Sam Copeland
Sam is very grateful for the opportunities provided to him in ENPH 253. Learning the most he ever has in a university course - both in quantity and practicality - has booosted his confidence and experience in electrical and mechanical design. Having previously worked a Coop term in the mechanical industry, he was able to utilize and build upon his skills with CAD software and product fabrication. In this project, Sam made contributions across the board, from electrical design and circuit fabrication, to mechanical testing and software development. Specifically, he focused in designing and building motor control circuits, and coding the tape and infrared light following algorithms.
Sam is in the Electrical option of Engineering Physics and hopes to be able to put his reinforced electrical and mechanical skills to use in his future school and Coop terms, and is thankful towards his teammates and instructors for a great summer.
Gus Crowards
Gus has been excited about ENPH 253 from the day he transfered to Engineering Physics from Science One. He worked for Schneider Electric in his first Coop term where he gained many invaluable skills, one of them being CAD. With this experience, he spearheaded the mechanical design of the robot, making the chassis and front sled. Gus also wrote a vast amount of the code from the software that autonomously navigated the course.
Gus is entering the Mechanical option of Engineering Physics, and feels that the skills gained in this course will be able to propel him into an industrial setting for his next Coop.
Cole Spooner
Kiera van der Sande
Kiera was delighted with her experience in ENPH 253. She was able to pick up skills otherwise unattainable through traditional lecture based study. She has chosen the Electrical option of engineering physics and has therefore focused her contribution to the electrical workings of the robot.
Specifically, Kiera was in charge of the overall circuit design and layout. She designed and soldered the power board that supported all the robot's functions, and planned circuit layout to fit in a compact well shielded encasement. Although electrically inclined, she did not shy from learning CAD from scratch and contributing to the overall mechanical design of the robot.
Kiera is beyond satisfied with the result that she and her previously inexperienced teammates were able to produce in three months, securing first prize.
ENPH 253 was the best course Cole has encountered thus far in his university career. Going into the mechanical option of the Engineering Physics program and being interested in the field of robotics, he enjoyed using CAD to experiment with designs for the robot.
Cole designed and built the robot's drive system, including the planetary gears and large diameter wheels. He also contributed to the mechanical design and fabrication of the chassis and object retrieval arm. This was his first time using the CAD software Solidworks but he picked it up quickly and enjoyed making parts and assemblies, including some video animations. He also co-wrote the software (programmed in C) for the robot's IR following and decision making.
He is very proud of his team for producing a simple and effective robot, clinching first place.