Independent Study Projects. Please read our overview on why ACES pursue Independent Study Projects so vigorously. 2016-2017 TEI3M Independent Study Projects (ISPs) |
Independent Study Projects. Please read our overview on why ACES pursue Independent Study Projects so vigorously.
| Student ISP Design Progress | ||
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 3D Print Jobs | PCB/CAD |
| April 8 | 0 | 0 |
| April 15 | 0 | 1 (DD) |
| April 22 | 1 (DD) | 2 (AM) |
| April 29 | DD | AM, JSS |
| May 3 | ||
| May 10 | ||
To my mind, the characteristics of a great project include such aspects as imagination, creativity, a degree of risk and, sometimes, even simplicity, to name a few. Check out the flashlight circuit 'board' this guy made out of little more that a piece of paper and a pencil? Simple, but inspiring.
Consider a problem that needs a solutions. Boyan Slat did at age 17 when he was in high school; four years later he is 
cleaning up the world's oceans. So, dig in, think, dream, research, and explore possible project pursuits. Be discerning: don't accept the first thing that comes along. You'll be expected to maintain the progress of your ISP on your web page to enable everyone to follow your efforts so have your phone handy to at all times to capture the images of your journey. Be conscious of the fact that a multi-page summary of your project will appear in your ER after Presentation Day for more permanent record of your efforts. You may wish to take into account the ISP Evaluation document that will be applied on your Presentation Day.
Also, don't underestimate the value of an enterprise/entrepreneurial aspect to your project that could see a number of units of your project for sale in the Dragon's Lair or beyond, reachin an even a broader audience.
| ACE | Short (4 weeks) | EAGLE | Medium (6 weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|
Ascherl, P-C |
TTC Line 2. This project will make a completely functional TTC map that shows the path of the Bloor-Danforth subway. An LCD will also display the station. |
Seven-Segment Display | Distance Sensor Using Sound. The ultrasound sensor will detect the nearest object. As the object comes closer the sound emitted will become louder similar to a car backing up. CAD will be used to provide a housing. |
Canavan, S. |
Bluetooth-Controlled Car. A small, hand-built, Arduino controlled motor car operated from a phone. |
LED Tester | ELM (Electromagnetic Levitation Machine). This project will have a part that alternates magnetic fields at very high frequency, allowing for magnetic objects to remain in a still suspended position. CAD will be used to provide a case for the project. |
Chepeha, K. |
Equations Simulator. The Arduino will randomly generate a 6-character expression on an LCD using the 16 common dgits and operators. The user will then enter an equivalent expression using push buttons and the Arduino will check if the two expresions are equal. |
Equation Game | RC Car. I am going to make a car that can be controlled. CAD will be used to make a piece that steers the car. |
Clarke, Q. |
Windows Smart Mirror. Using a Raspberry Pi, an LED Panel and a one-way mirror, you can project images onto the mirror and then open apps from Windows using voice recognition. |
Power Supply (5V/3V3) | Chess e-Board. Using an Arduino, a Raspberry Pi, magnetic Reed switches and LEDs, a chess board will track where each piece is and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make moves for the opposing side. CAD will be used to make a box for the pieces. |
Dadyburjor, D. |
Continuous Glucose Monitoring. This device will integrate with my glucose pump and glucose sensor to display results in real time based on my current blood sugar levels. |
Button PCB support for Game Console | Pi Development, All-In-One. This unit will encompass an LCD on the ??? to interface with the PI and provide an easy way to develop products for it. CAD will be used to create all of the panels as laser cut acrylic. Other components will be 3D printed. |
Gajer, R. |
Fingerprint Lock Safe. You are required to use the correct fingerprint to get into the safe. As backup, there is also a keypad whereby if you don't have the correct fingerprint, you can enter a code. |
Robot Arm. CAD will be used to design the whole arm. The Arduino will be used in this project as well as many servo motors. |
|
Hofer, D. |
Stepper Motor Clock. A round disk with times written on it that uses the motor to turn a pointer indicating the current time. |
555 BiColor LED Driver | Morse Code Practising Box with LCD. All the Morse Code letters will be etched on the back of the box and the LCD will be on the front. Three buttons will be assigned to dot, dash, and reset. CAD will be used to design the case. |
Logush, O. |
Raspberry Pi Location Sensor. Using a Kinect sensor, a Raspberry Pi will detect your position relative to the sensor. It will then point a laser at the person. |
Logic Trainer Motherboard | Arithmetic Logic Unit. This project aims to design and create an ALU to perform functions based on an instruction set. CAD will be used for the housing and EAGLE for the PCB. |
Longwell, J. |
Robotic Hand. Using potentiometers to control servo motors with code from an Arduino. |
CAD Thingy | Robotic Arduino Drawing Arm. I will create a car-like object that a robotic arm will sit atop, which will be controlled by an Arduino. This arm will be able to hold pens and pencils that will draw on a board. CAD will be used to design the pieces of the arm. |
MacDonald, A. |
Solenoid Switch/Motor/Fan. A solenoid switch converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. The signal through the solenoid creates a magnetic field that attracts a plunger that allows the engine(?) to start. |
Traffic Intersection | Computer Fan Base. CAD will be used for a base for a laptop. It will have a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature range an controls the fans. An attached bargraph will display the temperature range. |
McAuliffe, E. |
Nixie-Tube Clock. I will create a digital clock that uses Nixie Tubes to display the current time. |
H-Bridge | Word Clock and Weather Info. A CAD designed, laser cut acrylic panel that lights up from behind. Correct words will be illuminated for the time and a small screen to display the temperature data from remote sensors. Remote LDR to dim lights. |
Morland, T. |
ATtiny and I2C RTC Cloner. A simple utility to copy the time from one RTC to another. Used to easily set the time on Geckos. If time allows I will also make a tool for programming the Gecko's ATmega. |
Shift-Bar | Reflow Toaster Oven. A control unit will be developed to allow a toaster oven to follow an appropriate heat curve for soldering surface mount parts. CAD will be used to design parts that will be 3D printed to interface the control unit to the oven. |
Murphy, O. |
Arduino Calculator. This project uses an Arduino, an LCD, and a 4x4 keypad to function as a calculator. |
N/A | Improved Traffic Light. This will be an improved version of my previous traffic light project. CAD? |
Peterson, E. |
Fingerprint Scanner-Enabled Door Lock. A sleek fingerprint verification system (on a custom-designed PCB) using motors to control the door. |
LED Shield | Graphic Equalizer. An audio visualizer using a microphone for input. The input will be separated into 7 frequency bands by the MSGEQ7 and displayed on 7 tricolor I2C LED bargraph displays. CAD is used to create a custom case and EAGLE will be used to create a custom PCB. |
Schaffer, J. |
Keypad Lock. I will use a keypad to lock and unlock a lock controlled by a stepper motor. |
Traffic Light | Etch-A-Sketch. A clock that draws the time of the display. CAD is used to create knobs that interface with stepper motors. |
Sheeres-Paulicpulle, A |
ACES' Binary Challenge (ABC). It will supply a number in base 10 nd you will have to provide the binary equivalent of the number to advance. |
LCD Backplane | Drink Dispenser. CAD will be used to design the casing. It will be like the drink dispenser we have at fast-food places, with my own little twist. |
Stephenson-Smith, J. |
Acoustic to Electric Conversion. The aim of this project is to build a guitar pickup from scratch and mount it on my old and worthless acoustic guitar. |
Art | Illuminated Acrylic Art. CAD will be used to create a sequence of panels that can be side lit to generate interesting visual effects. Neopixels can be used to generate infinite RGB combinations. |
| Grade | Contribution to Final Mark |
|---|---|
10 |
30% |
11 |
50% |
12 |
75% |
For the bulk of your formal education you have been, and will continue to be, required to consume curriculum chosen for you by someone else. Fortunately (hopefully) you will put this knowledge and skill to good use in your future. However, jumping through someone else's hoops alone does not, typically, secure future success. For that, you must demonstrate your own initiative, motivation, and passion. These qualities need to be cultivated and our Grade 10 hardware course is a perfect place to start. There is so much to learn and there are so many great projects out there that offer stimulating contexts within which to develop and refine your interests.