Personal Projects
Capstone Design Project -
NASA JPL Space Telescope Dust Cover
Problem Statement: To create a one-design-adapts-to-all space telescopes that the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab sends to space to eliminate the need for constant redesign of the mechanism.
Proposed Solution: The use of a flexible membrane can be used to attach to the telescope baffle and collapse completely using a crumpling technique to secure the cover within a collection tube.
Proposed Advantages: Large mass savings, swept volume reduction, reduced moment arm for large baffle diameters, reduced power usage
Stages Completed:
As a flexible membrane cover was unexplored, initial testing of feasibility was completed using carboard prototypes (Image 2)
Divided the assembly into four main subcomponents for individual testing purposes
Hold Down Release Mechanisms, Membrane Cover, Funnel, Winch
Tested and confirmed reliability of each component prior to constructing the full assembly prototype
Cryogenic and structural testing completed using Liquid Nitrogen
Constructed full scale prototype and ran constant deployments to determine full concept functionality (Image 1 and Deployment Video)
Challenges:
Space-ready materials and components are very difficult to acquire and were out of scope for the project budget so equivalency testing and subsystem division was essential to project success.
There was a difficult balance between the project focus being on research of membrane uses in space, testing all aspects of unknown failure as well as developing equivalent tests for space conditions.
Status: The prototype and final deliverable to NASA JPL was incredibly successful and won the Alumni Jurors Award for our group during our final presentation day! The team passed over all materials and research to Dr. Kim Aaron and the team at NASA JPL who plan to explore the idea further and hopefully continue our vision to redefine the future of space telescope dust covers!
Woodworking Projects
Exposure to woodworking through my Dad's workshop has been a valuable asset in enhancing my skills as I pursue my engineering degree.
My major inspirations with woodworking come with finding ways to improve everyday life through creations.
I have created my own cornhole boards after researching commonly used materials and pricing out total cost using scrap materials found during work at the lumberyard.
I constructed the bedside and living room tables that have been used in my apartment for the past 3 years.
Club Esports President and Varsity Player
Objectives: To assist in the development of the Esports Club at three different levels of competition and involvement - CSI (Non-Competitive), Club and Varsity
Work Completed:
Oversaw over 10 game titles and 150+ members, creating an inclusive environment for everyone looking for Esports Competition at Northeastern University
Worked in constant collaboration with Club Sports Office and other Board members to maintain structure of program (Funding, Member Standing, Club Sports Needs)
Along with the 2 years I spent as Club President, I played Varsity Rocket League for Northeastern for 3 years at the National Collegiate level
Skills Demonstrated: Over the course of my 3 years, I learned a great deal about leadership as well as communication to both my superiors as well as the teams that worked below me.
Cornerstone Design Project - Museum Exhibit
Problem Statement: To create a portable Museum exhibit aimed at educating the younger generation in an exhibit similar to those that would be seen at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Proposed Solution: After touring the Museum of Science the group decided that the education exhibits that we were most interested in were the ones that caught our eye with colors and effects. Our group decided to pursue a water-flowing illusion that would allow for the viewer to see water stand still or even flow upwards using frequency matching of a speaker and strobe light using Arduino components. This gave younger people an introduction into frequencies and resonances.
Challenges:
The small budget of $100 caused for numerous decisions throughout the design process to be made and was a great introduction into the planning of costs and adjustments that may be needed while working on a limited budget.
The water aspect of the project mixed with electronics was a very dangerous element that forced quick design changes. This gave me an introduction into rapid prototyping (Plastic Bag Picture)
Status: Worked in a team environment to design the structure in SolidWorks and built a first prototype that was tested within a group of college students and evaluated with the parameters of average viewer duration and correct functionality of the devices.