Capstone Project

For my capstone project, I aimed to combine my two interests/strengths: STEM and music. My first idea was a tuning tool, but it proved too difficult of a product to make unique. The second option, which I have now committed to, is an LED circuit featuring a Piezo Vibration Sensor that lights up when I play my instrument: The violin. Taking up the capstone project certainly was not easy. In the winter term, I opted to join the capstone project, knowing that I had a multitude of other academia waiting in the junior year. It would be unfair to call this decision an act of confidence in ability, because I knew that if I could complete it with relative success, it could stand out on my college application. By the spring trimester, despite the fact that I had completed my prototype and had achieved fair progress towards the end goal, the burden of work afflicted me intensely. By April, the stresses of standardized testing and the start of the Tennis season gripped me. The goal now is to

The end of the school year is always a stressful but blissful moment. The burdens of testing lessened by the imminent reward of vacation. As for my project, I have not been able to devote significant time to tinkering and fine-tuning. Standardized testing coupled with athletics and music really do weigh me down for time. Although progress has slowed, I am still committed to my goal. By May 20th, I hope to be able to present a finished and working device; fully welded and polished product with no exposed wiring.

Creativity:  During the early stages of planning, before I had conceived a suitable idea, creativity really seemed like an issue. However, enough stress has pushed me to form my idea, and thus I no longer see creativity as an issue. Managing ambiguity:  Settling and pinning down on a decision has always been a struggle. Many parts of the project have left ambiguous futures that will need to be dealt with. But again, with the push of stress and deadline, I feel that I can 'force' myself to 'do'.  Planning/time management:  Time management is the bane of most teenagers. In the process of maturing, planning and effectively using time is a requisite-level skill that one cannot dismiss entering adulthood. This has historically been my downfall, as work all the way 'til middle school necessitated so little of my time that I had never needed supervision or habit reinforcements. Now in the latter stages of high-school, with a mountain of work ever increasing, time manag

  Over spring break, I managed to shift my focus and settle on a concept which satisfied both my personal criteria and the 'rules' laid out previously. I knew that I wanted to apply some of the things I've learned in the class room and integrate it with a hobby.   The prototype of the project is complete, and over the next few weeks coming into deadline will be refinement and perfecting the vision set upon.

Spring-break is a busier time than the regular academic rotation, particularly during the Junior year. Obligations and ambitions compound exponentially as the college application process enters full swing. Kids often have college visits and other activities scheduled alongside their downtime, and this felt true to me. Over the three-and-a-half week vacation, I set out to create a prototype of my new idea: an LED strip that increases in luminosity with violin playing. The biggest struggle I had was not the logistics and mechanisms behind the design, but rather the commitment and resource prerequisites. Just because I knew how a circuit and its components worked does not equate to me understanding how to construct one. Finding and locating each individual part that I needed, as well as finding the tools needed (Solder, breadboards, etc...) proved to be a significant challenge. More than 10 hours were spent simply looking at components and comparing prices. Now with the parts and materia

As I continue to progress, the purpose in personal growth of committing to a capstone project has become more apparent, in contrast to the view that the end product was truly the end product. My capstone project began on a concept of a tuner, a device which varied countless and has had centuries of perfection. In order to create a unique product which fulfilled the criteria, I was forced to innovate and incorporate new elements. Another skill for which I've developed is planning. For most independent projects, setting aside a plan to execute is critical before actual work can go in. When one goes shopping for materials, it would be unfortunate to have to make multiple trips due to insufficient materials, but also to have spent way too much extra. Carefully planning out what the design will require is definitely the strategy to take.

  So far, my Capstone Project has taught me many quintessential lessons and struck me with difficult questions. On one-side, the case of an independent workload forces you to take responsibility in time management and diligence. But the application of a subject of interest in the real world may reveal to you of challenges and questions previously unseen. Is this really the path of career I want to choose? Is this process really the 'right one'? Doing this Capstone has opened my eyes to the previously tossed-aside possibilities. I was so committed to maths and physics due to various influences, that I never bothered with the humanities and social sciences.   While this realization is scary, it is also an opportunity. Through this project I may be able to identify myself in the way that I can faithfully commit to STEM major in college and career. Or it would allow me to find my way in other fields that suit me better.

  So far, I have learned more about the intricacies of resonance based instruments. It was far from the simplicity of merely looping it in with an equation that I had imagined it would be. Nonetheless the concept is still sound and definitely doable.   I have taken the break and much of this week to arrive at a more flushed out design. I want to have my final 'blueprint' before I go shopping for materials. The new idea now is that on the side of the piping would be a small lever system that would swing a small rubber mallet onto the side of the tube. The triggering mechanism would have a spring and an axis involved, which results in a more simple operating experience instead of the manual 'striking' with the rubber mallets. This further cements the idea that the creation is to be a tuner tool rather than an instrument to be played.   Short-term goals are finishing my design, getting materials, and starting my build.

My plan to plot out the usage of time for this project is to go by a weekly basis. Each week I plan to accomplish a step. This week I spent my time reaching out to my mentor and draft out ideas to up the complexity of my design. Right now I have some newer ideas in mind to add to the base design, but I will need to go and acquire the materials first, which I plan to do next week once I'm no longer busy. By march break I should have the first physical prototype completed. Perhaps the most difficult part about managing time for extracurricular projects like this one is meshing it with already scheduled schoolwork and practices. Capstone projects do not have a specific time/block of the day or week for me to work on it, and I will need to plan ahead to ensure I have time to do it.

  For this project, I choose Mr. Jesse Ofgang, my previous music teacher and neighbor for 6 years. In 2012, my mother received a job offer from the Marvelwood School, and took up on it as a way to bring me back to America. The very same year my mother came, Mr. Ofgang was hired by Marvelwood as well. We were neighbors downstairs in Sterling. J-dog as I amicably refer to him as posed as a big brother figure for me rather than a father-like figure because saying so would insult his youth. We played chess and sometimes Mario Kart during our off-time, and when I became a Freshmen at Marvelwood he was my music teacher.   I have asked him to be my mentor on this project because he's evidently good at music, and understands my passion and skill in music. I think he will be able to help me turn this piece into a real musical device rather than just a DiY sort of tool. 

I chose my pipe-tuner idea because it was clearly the most realistic. I have had this concept in my mind since forever, and have thought about different mediums but which did not turn out to be quite doable. What I hope to accomplish with this project is get a feel for physical creation of something useful from 'book knowledge' and to also learn in the process of making it. Of course, the end product would also be very applicable since I could use it to tune my own instrument. This week, I have gathered many of the resources I need before beginning material purchasing and construction. Most likely will have to head out to buy the requisites soon.

  Before beginning on my Capstone Project, I had already brainstormed many ideas for what I could do. I was dead-set on incorporating physics and music into my creation, as they were my 'main strengths'. The first idea consists of resonating metal bars, similar to those in a wind chime, tuned to match the frequency of instrumental strings. My second idea was something intended for a similar purpose, but done using tubular pipes, which create the desired sound by definition of its length and cross-sectional radius. My Third idea, quite frankly still a concept which has not been conceptualized yet, is a window screen extension mounted through a cut out section. A small box representing a hallway for felines or other indoor pets to enjoy the sun and outside air without requiring the attention of a human. Granted many cats do already run in and out of the house unaccompanied, but it would make an interesting experience for those who are more interior inclined.   The first idea wa