Week 2: Course Development

One of the biggest milestones was completing the CAD portion of the online course. The CAD section introduces students to the basics of mechanical design using Onshape. Students learn how to move from simple sketches to fully defined parts and assemblies. The goal is to show that CAD is not just about drawing shapes, but about thinking through how parts interact and how a mechanism actually works.

Many of the examples in the course use parts from the spider robot itself. This allows students to see how the same tools they are learning can be applied to a real project. By the end of the section, students will understand the fundamentals of part modeling, assemblies, and basic design thinking.

Alongside the curriculum work, I also finished wrapping up the code for the prototype robot. The robot is now able to move reliably, which is a big step forward for testing. Getting the robot moving allows me to begin evaluating how well the mechanical design performs and what adjustments might be needed before finalizing the hardware.

With the CAD section finished, I also began developing the 3D printing portion of the course. This section will introduce students to the basics of fabrication, including slicer settings such as walls, infill, supports, and material selection. Understanding these settings helps students see how design decisions translate into real physical parts.

To support the 3D printing lessons, I also started preparing 3D printed parts for the Saturday 3D printing class. These parts will allow students to see the printing process firsthand and understand how digital models become real components.

Next week, I plan to continue developing the 3D printing curriculum and begin further testing of the robot’s movement and durability as well as coordinate with my mentor for class times.

Stay tuned!