Independent Study Projects

ACE	Small (4 weeks)	Medium (6 weeks) (Proposals Due: April 1, No fooling)
Armstrong, S.	Depth Gauge. (Update: 2/10: Water Level Sensor) It will put water in to a container and measure the depth, when the water gets too high the pumps will reverse and it will pump the water out and in to a new container.	Mini Fridge. It would be a small cooling device that will cool what ever you put in it's compartment. The main part of this is a component call the Peltier module. The project it self is pretty self-explanatory. Really?
Bagga, P.	ATtiny85 Logic Board. Using Eagle, I want to develop a custom breadboard compatible logic board that runs an ATTiny85. It will be a through-hole system with an LED and on board ICSP to program the device. It will model Adafruit's Trinket Pro 5V. (Update 02/08: Development Board. Similar to the development board for the ATTiny, this board will allow added support for more chips such as the ATMega 328 as well it will have on board switches and LED's for testing. It is like ATMEL's STK500 development board but uses a ZIF socket for the chips instead of separate chip seats)	Virtual Reality Headset. (partnered with BL) For my ISP I plan on creating a simple 3D game in either Processing or Unity. In addition to that, I plan on making a headset that will go over a users head, covering their eyes and placing an LCD in from of each eye. The game can be controlled be an accelerometer set into the headpiece, allowing for you to 'look around' in the game by moving and rotating your head. In response, the game will send two images to the LCD's so that you appear to be located inside the current scene of the game.
Barney, N.	A Computer Cooling System. Using the Arduino and the TMP36 I plan to make a cooling system that will turn on when your computer gets hot and will cool it to an appropriate temperature.	Speed Trap. For my Medium ISP i am making a speed trap. this device will be able to detect the speed at which any projectile is traveling.
Blum, M.	The Cheat-o-Matic will use wireless communication to send signals to a receiver which will decode the information and produce the answers. Easy 100 percent for anyone willing to take the risk...	Revometer. The "Revometer" is a tachometer that will measure the rpm of a motor. By using the NE555 chip and other IC's, I can create a tachometer that is compatible with a car engine. By using the LM3914 and an LED bargraph I will be able to give a visual representation of the rpm of the motor.
Burleton, J.	Crank-based Electricity Generator. This project will involve building a generator using magnets in order to produce electricity. In order to produce the electricity, the magnets will be connected to a crank that will be manually spun. I hope to build and then improve upon the efficiency of the generator, eventually producing enough electricity to either power a phone charger (last years ISP), or charge a battery. Also, I hope to connect this project to some fitness equipment such as a bike trainer, that will allow somebody working out to also produce electricity.	Running Lights. For this ISP, I plan on using a graphics equalizer to create armbands that change lighting based on the music frequencies being played. These bands can be used as running lights during the night, and will be powered by a "shakeweight" styled generator. This circuit will have to be very low power, and very small so that it is easy and convenient to run with. Links, Waterproof LED Strips: http://www.ledssuperbright.com/flexible-led-strip-lights-by-the-foot-p-176 Equalizer: MSGEQ7 Similar Project With Lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnoV5PWty4
Chien, G.	Pitch Sensor. A sensor that will detect a pitch and print the corresponding note. For example, I will play a note on an instrument (saxophone), and processing will display the note.	Rhythm Game. The inspiration came from a famous Japanese arcade game called Taiko drum master. It was ported to the PS2 and it came with the drum as a controller. What I hope to do with this ISP is use that drum if functional or make my own and make some sort of game out of it.
Davies, T.	Encoded Punch Card Reader. A reader that takes a premade punch card and translates the data into english letters. It uses an led/ldr matrix that encodes binary digits into open or closed holes and then translates the digits into a unique binary lettering system.	Atmospheric Monitoring Center. This project is a two body project. There is a testing rig, and a receiving base station. The testing rig is a self sufficient sensor hub used for testing the atmospheric conditions at the current moment, this could include humidity, temperature, and air pressure. This rig sends sendor data remotley to a stationary base, which will display this information for the user in real time. This can be used for predicting weather, and recording scientific data about atmospheric conditions in certain weather types.
Elder, A.	Day Clock. My project will be a clock that displays the days of the squedule. It will use a large 7 segment display thats shows the day. I will use the Arduino in order to achive this goal.	Clock Radio. I will make a clock with the following features; radio, alarm, time and date and temperature. I was inspired to make this because at my camp I was always late during the morning due to my watch alarm. My alarm was not load enough to wake me up during the mornings thus making me late to wake up my cabin, so with this project I will be able to wake up on time. As well, I wanted something that will be able to bring music to the cabin so my campers will have something to listen to if they get bored. For these reasons I am very motivated and excited to make this project.
Gane, O.	Battle Bot. I will be making a battle bot that will engage in combat with other bots made by other ACES. We will weaponize and armor these bots and put them in a ring to duel to the death. (Ed. note: What, you expected something different?)	Laser Harp. A frameless laser harp that uses a powerful laser, mirror and stepper motor in order to create vertical laser beams that when blocked by a hand, plays a musical tone.
Goldsmith, J.	Binary Desk Clock. A binary desk clock that displays 7 measurements of time: year, month, day, weekday, hours, minutes, and seconds using a matrix of LEDs. I plan to create a custom case using 3D printing and possibly create a simple PCB for this project to streamline the design and gain experience in PCBs and 3D printing.	Binary Wrist Watch. For this ISP I am interested in building on my previous project: the Binary Desk Clock. I intend to create a binary wrist watch showing all information that the my desk clock does. To create the same thing in such a small space, I will design and outsource a PCB and hand solder surface mount parts to attach the pieces to the board that I create. For the matrix I may use the Sparkfun's Charlieplexed 8x7 Surface mount LED board but, if I have time, I would like to create one of my own. This board will be powered by the ATtiny84 (SMD).
Jones, N.	CNC Mill. The CNC mill will have 4 servo motors that will control the movement of a 3-axis cordinate system made up of bearings sliding over a rail system. Attached to the cordinate system will be a dremol motor with the power to cut through things like wood and plastics. Using Arduino, you will be able to map out a design to engrave into an object.	Ping Pong Ball Cleaner. A cool add to my pong table, an automatic ball cleaner. Put a dirty ball in one side, and out the other comes a freshly cleaned ping pong ball. This project will use sensors, servos, pumps, fans, transistors and more. Trigger the system with a sensor, open the entrance to a tube with a servo, clean the ball with a pump, dry and move the ball with a fan. The entire system will be built out of a tube and integrated into the bottom of my table.
Kingsley, M.	Arduino Game System. I'll be making an Arduino controller, a 3D printed case for it, and games that it will work on. I might include the games inside the arduino's code so that all you need is a screen to run it. Maybe in the future, I'll include the Raspberry Pi so that it wont need to run on a Mac or PC, but a computer that can fit inside the controller. (Update 02/08: I have decided to update my design a bit to increase capabillity. I will now be building an Iphone app to send accelerometer data over bluetooth to the car, rather than a glove with some flex sensors. Once the car recieved the data, it will process it using an off-board ATmega328p and translate the data into the movement of the car.)	Night Vision Goggles. For my ISP I will be creating a set of Night Vision Goggles. The size will be big enough to have hanging on the face while still being comfortable. The three main parts to this project is a CMOS camera, a TFT screen and a bunch of IR LED's. All CMOS cameras pick up IR light, which will then be sent to the arduino and then into the screen. The more IR LED's used, the better you can see at night.
Kurdyak, R.	Piano. My ISP is a basic piano, with 8-16 keys, extending the idea of the 555 keyboard, potentially making it more efficient. The piano will be tuned, be able to support multiple octaves, and have the ability to play chords. I hope to make the build quality quite high, having keys instead of buttons, and potentially different sounds, by researching the arduino sound outputs. (Update 02/08: My ISP is still the same as my first proposal, the game system, but will only have one game it will work with, possibly two. I believe having one good game to play is better than having multiple okay games that won't be as fun. This game will introduce different levels, audio and sound effects, and perhaps a small story.) (Update 02/08 5 minutes later: My ISP is an automatic laser, that provides hours of entertainment for most cats, and some easily entertained humans. This project involves a cheap laser, and research in servo motors and how they work.)	Title? My medium ISP is to eventually design a functioning and original game using a monitor and the raspberry pi board. Along with other projects involving the raspberry pi, I want to learn more about the coding language that the board uses (Python), and learn more about how to design games. This project is looking like quite a challenge, but I am excited to delve into one of my passions.
Laxdal, K.	Battle Bot. A Robot designed to destroy/incapacitate the other robot (Oliver's) in the arena.	Lockbox. My ISP is a lockbox that can only be opened by me. The trigger for the lock will be a fingerprint scanner, it will be locked using a servo motor and a few solonoid switches. It uses the fingerprint library, I hope to be able to add more "accounts" or fingerprints that are able to open the lock, I also hope to add some fingerprints that will set off a buzzer.
Leder, B.	Bluetooth-Controlled Car. I plan on making a four wheeled car with a self contained power-source (Most likely batteries) that will be controlled remotely using a Samsung phone app communicating via Bluetooth with a HC-05 Bluetooth Module placed inside the car.	Virtual Reality Headset. (partnered with PB) For my ISP I plan on creating a simple 3D game in either Processing or Unity. In addition to that, I plan on making a headset that will go over a users head, covering their eyes and placing an LCD in from of each eye. The game can be controlled be an accelerometer set into the headpiece, allowing for you to 'look around' in the game by moving and rotating your head. In response, the game will send two images to the LCD's so that you appear to be located inside the current scene of the game.
McCutcheon, M.	Arduino-based Gesture Control Glove. I will make a glove that takes sensor input and enables the user to control electronic devices through gestures.	BB8 Droid. I intend to build a remote controlled BB8 Droid, and if succesful at that, implement some intelligent features such as proximity detection, or a 'follow me' feature.
McDaniel, H.	Theremin. For my ISP I plan to build a Theremin using Arduino and other sensors. I plan to use the Arduino sound functions to create a musical instrument. Also I plan to use touch sensors and potentially the distance sensor in out kit to create my theremin.(Update 02/08: I am changing my ISP from using a simple distance sensor to using something a bit more challenging like an antenna for my theremin.)	Skittles Sorter. My ISP will be a Skittles color sorting machine. This project will use a TCS34725 color sensor to detect the different colors of skittles. After the skittle's color is detected a motor will then direct the skittles into a container that corresponds to the color of the skittles.
Miller, R.	Gameboy Advance (GBA) Cartridge ROM dumper. My short ISP will be a Gameboy Advance (GBA) Cartridge ROM dumper – this is to say, a device that copies the game's ROM file from the cart for use with an emulator or reflashable cartridge.	FM Receiver. Self-explanatory; receives FM signals and plays the output. in addtion, to FM Radio, my project will be able to play internet radio streams.
Noble-Curveira, C.		ASCII Roguelike. For my ISP I will create a dungeon crawler displayed using ASCII characters, manipulated by a breadboard controller (maybe even a small sound track!)
Pritchard, M.	Reaction Timer. It will be a reaction timer that will display the time it took you to react.	Fingerprint Scanner. For my ISP I would like to use a fingerprint scanner to access a database that will be able to find the person that it is and use the person to do a task. One way that the data could be use would be to use your finger print as your lunch card and charge your name. With this option there would be a motor attached which could deposit a candy or pop when your fingerprint is charged.
Trevor, S.	Coil Gun. Have a tube that has multiple coils wrapped around it that pull a metal that is ferromagnetic through the tube. Have the coils timed perfectly with an arduino and sensors to turn on and off the coils.	Residential Monitoring System. For my ISP I was planning on creating a home/cottage monitoring system that uses LCD screens to visually communicate to the user. This system will be able to tell you the temperature outside and also the temperature of the water (in a lake). This system will also allow you to adjust the brightness of the lights in your home and turn on an audio system. There may be more added, but this is the plan for now.

ACE

Small (4 weeks)

Medium (6 weeks) (Proposals Due: April 1, No fooling)

Armstrong, S.

Depth Gauge. (Update: 2/10: Water Level Sensor) It will put water in to a container and measure the depth, when the water gets too high the pumps will reverse and it will pump the water out and in to a new container.

Mini Fridge. It would be a small cooling device that will cool what ever you put in it's compartment. The main part of this is a component call the Peltier module. The project it self is pretty self-explanatory. Really?

Bagga, P.

ATtiny85 Logic Board. Using Eagle, I want to develop a custom breadboard compatible logic board that runs an ATTiny85. It will be a through-hole system with an LED and on board ICSP to program the device. It will model Adafruit's Trinket Pro 5V. (Update 02/08: Development Board. Similar to the development board for the ATTiny, this board will allow added support for more chips such as the ATMega 328 as well it will have on board switches and LED's for testing. It is like ATMEL's STK500 development board but uses a ZIF socket for the chips instead of separate chip seats)

Virtual Reality Headset. (partnered with BL) For my ISP I plan on creating a simple 3D game in either Processing or Unity. In addition to that, I plan on making a headset that will go over a users head, covering their eyes and placing an LCD in from of each eye. The game can be controlled be an accelerometer set into the headpiece, allowing for you to 'look around' in the game by moving and rotating your head. In response, the game will send two images to the LCD's so that you appear to be located inside the current scene of the game.

Barney, N.

A Computer Cooling System. Using the Arduino and the TMP36 I plan to make a cooling system that will turn on when your computer gets hot and will cool it to an appropriate temperature.

Speed Trap. For my Medium ISP i am making a speed trap. this device will be able to detect the speed at which any projectile is traveling.

Blum, M.

The Cheat-o-Matic will use wireless communication to send signals to a receiver which will decode the information and produce the answers. Easy 100 percent for anyone willing to take the risk...

Revometer. The "Revometer" is a tachometer that will measure the rpm of a motor. By using the NE555 chip and other IC's, I can create a tachometer that is compatible with a car engine. By using the LM3914 and an LED bargraph I will be able to give a visual representation of the rpm of the motor.

Burleton, J.

Crank-based Electricity Generator. This project will involve building a generator using magnets in order to produce electricity. In order to produce the electricity, the magnets will be connected to a crank that will be manually spun. I hope to build and then improve upon the efficiency of the generator, eventually producing enough electricity to either power a phone charger (last years ISP), or charge a battery. Also, I hope to connect this project to some fitness equipment such as a bike trainer, that will allow somebody working out to also produce electricity.

Running Lights. For this ISP, I plan on using a graphics equalizer to create armbands that change lighting based on the music frequencies being played. These bands can be used as running lights during the night, and will be powered by a "shakeweight" styled generator. This circuit will have to be very low power, and very small so that it is easy and convenient to run with. Links,
Waterproof LED Strips: http://www.ledssuperbright.com/flexible-led-strip-lights-by-the-foot-p-176
Equalizer: MSGEQ7
Similar Project With Lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnoV5PWty4

Chien, G.

Pitch Sensor. A sensor that will detect a pitch and print the corresponding note. For example, I will play a note on an instrument (saxophone), and processing will display the note.

Rhythm Game. The inspiration came from a famous Japanese arcade game called Taiko drum master. It was ported to the PS2 and it came with the drum as a controller. What I hope to do with this ISP is use that drum if functional or make my own and make some sort of game out of it.

Davies, T.

Encoded Punch Card Reader. A reader that takes a premade punch card and translates the data into english letters. It uses an led/ldr matrix that encodes binary digits into open or closed holes and then translates the digits into a unique binary lettering system.

Atmospheric Monitoring Center. This project is a two body project. There is a testing rig, and a receiving base station. The testing rig is a self sufficient sensor hub used for testing the atmospheric conditions at the current moment, this could include humidity, temperature, and air pressure. This rig sends sendor data remotley to a stationary base, which will display this information for the user in real time. This can be used for predicting weather, and recording scientific data about atmospheric conditions in certain weather types.

Elder, A.

Day Clock. My project will be a clock that displays the days of the squedule. It will use a large 7 segment display thats shows the day. I will use the Arduino in order to achive this goal.

Clock Radio. I will make a clock with the following features; radio, alarm, time and date and temperature. I was inspired to make this because at my camp I was always late during the morning due to my watch alarm. My alarm was not load enough to wake me up during the mornings thus making me late to wake up my cabin, so with this project I will be able to wake up on time. As well, I wanted something that will be able to bring music to the cabin so my campers will have something to listen to if they get bored. For these reasons I am very motivated and excited to make this project.

Gane, O.

Battle Bot. I will be making a battle bot that will engage in combat with other bots made by other ACES. We will weaponize and armor these bots and put them in a ring to duel to the death. (Ed. note: What, you expected something different?)

Laser Harp. A frameless laser harp that uses a powerful laser, mirror and stepper motor in order to create vertical laser beams that when blocked by a hand, plays a musical tone.

Goldsmith, J.

Binary Desk Clock. A binary desk clock that displays 7 measurements of time: year, month, day, weekday, hours, minutes, and seconds using a matrix of LEDs. I plan to create a custom case using 3D printing and possibly create a simple PCB for this project to streamline the design and gain experience in PCBs and 3D printing.

Binary Wrist Watch. For this ISP I am interested in building on my previous project: the Binary Desk Clock. I intend to create a binary wrist watch showing all information that the my desk clock does. To create the same thing in such a small space, I will design and outsource a PCB and hand solder surface mount parts to attach the pieces to the board that I create. For the matrix I may use the Sparkfun's Charlieplexed 8x7 Surface mount LED board but, if I have time, I would like to create one of my own. This board will be powered by the ATtiny84 (SMD).

Jones, N.

CNC Mill. The CNC mill will have 4 servo motors that will control the movement of a 3-axis cordinate system made up of bearings sliding over a rail system. Attached to the cordinate system will be a dremol motor with the power to cut through things like wood and plastics. Using Arduino, you will be able to map out a design to engrave into an object.

Ping Pong Ball Cleaner. A cool add to my pong table, an automatic ball cleaner. Put a dirty ball in one side, and out the other comes a freshly cleaned ping pong ball. This project will use sensors, servos, pumps, fans, transistors and more. Trigger the system with a sensor, open the entrance to a tube with a servo, clean the ball with a pump, dry and move the ball with a fan. The entire system will be built out of a tube and integrated into the bottom of my table.

Kingsley, M.

Arduino Game System. I'll be making an Arduino controller, a 3D printed case for it, and games that it will work on. I might include the games inside the arduino's code so that all you need is a screen to run it. Maybe in the future, I'll include the Raspberry Pi so that it wont need to run on a Mac or PC, but a computer that can fit inside the controller. (Update 02/08: I have decided to update my design a bit to increase capabillity. I will now be building an Iphone app to send accelerometer data over bluetooth to the car, rather than a glove with some flex sensors. Once the car recieved the data, it will process it using an off-board ATmega328p and translate the data into the movement of the car.)

Night Vision Goggles. For my ISP I will be creating a set of Night Vision Goggles. The size will be big enough to have hanging on the face while still being comfortable. The three main parts to this project is a CMOS camera, a TFT screen and a bunch of IR LED's. All CMOS cameras pick up IR light, which will then be sent to the arduino and then into the screen. The more IR LED's used, the better you can see at night.

Kurdyak, R.

Piano. My ISP is a basic piano, with 8-16 keys, extending the idea of the 555 keyboard, potentially making it more efficient. The piano will be tuned, be able to support multiple octaves, and have the ability to play chords. I hope to make the build quality quite high, having keys instead of buttons, and potentially different sounds, by researching the arduino sound outputs. (Update 02/08:
My ISP is still the same as my first proposal, the game system, but will only have one game it will work with, possibly two. I believe having one good game to play is better than having multiple okay games that won't be as fun. This game will introduce different levels, audio and sound effects, and perhaps a small story.) (Update 02/08 5 minutes later: My ISP is an automatic laser, that provides hours of entertainment for most cats, and some easily entertained humans. This project involves a cheap laser, and research in servo motors and how they work.)

Title? My medium ISP is to eventually design a functioning and original game using a monitor and the raspberry pi board. Along with other projects involving the raspberry pi, I want to learn more about the coding language that the board uses (Python), and learn more about how to design games. This project is looking like quite a challenge, but I am excited to delve into one of my passions.

Laxdal, K.

Battle Bot. A Robot designed to destroy/incapacitate the other robot (Oliver's) in the arena.

Lockbox. My ISP is a lockbox that can only be opened by me. The trigger for the lock will be a fingerprint scanner, it will be locked using a servo motor and a few solonoid switches. It uses the fingerprint library, I hope to be able to add more "accounts" or fingerprints that are able to open the lock, I also hope to add some fingerprints that will set off a buzzer.

Leder, B.

Bluetooth-Controlled Car. I plan on making a four wheeled car with a self contained power-source (Most likely batteries) that will be controlled remotely using a Samsung phone app communicating via Bluetooth with a HC-05 Bluetooth Module placed inside the car.

Virtual Reality Headset. (partnered with PB) For my ISP I plan on creating a simple 3D game in either Processing or Unity. In addition to that, I plan on making a headset that will go over a users head, covering their eyes and placing an LCD in from of each eye. The game can be controlled be an accelerometer set into the headpiece, allowing for you to 'look around' in the game by moving and rotating your head. In response, the game will send two images to the LCD's so that you appear to be located inside the current scene of the game.

McCutcheon, M.

Arduino-based Gesture Control Glove. I will make a glove that takes sensor input and enables the user to control electronic devices through gestures.

BB8 Droid. I intend to build a remote controlled BB8 Droid, and if succesful at that, implement some intelligent features such as proximity detection, or a 'follow me' feature.

McDaniel, H.

Theremin. For my ISP I plan to build a Theremin using Arduino and other sensors. I plan to use the Arduino sound functions to create a musical instrument. Also I plan to use touch sensors and potentially the distance sensor in out kit to create my theremin.(Update 02/08: I am changing my ISP from using a simple distance sensor to using something a bit more challenging like an antenna for my theremin.)

Skittles Sorter. My ISP will be a Skittles color sorting machine. This project will use a TCS34725 color sensor to detect the different colors of skittles. After the skittle's color is detected a motor will then direct the skittles into a container that corresponds to the color of the skittles.

Miller, R.

Gameboy Advance (GBA) Cartridge ROM dumper. My short ISP will be a Gameboy Advance (GBA) Cartridge ROM dumper – this is to say, a device that copies the game's ROM file from the cart for use with an emulator or reflashable cartridge.

FM Receiver. Self-explanatory; receives FM signals and plays the output. in addtion, to FM Radio, my project will be able to play internet radio streams.

Noble-Curveira, C.

ASCII Roguelike. For my ISP I will create a dungeon crawler displayed using ASCII characters, manipulated by a breadboard controller (maybe even a small sound track!)

Pritchard, M.

Reaction Timer. It will be a reaction timer that will display the time it took you to react.

Fingerprint Scanner. For my ISP I would like to use a fingerprint scanner to access a database that will be able to find the person that it is and use the person to do a task. One way that the data could be use would be to use your finger print as your lunch card and charge your name. With this option there would be a motor attached which could deposit a candy or pop when your fingerprint is charged.

Trevor, S.

Coil Gun. Have a tube that has multiple coils wrapped around it that pull a metal that is ferromagnetic through the tube. Have the coils timed perfectly with an arduino and sensors to turn on and off the coils.

Residential Monitoring System. For my ISP I was planning on creating a home/cottage monitoring system that uses LCD screens to visually communicate to the user. This system will be able to tell you the temperature outside and also the temperature of the water (in a lake). This system will also allow you to adjust the brightness of the lights in your home and turn on an audio system. There may be more added, but this is the plan for now.

Grade	Contribution to Final Mark
10	10%
11	25%
12	45%

Grade

Contribution to Final Mark

10%

25%

45%