mDot & Nero
mDot and Nero are custom remote-controlled boats designed and built by students at the University of Pennsylvania as part of a final project for IPD 501: Integrated Computer-Aided Design. During the span of six weeks, two teams of eight students expanded their SolidWorks skills and exercised manufacturing techniques such as carbon fiber composite layup, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, and thermoforming.
As part of the teaching staff class, I acted as project manager to the teams to define project goals and requirements. I also helped shape team structure, set timeline requirements, evaluate existing designs and suggest engineering solutions. I worked to orchestrate communication between design teams and manage team efforts to help produce functioning boats in an accelerated project development sprint. In the end, the credit goes to the students who did a great job finalizing their boats considering the time pressure.