The title of my second set of photos will be “Shadows Among Us”

I was deeply fascinated by Baba the storyteller, when he came to visit and mentioned the idea of duality. The concept comes from ancient Egypt, and they believed that “In order for duality to exist, there had to be two opposing forces.” (Source). When the speech was being performed, I sat in a chair with the sunlight blazing behind me. I looked forward to see the shadows that lay before me and pondered. For every light source, there is a shadow that opposes it. Behind every success, there are countless failed attempts. Duality is ubiquitous. So, for my second set of photos, I will capture light and shadows to represent the idea of duality. The world is not black and white. Nothing is absolutely correct or absolutely wrong because duality exists. I want my viewers to understand and appreciate duality by looking at my photos. For inspiration, I will learn from Fan Ho. 

798 is shrouded by abandoned factories and has now been revamped into a palace of art, food, and exhibitions.

Here are the photos I took for today.

Hong Luo Si is known for its features of temples, unique foods, and mountains.

These are pictures I took for the day.

How successful was I?

• I completed the project before the deadline and had spare time to decorate it.
• The boat functions properly and can at least cross over a sink.
• There were no water leaks.
• The boat is still in shape after being used multiple times.

Things I did well on

• The design of the boat was perfect, and I got it done first try.
• I did well sealing the boat together and had no water leaks.
• I made the right decision not to make the boat rubber band powered. A motor produces way more energy, providing me with more learning opportunities, like interacting with wiring for the first time.

Things I could have improved on

• I could have used a metal stick instead of a plastic one so it wouldn’t shake so much.
• I could have added a bearing to the back of the boat, so there’s not as much friction, making the – boat move faster.
• I could have 3D printed a connecter for the stick and propeller. The one provided at school is a little small, which made the powering system extremely wobbly.

Day 1

• I spent the first block finalizing my plan and drawing out my design.
• I started making the boat’s outline in the second block and had to improvise by making it a little bigger as it felt too small to carry batteries.
• I finished the basic outline of the boat, and I am ready to start gluing next class.

Day 2

• I glued my boat with hot glue and taped duct tape for extra safety.
• I tested to see if the boat was waterproof and floatable. The test went flawlessly, and my boat was perfect.

Day 3

• I poked a hole through my boat for a stick to run through it.
• I connected the motor and propeller with a stick in the hole I poked earlier.
• There was too much friction, and it caused the boat to shake when the motor started spinning.
• I added a piece of foam under the boat to relieve some of the shaking.
• The boat was still shaking too much, so I switched out my batteries for a weaker one. The boat worked smoothly after that.

Day 4

• Most of the work is done by now; I only needed to add the propeller.
• I added a barrier around the stick with the hole so if water leaks, it will stay within the radius and away from the battery/motor.
• I spent the rest of the time working on my blog post.

Day 5

• I taped the wires to the side of the boat and stabled the battery box.
• I did a final check of the boat to ensure it was ready to be tested.
• I tested the boat in a sink, and it worked perfectly.
• I added a windshield by cutting a round top from a Sodexo yogurt cup and molding it onto the front of my boat.

Final Product

Feedbacks

• Add a small barrier where the stick pokes through the boat to ensure water doesn’t touch the batteries or motor.
• Use a stick to connect the motor and propeller, so the motor is not directly in touch with water. This does kill a lot of the power the motor produces, however, I improvised by adding a stronger battery, and the motor worked fine.
• Have the propellers under the boat and have the stick poke through diagonally.
• Instead of having a triangle-shaped boat bottom, have a flat bottom as the boat must be heavy enough for the triangle-shaped design to work, so having a flat bottom is a safer option.

Boat Design Inspirations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWDEaCxtZi0

Concept Sketches

Material & Tools

Foam 30x30cm

DC motor

Hot glue

Duct tape

Plastic stick 8cm

Batteries

Battery box

Wire tape

Scissor

Propeller

Schedule

Day 1

• Gather all the materials I need and see if there is anything the school cannot provide.
• Learn the basics of motors (wiring, controls…).
• Have a basic outline of the boat done.

Day 2

• Have the body of the boat built and let it dry.
• Test if the boat is floatable and fully waterproof.
• Reflect on how the test went.
• Fix up any issues.

Day 3

• Add motors to the boat.
• Ensure everything is waterproofed.
• Test if the boat floats with the motor added.
• Reflect on how the test went.
• Fix up any issues.

Day 4

• Fix up any remaining issues.
• Run a final test to see if everything is working.

Day 5

• Final touches (if needed).
• Decorate the boat.

In this project, we were tasked to build a device that demonstrates energy change.

Key:

5 stars – most

1 star – least

Design ideas

Helicopter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ep8z1Whmk

It is a complex design that requires extreme accuracy and must be precise for it to work, although it would be a fun project that provides tons of learning opportunities.

• 3 stars for danger – the helicopter can lose control, crash onto the ground, and potentially cause injuries.
• 5 stars for difficulty –  it requires much knowledge on how helicopter work that I don’t have.

Things to consider:

• The helicopter must be light/small enough to be lifted.
• The motor must be strong enough to lift the helicopter
• How will the helicopter lift/land?
• How will the helicopter be controlled?

Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm8xDMhuHww&ab_channel=MiniMechanics

It is an easy project that will take little effort to complete. I want to make something more challenging with more learning opportunities.

• 1 star for danger – the car will roll on the ground and is not strong enough to cause injuries. The only way someone gets hurt is by stepping on it.
• 2 stars for difficulty – Easy design that does not require much prior knowledge.

Things to consider:

• The motor must be strong enough to power the car.
• The car must be light enough to move.
• How will the car start?
• What controls will be used?

Rocket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rsH4FObZQ&ab_channel=EthanAllred

A dangerous project that requires too much precision and time.

• 4 stars for difficulty – It includes the use of chemicals, which I do not have prior knowledge of.
• 5 stars for danger – it involves the use of chemicals and fire.

Things to consider:

• The rocket must be light enough to lift off.
• The rocket must be in ideal shape to launch straight up.
• How will the rocker be powered?
• How do I ensure the rocket goes straight up?
• What energy transfer will be demonstrated?

Boat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUctNMVX2hU&ab_channel=KendinYap

A perfect difficulty for a project due in 5 classes. All I need to consider for safety is to waterproof everything.

• 2 for danger – everything must be tightly waterproofed.
• 3 for difficulty – I must consider how to waterproof everything, especially the motors.

Things to consider:

• The boat must be light enough to float.
• The boat must be wide/long enough to sit on the water and not tip over.
• All the electric-related components must be waterproofed.
• How will the boat change directions?
• How will I ensure the boat goes straight?

The Cuban revolution was a salad of bloodshed, different ideas, and “guerrillas”. Dictatorship was an idea the Cubans did not accept. The M26-7 was an uprising led by Fidel Castro to fight against their dictator Batista. Castro and his men were clever with the ways they fought. Guerrilla warfare was an example. The word “guerrilla” comes from Spanish meaning “little war”. Guerrilla warfare consisted of ambushing with a small team against a larger group and hit and run tactics. These tactics were what made the M26-7 grow in popularity so quickly. It had gradually guided the M26-7 to a road of hurdles and carnage. 

In product design this semester, we were challenged to make something out of an A4-sized faux leather. The first thing that came to mind was a wallet. I always have the problem of losing my ID card. I decided to make an ID cardholder.

The main features of the wallet are the two pockets sticking out on the two sides. These pockets could be used to hold ID cards, paper money, or credit cards.

I am proud of myself because I have overcome my biggest fear – sewing. I always struggle to sew; it has always been a challenge to me. This time, I got help from other fellow classmates, and I think did great.

If I could restart, I would have made the wallet a bit bigger, make it double-sided, so it looks better on both sides. I would also add a snap to the wallet to make it actually close and keep the things inside.

One problem I have on a daily basis is that I keep forgetting to bring my ID card to school. Without the ID card, I couldn’t access the school and have to check my name off with security.  My solution is to make a magnetic wallet and stick it onto my fridge. I pass my fridge daily so it will be the perfect spot to keep my ID card safe.

I got my inspiration from these photos.