For McMaster’s 1P13 “Luggage Project” our team had eight weeks and a CA $30 budget to automate baggage transfer between two levels of an airport-style test rig. I proposed—and we ultimately built—a rotary-actuated ramp that swings up to catch each suitcase and then lowers it smoothly to the lower platform. The simple one-degree-of-freedom mechanism, driven through a 12-tooth/24-tooth sprocket pair, met all size, cost and torque constraints while cutting potential baggage-handling errors in course trials.

I led mechanical concept selection, pitching the rotary-ramp idea and justifying it with trade-off matrices, then translated it into a detailed CAD assembly complete with railings, supports, and a custom lightweight hinge. After calculating the 12-tooth/24-tooth sprocket ratio to satisfy torque limits, I iterated the design through three prints on my Bambu Lab P1P—dialing in bed adhesion, clearances, and infill until shafts, screw holes, and platform mounts fit flawlessly. Throughout the build as Project Manager I managed the schedule, coordinated Q-arm test sessions, and documented work-arounds when faulty control hardware limited practice time.

For the 1P13 “Power in Community” challenge, our team designed a tactile corner-guide that lets Kimberly—a home cook with Usher syndrome—reliably center pots on her flat-top electric stove without sight or sound. The low-profile guide suction-cups to any stove surface, uses heat-resistant ABS reinforced with silicone insulation, and offers high-contrast edges she can feel and see. In testing, it stayed under 1.5 mm of movement during vigorous stirring and cost less than CA $30 to make, giving Kimberly a safe, easy-to-clean aid that restores confidence in everyday cooking.

I produced the initial SolidWorks concept, led the team’s attachment-method trade-off that favored suction cups over magnets, and iteratively refined the CAD to raise the guide on narrow “legs” that cut heat transfer from the burner. Owning the Bambu Lab P1P printer, I handled most fabrication—including my first ABS prints—debugging warped beds, tuning nozzle and bed temperatures, and even insulating the hot end to protect a faulty sensor. Two print-and-test cycles let me dial in clearances, suction-cup recesses, and silicone placement until the guide withstood front-burner temperatures without warping while remaining quick to install and wipe clean. I also helped coordinate user trials, logged movement and temperature data, and folded peer survey feedback into the final design package. ​