I am currently working with a local Oakville robotics team, previously as a student, now a mostly remote-based design and media mentor working with fellow mentors of diverse backgrounds and experiences to help guide and foster student knowledge and interest in STEAM.

Timeline

2016 – 2020 (Student)

2022-Present (Mentor)

Team

FRC Team 3161

Role

Design Mentor

Responsibilities

Student Mentoring, Computer Aided Design Support, Training Documentation Technical Drafting, Media, and Graphic Design Support ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an annual robotics competition for high school student teams, with a unique annual challenge, giving students a 6-10 week period to build an effective 120lb robot and then 7 weeks to compete with it. 

This whole experience gives students an active learning environment from design, engineering, business management and even media production, exposing them to experiences, practices and knowledge that would otherwise not be exposed to them until college/university or the workplace.

When I was a student in the team, I first became involved in the team’s robot design and manufacturing process in 2020, it was a learning experience that helped me understand the fundamentals of mechanisms, reliability of certain manufacturing methods and CAD software, all of which greatly helped me as I started undergraduate studies for Industrial Design.

Now that I am mentoring, I teach students and assist the team using those learnings, as well as learnings gained in my line of work.

Along with other design mentors, we assist in the strategic design direction, prototyping next steps, the manufacturable, competition robot CAD using Solidworks and its associated manufacturing drawings or files.

Shown below is example renders and photos of various designs I have assisted with as a mentor.

Learn an example of the design process our team carries out here.

Video Description:

2024 Arm Movement Verification for the Absolute Encoder (Black Item in the Centre) mount design, needing to ensure that the notch on the white hub does not ever intersect with the similar notch on the main black body at the planned range of motion (0 to 80 Degrees).

This verification was needed to simplify encoder implementation, forgoing the need to integrate rollover/wraparound logic.

I became involved with team media and branding when I was in my sophomore year of high school, of which I took an opportunity to refresh the team’s branding that got me to learn and appreciate about the fundamentals of brands, brand systems, and graphic design.

I also was involved then in team media, producing photographic work during competitions and outreach events.

Nowadays as a mentor, I advise media students on decisions regarding team media, helped start and maintain the team documentation site, produce training graphics/diagrams and maintain the team’s website.