JACK FOSTER'S PORTFOLIO
Hi, I'm Jack
Enthusiastic, Outgoing, Driven.
I am a recent graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, receiving my Bachelor's of Science in Integrated Design Engineering with a focus in mechanical engineering and a minor in business.
My passions include building cool projects, hiking, snowboarding, and rock climbing.
I grew up outside, building tree forts, making push carts and taking apart anything I could get my hands on.
"At some point, everything is going to go south on you... you can either accept that, or you can get to work."
Mark Watney
Powder Control
Abstract
Through the course of the class GEEN 2400 my group and I were tasked by the Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort to improve all aspects of their zoon status sign. Currently the sign is difficult to change, not very visible and unnecessarily uses up ski patrols time at the end of the day for a seemingly meaningless task when they could be devoting more of their time to make sure everyone has exited the mountain safely.
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Our solution for a new sign involves led panels controlled by a high-powered radio to display . To accomplish the task there were environmental factors which we had to overcome such exposure to extreme weather and large distances and obstacles that the signal must have to span across. To overcome the extreme weather conditions we bought electronics which were specced to be able to function in temperatures lower than that of the extreme temperatures that are reached on the mountain.
Background and Client Information
Our goal from this project was to work with a client whose business involves the outdoors. To accomplish this goal we reached out to many outdoor supplies companies, avalanche resume teams and ski resorts. In doing so we came upon A-Basin, who was very excited about the opportunity to work with us on this problem. A-Basin goal is to provide some of the best skiing in the world while maintaining an ideal environment for guests and employees and taking care of the environment all at the same time. This sign the employee us to make is for both the guest and their employees. This sign ensures guests know where and where not to go on the mountain and allows for ski patrol to devote more of their time on the mountain to guest safety, and eliminates a frustrating chore for their daily activities.
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Easy to use
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Highly visible
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Able to withstand temperatures below -20C
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Fully water and weatherproof
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Easily to build and maintain
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Controlled from a single location
Design Requirmentments
Design Overview
Our design process started with this most prominent problem which was to be able to communicate with this sign across up and over the mountain. We iterated our sender and receiver modules from an NRF-24 to a LORA module controlled by a microcontroller. The reason we decided to upgrade to the LORA module was simply the fact that the NRF-24 did not have the range for future iterations of our design, as future signs would be placed up to 2 km away. The LORA module, when provided with up to 15 amps and 5 volts of power, has a range of up to 30 km with ideal voltage stabilization. This would allow for us to easily replace their current signs and even allow for them to add additional signs in more secluded and advanced zones. Allowed for increased and more detailed snow condition knowledge for all skiers across the entire mountain. For the waterproofing aspect of our project, although a difficult task we found that roofing tape was an excellent solution to this problem and allowed for us to full waterproof the LEDs and we used a SK-14 Polycarbonate Enclosure to house the receiver components with a cable gland to waterproof the extruding wires. The controller is 3d printed with a press fit top and bottom, housing the sender components.
Testing
To asses the measures we took to meet our design requirements we did cold, water and distance testing. For the cold testing we put our electronics in a freezer overnight and in the morning we pulled them out and tested them in the morning, the electronics were all still functioning exactly how they should. To our own surprise our water test passed with flying colors. We replaced all of the electronics with paper and sprayed the sign with high and low pressure from all angles and we did not have a drop of water enter any of our housings. To test our distance capabilities we walked up to a distance of 1.5 km away, over hills and through buildings. This was more than enough than we needed for the first sign and highly promising for further iterations of our design.
Our design satisfied all of the design requirements of our client and was fully functional. In the future I would like to streamline the product to make it quick and easy to produce, reduce costs and make repairs more user friendly.
Final thoughts
Budget - $375
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4'x8'x'.5'' Plywood
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$60​
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2'x4'x.25'' Hardboard
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$8​
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2'x3'x.25'' Acrylic
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$32​
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Silicon Sealant
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$8​
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Roofing Tar Paper
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$25​
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Paint
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$24​
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SK-14 Polycarbonate Enclosure
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Cable Gland​​
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$14​
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5 - 8x8 LED Panels
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$50​
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2 - LORA Modules
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Device Boards
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$44​
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Total Spent​​
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$265​
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