Engineers are problem-solvers: designful engineers are life-improvers.
SMAile Doll
client: Dynalloy, Inc.
Demonstrate realistic facial expressions in dolls using shape memory alloy wires
Researched potential competitors and found Baby Alive Real Surprises, a doll that makes facial expressions using a mechanical system. We challenged ourselves to build a doll that created silent, repeatable facial expressions that users found more realistic than Baby Alive in a side-by-side comparison.
Designed a mechatronic system that silently and safely used SMA wires to smile and pout with an estimated lifetime of 150,000 cycles.
I designed the electrical functionality of the system, led the design of the team’s final presentation, and was a contributor to and editor of the formal report.
Design and manufacture an injection-molded pocket-sized toy hangman set
Conceptualized a pocket hangman toy that could be manufactured with injection molding. We designed the parts in SolidWorks, bearing in mind fits and ease of assembly.
Created a CAM program in NX to manufacture aluminum molds on a 3-axis CNC machine. We considered parting lines, potential weld lines, and even thickness in the design of the molds.
Tracked the parts' consistency during the molding process with statistical methods. Our realized product elicited happy, playful reactions and won third place in the class competition judged by professionals from Aptar and GM.
