The end of the Senior Project is here! It was a wild journey, with many ups and downs, but well worth it. This week, I attached the Bluetooth Module and worked on connecting it to the app. Here’s what it looks like:
I learned a lot in this Senior Project. I was able to apply knowledge from my AP Physics 1 class in the real world. Learning about something in class is one thing, and using that knowledge in real-world situations is another thing. I had to review some topics again such as Kirchoff’s Law and the difference between parallel and series circuits.
I had a lot of personal challenges as well. I was working too slow at times, I didn’t feel motivated to work on the project, and a bunch of other issues. But I reminded myself of my end goal. I kept in my mind that this project was going to be shown to others. I had to put in my best effort. I used tutorials online when I felt stuck. I asked others for help when I wanted to give up. All of these challenges prepared me for college and the future. I’m going to face similar struggles in life, but now I know how to handle them better.
Like I mentioned before, this project had a lot of ups and downs and a lot of things that went right and a lot of things that went wrong. Some things that went right were the connection and powering of the gas sensor and the coding for the sensor. Some things that went wrong was the connection of the Bluetooth module and wiring for it. While I’m still not 100% done, I’m at the final stage. In a few more days, I expect to fully finish the project. There are so many little details that you have to know when using Arduino, and while I haven’t mastered everything yet, I’m much more confident in myself if I have to use this again in the future.
My final product will be an environmentally-friendly air quality-detecting keychain with a biodegradable cross-hatched jute case and a companion phone app. As I mentioned in posts before, I’m not done with this project. I plan on expanding it as I gain more knowledge and experience over time. I will be presenting May 23 from 6:30 – 6:45 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in San Jose.
I would like to thank these people for their support and technical help. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do my project. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help me:
- My Basis advisor Mr. Barnes
- My External advisor Ms. Zhang
- Mr. and Mrs. Bhattacharya
- Mr. Gaurav Chodnekar
- Wawa from Arduino Forum
- YouTube
For future students, I recommend doing something that you’ve never done before and that you’re really interested in. This is the only chance you’ll get at Basis to do something you actually like and it’s not graded. Seize the opportunity. Don’t just do something that will get you by. Do something that will challenge you, even change the world. Also, make sure to pay attention in class! Yeah AP Calculus can be boring, but when you’re gonna need to use related rates or derivatives for your project, you’re gonna be glad that you took notes. And not just for STEM classes. Pay attention in all of your classes. That’s the only way you can learn topics and expand on them. I learned about air pollution in AP Environmental Science (and we made air pollution sensors out of filter paper and potassium iodide) and that was one of my inspirations for my project. I wanted to make something like that but more advanced And my final note is to never give up. I know it’s cliche but it’s true. There are always people to help you. I will leave you with this closing quote: “If there’s a will, there’s a way”.