achievements thus far were largely borne of failure, then we could forge ahead and know that our confidence in our undertaking will never be misguided.