For my capstone, I created a device that automatically adjusted the volume of a speaker or headphones based on sounds detected by the device. I did this using an Arduino, a digital potentiometer, and, of course, code. My guiding question going into this project was “How can I use technology to simplify classroom management or increase classroom safety?” So through some surveying, I found that automation was most wanted for simplicity and for safety hearing announcements, and with that, I came up with my project, AutoEQ.

Through this project, I ran into a lot of obstacles, such as scheduling and time constraints due to order or funding times, hardware issues, and, worst of all, problems in the code. The process was not the most fun, but a lot was gained through it, through what I learned about myself and the project processes. Although the final product is not what I initially intended, with completely ambient sound reaction and a UI, I am still proud of and happy with what I was able to accomplish. Here is a website with the products of my capstone —> https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/gabecapstone2025?usp=sharing