Bridge Truss Construction and Testing
My team and I first tested our wood samples and glue to determine their strength, and then we collaborated on a truss design that would support our target load of 1,100 pounds. We calculated safety factors and made predictions for when and where the truss would fracture under load. We then constructed the truss over the course of multiple days and tested it under simulated loads. It outperformed our maximum load expectation (~1,500 pounds) and failed at the joint we had predicted earlier. This project was interesting to work on due to the combination of construction and analysis.
Final truss and calculations spreadsheet
Photo Tagging and Sorting Mobile App
The summer after my freshman year at CU, I had an idea for a fitness-related photo-sorting app, so I decided to learn Swift for App Store development. After reading a series of articles about Swift and working on multiple preliminary test apps to improve my skills, I moved on to making an app for my original idea. The app features three main pages: a home page where the user can upload photos and tag them, a gallery where all of the user's uploaded photos can be viewed and sorted based on their tags, and a settings page. The app features persistent data storage, an integrated camera, and the ability to save photos taken in the app to both the app's gallery and the user's camera roll.
App Store screenshots
Reverse-Engineered Nutribullet Blender
Using SOLIDWORKS, I modeled a Nutribullet blender, keeping the dimensions and scale consistent for visual accuracy. My partner and I designed a theoretical modification to the blender composed of a planetary gear system attached to a ring of rotating brushes. The idea behind this was that the blender's blade would spin close to its original speed, but the gear system would rotate the ring of brushes at a slower rate more appropriate for moving food towards the blade. We added this modification to the SOLIDWORKS model, and we laser-cut a model of a planetary gear system that would fit the interior of the Nutribullet casing. I enjoyed this project a lot because of the 3D-modeling focus and the opportunity to innovate new ideas.
Reference (left) and SOLIDWORKS render (right)
Text-Based C++ Game
My partner and I spent about 100 hours coding, testing, and debugging this text-based space exploration game. The game consists of the player choosing "crewmates" at the beginning, each with persistent special abilities that affect future game decisions. The player is then able to purchase supplies with their starting currency. The main game loop begins afterward, when the player can then visit multiple randomly generated worlds, research them, and decide whether or not they are habitable. Once the player has "saved" enough people or run out of supplies, the game ends.
