The "Do Nothing Machine"

Within around two weeks, my team built and programmed a "do nothing machine". A "do nothing machine" refers to a machine that, after being switched on, will switch itself off. In our version of the machine, it was programmed to move and play music, simulating different kinds of reactions. For this project, we were working with a budget of $180.

What worked and what didn't work:

We managed to sync the movements of the lid opening and closing with the movement of the arm and the timing of the music. However, our arm did not have enough torque to switch the switch off. Instead it would attempt to press down and slip. Our motors and wheels worked, but we burned them a few hours before the actual presentation and filming so we do not have a footage of the coffin running.

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My role in the team: 

I was fully in charge of all the 3D printed parts, including the U and X brackets, cam, and the arm. I was also in charge of the CAD, conducted part of the machining, and helped troubleshooting/ debugging/ testing our Arduino code. When my team panicked and stressed out, I remained calm and helped by providing emotional support and guiding my teammates so that we can tackle the problem together.