Misc Projects
When I happened upon the Design institute at UC Berkeley, I discovered the world of “making”. As a result, I spent a lot of my first two years in college exploring this space through many interesting (and sometimes failed) projects.
Phone case
This 3D printed case design has been my most used (and arguably essential) gadget. It attaches 2 keys and my student ID to my phone, simplifying everything I need into the palm of my hand. As I switched apartments and phones (5 in-between iterations not shown) through my 4 years of bachelors, the design has evolved with my changing needs.
The first model and current model:
Lap Desk
The lapdesk project was to make note-taking more ergonomic but ended up as an exploration of plywood construction. Thinking about ways to make laser-cut planes of plywood bend and curve was an interesting challenge. Unfortunately, I never used this because it was impractical to carry and not much more ergonomic than regular note-taking. Although I did enjoy the experience, my biggest takeaway is this: if you prioritize the journey over the destination, the product will sometimes be useless.
Flute Case
This flutecase provided a protective casing for transport and storage of the delicate instrument. I really enjoyed the double bayonet design (I didnt know this mechanism existed until someone told me what it was!) to transport the split flute in a more compact form factor. The slots allowed me to decorate the exterior with Chinese poems laser-engraved on strips of wood and plastic.
Phone Arm
This gadget allowed me to fix my phone in space to take pictures for studying or display videos while cooking. It was a fun and sleek design but couldn’t outperform the plethora of phone-holding gadgets available on Amazon.
ABB point gripper
This was a gripper was created for Autolab to simulate a point contact with embedded ball bearings.
Davinci Test Setup
Of all the experimental hardware I built for the Autolab, this one was the most memorable. It was my first exposure to the creative and complex world of machining (I had no idea what mills were until freshman year). I still remember Jessie of the ME machine shop showing me what an auto tapper was, saving me from the foolish quest of tapping 250 holes by hand.
Mathematically Generated Designs
The blue wave structure was generated using recursive math equations in a program called Structure Synth. The white organic-looking sphere is made from a Voronoi pattern as a design-athon project to create an elegant night light. I always enjoy exploring the intersection of design and math!
Cycloidal
I tried making a cycloidal gearbox transmission for a bldc gimbal motor. It worked ok without any load but seize up once any load was added (mostly due to lack of precision machining and experience).
3d Printer Failure Notes
This was a quick idea to laser-cut generic 3d printer failure notes on post-it notes for the makerspace. I like to indulge the sporadic design spark, especially for quick projects testing new techniques!
Brush Case
This simple case stores my brushes and also transforms into a paintbrush stand. Looking back, the relatively weak laser-cut fingers and acrylic glue joints held it back from being robustly used.
Audio Mixer Cover
One of my electrical engineering friends asked me to make a cover for his audio mixer. I wanted a sleek design and a user-friendly edge so I bent acrylic to form a nice rounded surface.
Clothing Organizer
Just a quick illustrator exercise to make a formal wear organizer.
