My STEP project this summer was building a programming a drone. More specifically, I built a quadcopter (meaning 4 motors/propellers) that would be fit to run on a Blockchain network to simulate what a company like Amazon may use in the future of their delivery. To start, I began programming a simple blockchain on C++, and then I went to configure the drone itself. This involved buying parts from scratch, soldering wires and connectors to the base, learning about drone flight dynamics, and assembling the drone itself.
The biggest thing I understood about myself is my tolerance for making mistakes. The blockchain programming was the first big hurdle. I spent countless hours trying to conceptualize how it would work in a delivery scenario. I have done projects in the past that demonstrate how blockchains may be used for election voting, and how they are already used in financial transactions. However, using them in supply chain was an idea that I have heard about but wanted to learn more – and I made many mistakes and miscalculations along the way. I learned that I have the great ability to be resilient in my work, and keep pushing until I find something feasible.
Another aspect of my project that I took for granted was building the drone itself. I knew that I would need some electrical engineering knowledge to make it work, however I underestimated how much I would actually need. Moreover, I have never soldered before, and I learned how much of a difficult and tedious task it can be if done incorrectly. I surpassed these challenges again by never quitting and focusing on the bigger picture.
One event in particular that allowed me to reconcile these challenges was when I found out that I had bought the wrong part. The motors I planned on using had bullet connectors at the ends of them, which would have made it very easy to solder on the ESCs (electronic speed controllers). However, I found myself with motors that had loose wires. After reading a bit about them, I discovered that I don’t necessarily need the bullet connectors, I just had to trim the wires and solder them together. This was the hardest part of my project, as soldering wires together and soldering a wire to a plate are two different ball games. Unfortunately, one of the motors blew out during testing, which forced me to order another set; thus, I will be re-soldering new motors (now, easier with bullet connectors) back onto the drone so I can continue flight.
This transformation is valuable to me as it taught me to never back down from a challenge. Although most of this project was rogue to me at the beginning, I realized that I can conquer any challenging task that I face by having this resilience and drive to learn. This will be useful in my professional career, as I seek admissions to law school – much different subject matter than engineering. Although the law and English were never my strong suit, I am confident in my abilities to press forward with my aspirations of practicing Intellectual Property Law. I also found a great interest in electronics that, although I definitely had going into the project, grew even stronger. I am proud of the progress I have made, and even though I have had some set backs (and one major one with the motor blowing out), I know that I can press forward and achieve the greatness I sought at the beginning of my project. Thank you to those who were a part of my STEP journey, as I could not have reached these heights without your support!
(Picture of drone)