For my capstone, I made a modular pinball machine that allows the user to move the obstacles around to create any kind of playing board they want. The point was to do something innovative with the classic pinball design and to add my mark to the pinball world. The first thing I did was I first constructed the flippers using a design that I saw on YouTube and have used before in cardboard pinball designs. I made the frame out of thin 1/8th inch baltic birch and plywood so that it is sturdy yet still light and portable. I also wanted the board to be removable so that in case anything breaks or goes wrong it is easier to fix. I created a ball chute for putting the ball in play using a chopstick, a spring, and some thin baltic birch wood. The positioning of the magnets was the hardest part of my capstone. I went through many different magnet patterns with different spacing for all of them before I came up with the one that is actually in use. If you look at the back of the board, you can still see where I had plans to install the magnets on the other designs. After I super glued the magnets in place, I still had to make the obstacles. I started with some basic ones like some basic curves and some circles, although I would still like to expand on my capstone by making some more complex obstacles like ramps, rails, and some moving parts like a multiball function or something like that.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TewAN7A2YcahWalgnl-c5SuRyTGK8eBf0vOmGcggvSs/edit?usp=sharing

I made a camera dolly for the CTE Dig Vid Program. For those that don’t know, a camera dolly is a tool that is regularly used in the filmmaking industry. They’re used to get those smooth and steady tracking shots. Making a camera dolly was the perfect capstone for me because it allowed me to combine my passion for both Engineering and Filmmaking. I got the idea from seeing an instagram story from last year, when the CTE Dig Vid students were using a swivel chair as a makeshift dolly. Building the camera dolly proved to be very time consuming. It took research about the different kinds of dollies and their advantages. Then it took a lot of time working with Mr. Kamal and Ms. Ustaris to think of ideas. Most of the parts used in the camera dolly are from repurposed robots from previous years of our robotics club. A lot of the building was hours of me disassembling and reassembling to make sure that screw holes lined up. After weeks of work, I was able to create a camera dolly with an articulating arm that can rotate 360 degrees with a reach of about 3 feet. The large diameter wheels will allow the dolly to be used in most environments with flat ground. I’m proud of the quality of the camera dolly and hope it will be able to be used as a teaching tool for the Dig Vid students for years to come.

Link to Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vidKe1Cikmhda5V0H4D-wvUCtEK5yuy9x-TZkd_JoNs/edit?usp=sharing

By using the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) approach to solve the problem of feral cat overpopulation, my capstone project intended to bridge the gap between my personal and academic lives. To reduce the number of feral cats and enhance their well-being, TNR involves catching, spaying/neutering, and relocating the cats to their original habitat. I chose to do my research because of my passion for the topic and the negative consequences of population growth, including the spread of disease, competition for resources, and effects on wildlife. My capstone matched SLA’s five guiding principles. Researching cat behavior, trap design, and community needs prompted the inquiry. To enhance the design process, extensive research was conducted on the materials, methods, and traps already in use. The most effective trap ideas were chosen after thorough evaluation and brainstorming, and they were then prototyped and tested with my pet cat and bait. I found some obstacles including selecting a material that would minimize harm to trapped animals.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I5OS5l_T6PfmVBTPG7SPgSvVdOquQDSbjZyDD95DCvU/edit?usp=sharing