Key Takeaways:

Angeline

I learnt how to control various devices that need electricity at different voltages through the use of a MOSFET board (eg. fans) and earlier in our prototyping, the CNC shield. I also learnt how to diagnose and correct different issues associated with this, such as connection issues with the MOSFET, incorrect pin connections due to misreading on the pinout map etc

Preeti

This project gave me the opportunity to try things I hadn’t worked with before, like 3D printing, soldering, and assembling aluminum profiles.

One major takeaway for me was the importance of proper planning. At the start, we didn’t really sketch out our prototype—we just started building based on the idea in our heads. That led to a lot of changes later on, as we had to adjust the design repeatedly. If we had mapped everything out from the beginning, especially component placement and measurements, we could have assessed its feasibility and identified possible challenges sooner. This could have  avoided quite a bit of rework and saved time.

Another thing I realized was the need to understand each component we used. Initially, I was just following instructions, but when we started having issues—like the load sensors acting up or the fans not working, we had to go back and figure out how everything actually functioned. Knowing what each part is supposed to do made troubleshooting much easier and more efficient.

But in the end, all our efforts were not wasted and we were able to present a completed product !

Edna

I learnt to use a multimeter to check the amount of voltage received by a component to determine it’s working condition and diagnose issues with the circuit. For instance, when the voltage measured at the mosfet was below 12V, we can narrow the problem down to a component before the mosfet such as a fried arduino or the connection of wires to the wrong pin numbers.

For 3D prints, I’ve learnt to visualise the object in different angles, choosing the easiest perspective to start the sketch from. I’ve learnt to break a perspective of the object down into simple shapes to create the sketch and extrude later.

Cheyenne

I learnt how to code arduino boards, debug and diagnose component faults using serial monitor. Through the entire process of ideation, I learnt how important it was to look at current market ideas and branch out from there to make a unique product. I also learnt the importance of planning before making the product and to constantly ask for feedback or help when needed regarding the prototype.

Sarah

Firstly, obtain your minimal viable product as soon as possible as well as simplifying our initial design. Both pieces of advice were given to us before we embarked on our project, and we had thought we simplified our initial design enough. Unfortunately, we still faced many challenges in getting out our first prototype as we were a little overambitious, particularly with the size and capacity of our dryer.

Next, the importance of organisation and labelling. This was mostly a problem with the wiring of our components. Yesterday’s ‘as long as it works just put it anywhere’ became today’s ‘what was I thinking’. This among other things resulted in a lot of wasted time when trying to troubleshoot issues with our components. When we finally added our component box and did the necessary cable management, things went a lot better.

Lastly, learning to just start over or to scrap an idea. There were several times during the project where we were reluctant to restart something or to stop working on a component, we had sunk so much time and effort into. The running into the same wall repeatedly became exhausting. Continually altering the dimensions of the PC frame connectors only to have them break again or not being able to figure out why the silicone heating element was not getting the air hot enough was hard to give up on because we had already put a lot of time and effort into it. But ultimately, once we had done so, we were able to focus on other features to improve our design: like the oscillation mechanism.

**Special thanks to Yao Xiang and Fudan for putting up with our chaos and for also extending the opening hours. This project would not been possible without your help in the lab 🙂 Thank you Dr Ho, for looking out for us and guiding us in times of distress!