Working on this collaborative project with Lionel was definitely one for the record books. We decided to create a levitating desk organizer. It was something that we felt was useful and allowed us to use magnetic repulsion in the design.
With our first test to see if our levitation would work, we just made a simple base and a model self to show. It was successful in levitating and at holding things on top of the shelf, so we knew this was possible.
After the first test, we knew that our main focus was getting the design finished as soon as possible so we can start printing the final product. Lionel worked on the first shelf and I worked on the top shelf. The bottom shelf has three cups to place things in. Allowing the user to organize there items that way. The top shelf had three cups, and 6 posts. These were designed to hold pens, pencils, and markers. Markers would go in the larger cups and the pens and pencils in the smaller posts. This was designed to go with the guides that stick out of the top, so that the guides just looked like a pencil sticking up.
Some difficulties we ran into were with printing and with the magnets. With the printing, the temperature had dropped in the room so the filament wasn’t sticking properly. Once the right temperature was set, the prints we able to be made. With the magnets, we tried to heat set the magnets in the plastic but did not know that magnets lose their magnetic field when heated past a certain point. So we had to get new magnets. Once the hiccups were fixed the shelf was great!
Overall, I think that the project went well. We did have some minor hiccups but that is okay. Our teamwork worked out well, and it was great that we both got something out of this project. We learned from the project and we know that we can make this become something better and that much more unique. It is something that the both of us know we are able to push further. We want to continue fixing everything and get this looking like a final product.
Jimmy Cordova 