For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by problem solving, using my acquired skills and knowledge to actively improve someone's life. I am also very passionate about the environment, and decide to pursue mechanical engineering in order to use these problem - solving skills to help design and implement more reliable and sustainable energy solutions. Therefore, I would say I am most excited for the coursework in the energy concentration, in which I'll be able to explore the various alternative energy areas in further detail, and hopefully which segment I would like to pursue in the future. In relation to this course, I have never had the opportunity to learn to operate a 3D printer, so I am very excited to learn more about how they work!
While there have been so many engineering advancements that have had significant impacts on our world over the past 150 years, I would have to say the 3 that have made the most significant difference on mankind's prosperity and quality of life would be the digital camera, the internet, and the refrigerator. First off, the digital camera allows for you to capture a specific moment in time and to preserve childhood memories for the rest of your life. Furthermore, scientific discoveries and important moments in history can be captured and placed in history books for students to study generations later. The internet, furthermore, allows for us to acquire information and knowledge from billions of sources that had to previously be extracted from books and would take much longer to acquire. Lastly, the household refrigerator allows for people to be able to store their food for longer periods of time without it going bad. This invention allows for not only food production and delivery services to prosper, now able to more easily transport the food to grocery stores and markets, but people are able to stock up on perishable foods without having to immediately consume them. This ultimately allowed for people to start having a surplus of food in their homes and an overall improvement in quality of life.
As a student, I spend a lot of my time at my desk reading over material and studying throughout the day and long hours into the night. I purchased a desk lamp that has a USB port as well as a bendable neck below the light source so that I can charge my phone as well as position the light source throughout the day so its always shining on my work. Upon researching the patent, I discovered that this particular design was filed by Tseng-Ly Chien under patent US10574069B2 in 2015, which was based on several previous US patents.
In terms of the geometry, which can be observed in the link above, the cubic base allows for a strong foundation that will prevent the lamp from tipping over when the neck is being adjusted by the user. Furthermore, the flexible wire-like neck allows for the lamp to be adjusted depending on its need. For instance, during the day it can be moved straight up and out of the students way. Furthermore, at night it can be curved down so it can directly shine light on books or any material that is being observed. The top of the lamp is circular with small lights spread out underneath it so that the student can get the maximum light possible, able to light up their desk all around rather than concentrating on a single spot and leaving the rest in darkness. In terms of the USB Ports, they are built into the base of the lamp, along with the switch, that way you have all of your controllable outlets / switches in one convenient location. Furthermore, if you are charging a device you can plug it in at the bottom of the lamp and can set it on the desk without the cord getting in your way as much. The charger for the lamp itself is located behind the lamp so that it can be plugged into an outlet behind the desk, again conserving room for your other materials on your desk and adding to the overall aesthetic.
The lamps head and base are typically made out of plastic, with a bendable metal neck that allows for 90 degrees movement and a rubber coating that protects the user and once again adds to the overall aesthetic. If the product was made out of solely plastic or another rigid material instead, then it would become a fixed lamp instead of adjustable, and would therefore fulfill a different purpose than originally intended.
This item is manufactured in Chatsworth, California by Lamps Plus. Their manufacturing process for this product involves individually assembling a 6 and 3/4" wide x 3 and 1/2 " deep plastic base and a 6" wide x 2 and 1/2" deep plastic lamp head. The base is wired and sculpted to withhold a 5V-1000 mA USB port. The lamp head is placed and attached around a 6 watt LED. A flexible metal gooseneck is created as well and then all three assembled items are attached to one another. Once the product is fully assembled, a black finish is applied to the plastic components and a black rubber is fitted around the metal neck so that the lamp has a cleaner finish to be showcased in a home.
Over quarantine I was introduced to the game disc gold and ended up loving it. However, while I enjoy it I am not very good, and the disc always seems to go out of bounds at least once throughout the day into the thorns and brush and I wouldn't be able to find it. Therefore, for my project I would love to invent a tracking device that could I could attach to my discs, that I could operate with my phone when I lost one of the discs. It would make a loud sound and allow me to identify where it was so I could go retrieve it without taking a large amount of time out of my day to go search for it.
I spent approximately 6 hours on this assignment. It took me a while to learn and understand how to use html as well as to set up the needed programs on my laptop. However, it felt very rewarding once I was finally done, as this is a great skill I can now carry with me into the future!
Contact me at afile@uncc.edu