Firstly, my final presentation night speech was a huge success. I not only got the opportunity to discuss my passion with countless people, but I also got to showcase all my hard work, accomplishments, and obstacles I faced throughout this journey. I discussed my research and interviews, explained my process for designing my robotic hand, and reviewed my 3D model with a group of about ten highly interested individuals. Nevertheless, my presentation had some drawbacks, including my forgetfulness of certain aspects of my journey. However, I plan to rectify this mistake by having my visual aid (slides) incorporate all the points I cover in my speech. This way, I can simply glance back at my slides and recall my thoughts without skipping a beat. Unfortunately, this does mark the end of my incredible journey in ISM 1. My journey through the professional world has taught me numerous lessons and developed my soft skills. One skill that I am especially proud of is my increased confidence in communicating with professionals and strangers alike. Moreover, I also improved my public speaking skills, which will prove to be invaluable in my future career.
My plans (after my countless tests) are as follows:

1. Repair my 3D printer - I plan to fix it during my summer vacation by either ordering new parts or replacing it entirely with a new printer.
2. Modify my 3D model - To bring my project to life, I will need to ensure that my model can be 3D printed.
3. Iterate my design - As I begin manufacturing and testing my design, I will inevitably need to refine it to improve functionality.
4. Shopping time - Once I am satisfied with my design, I will order all the necessary motors and wiring to make it a fully functional robotic hand. I plan to accomplish this before the start of my senior year.
5. ISM 2 - Next year, I will either implement a computer vision system in my robotic hand. However, if I did that in the summer, I would move on to developing a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arm for that hand.

Once again, I would like to thank my mentor, Mr. Dawud Rahmati, for all the help and time he has taken to help me design this, and I wish I can continue working with him through the summer. Thank you all, I will see you again next year.

The last few weeks have been hectic as I have been designing and creating flyers, posters, and more to spread the word about my final presentation night to attract interested people. For example, I designed an invitation card in Canva to print out or share digitally with friends, family, classmates, and professionals I connected with throughout the year. Moreover, I also created a program to hand out to the people in my presentation as an overview of what they can expect from me during the final presentation night. These are just a few things I had done to prepare myself for the well awaited night. All these posters and flyers will be available on my website soon. Now, about my final project. Since I could not fix the semi-broken 3D printer, I could not print out my initial design. Thus, I decided to fully 3D model the robotic hand to showcase my work throughout the year and not let it all go down the drain due to one setback.
Nevertheless, I wish to continue this project throughout the summer and next year during ISM 2 (keep an eye out for that). I am genuinely passionate about this topic and do not want this to seem like a project I am doing just for college applications. My plans for this summer break are to either fix the 3D printer or acquire one and prototype my design so I can begin iterating my designs. Ultimately, I hope to start programming for ISM 2 or during the summer break if I am ambitious enough.

Over the last week, I have been working on my final product and updating my digital portfolio. So far, I have concluded that fixing the broken 3D printer would take too much time and expense; if I manufacture my design, I will outsource it to either a library’s printer or one of my friends’. Nevertheless, after my final presentation night (April 11), I plan on either taking the necessary time to fix up the printer or continuing to iterate my design to make it 3D printable. Moreover, I plan to continue this project into my summer by integrating a vision system and maybe even developing a multi-degree of freedom (DOF) arm for the hand. As for my final product, I 3D modeled each of the five fingers using a tendon-based approach, similar to my original work. This week, I will continue to work on this by incorporating them into a hand and designing the palm to fit all the motors and electrical components as necessary. Once I finish this, I will animate its intended functions and use cases from an engineering perspective, showcasing each element through an exploded view. To promote my final presentation night to the public, I have created an invitation card I plan to give friends, classmates, teachers, and family through an email or a hard copy. This week, I will continue to publicize my presentation by creating a brochure and handing those out, too. Overall, I believe this week and next week will be extremely hectic as I prepare for the night that ends it all.

Over the last two school weeks, I was preparing for my speech about my original work and my reflections on my ISM journey. In short, I emphasized my research on robotic hands and how I utilized it in my original work. For example, I researched the different mechanical systems like linkages and tendon drives. I then explained how I had initially attempted to design a complex multi-linkage mechanism and opted for the more straightforward tendon-driven mechanism instead due to time and design constraints. Moreover, I had stated some of my plans for this spring break (last week), such as fixing the 3D printer that my friend had given me. However, I was tremendously busy and overwhelmed with my robotics team for our second competition, working late into the nights and catching little sleep that week. So, I could not work on my ISM projects and such. Nevertheless, I managed to secure a mentor for my journey through my robotics team. His name is Dawud Rahmati, and he is an electrical engineering student studying at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Mr. Reffler is also busy due to our robotics competitions, so he believed he could not provide the time required to be my mentor, which I completely understand and support. These past weeks have been instrumental in my understanding of compartmentalization and time management. I poured all my time and energy into my robotics team, leaving little room for other tasks, like ISM. So, in the future, I plan to manage my time and energy as well as ensure steady progress in all my projects.

This last week, I have been working up the courage to ask my potential mentor to be my mentor, even though I meet him every day during our robotics sessions. I continued researching and developing my robotic hand to procrastinate that foreboding task. I have mainly been looking into 3D printing and the various materials I can use to accomplish my robotic hand. One such 3D printing technology is flexible and elastic joints. I researched this paper, which examined how they used a special type of filament that can bend to a certain degree and then snap back to its original shape, similar to a rubber band. They used this property in the finger joints, which is simple and reduces the complexity of the hand. However, one drawback of this method is that it takes a lot of time to print and cure, and this team had to let the print cure last for an entire day before it was usable. I could look for other similar materials that can accomplish a similar effect for cheaper and can cure quicker. Moreover, I also examined a single-motor robotic hand that utilizes a differential mechanism to power each finger using just one motor. This method was intriguing and ingenious, but it is too complicated to replicate. So, I think I will just take inspiration from their cable mechanism and subtle details for my robotic hand. They used gears at the joints to ensure smooth curling and flexing of the finger due to the constant contact between the finger joints. This allowed the finger to operate stably and smoothly. Finally, I plan on asking my mentor to be my official mentor for ISM this week.

This week, I was focused on deciding who I should ask to be my mentor out of the professionals I had interviewed. Since I am focusing on robotics more than artificial intelligence AI), I wanted to ask someone who would be super helpful in developing my robotic hand. So, I decided not to ask Tanay Gummadi (AI Professional) since he knows a lot about AI and would be helpful once I start implementing the AI aspect of this project. Moreover, Dawud Rahmati is also a hesitant choice because he not only lives in a different hemisphere from me, so the time difference would make communications inefficient, but also because I think he may not be able to make the time for my questions every week, considering he is a college student in a different time zone. So, naturally, Mr. Reffler is my only remaining choice for a mentor. This is perfect since he is already my robotics mentor, it will feel natural for him to mentor me, too, for this project. Furthermore, since he has mentored various robotics teams for decades, he has a lot of knowledge that I could leverage. Another point that pushes me to ask him is that he attempted to make a robotic hand with his friend when he was younger. He has invaluable insights into this type of project due to his experience. However, since he is facing some personal problems right now, I shall ask him at a better time.

TThis last week was one of my busiest weeks in ISM. Firstly, FISD hosted the ISM showcase at the Toyota Stadium. This was a two-day event with all the schools split into two days. I enjoyed this showcase as it allowed me to display my hard work researching and developing to the public. I believe that I inspired some younger students to apply for ISM through my presentation and motivated them to aim higher than basic ideas. Moreover, I interacted with students from other schools, which broadened my understanding of various topics. One student, in particular, developed a functioning Iron Man helmet that opened and closed with a transparent screen that can have text on it, making it both impressive and functional. However, some students clearly did not spend the time or effort on either their display board or original work. For example, one student had their name, topic, and research articles. That’s it. They did not mention original work, mentors, or a digital portfolio. So, I am glad my ISM teacher pushes us to ensure we are productive and meet our deadlines. Secondly, we must consider securing a mentor for the rest of the academic year to critically evaluate and guide us through completing our products. I have a couple of prospective mentors in mind, but I will need to meet with them again to run this. Thirdly, we also have to develop and finish our product by the night of the final presentation. In order to meet this deadline, I made a calendar with soft deadlines that keep me in check on my progress. This calendar has the due dates for assignments, but it also has some self-imposed deadlines for my product, like “3D print finger”.

All throughout the first semester, I researched my topic through research articles and informational interviews. Using that knowledge, I developed an initial design of my robotic hand for my original work, which was simply a tendon-based robotic finger. Tendon-driven mechanisms utilize a tendon (a string) to power multiple joints using a single motor (under-actuation). In this case, the tendon would run through the entire finger, connecting each of the three joints to one another. So, when a motor pulls the tendon, it will cause the finger to curl. With the start of a new semester, I have also designed and created a display board that illustrates my topic (robotics and AI), the research I conducted, and my original work. This display board will convey my topic and work with a glance while I discuss the purpose and workings of my robotic hand. The rest of ISM in FISD and I will be presenting these boards to the public at the Toyota Stadium for anyone to see in January 28th. This event will provide opportunities for potential interviews and mentors and spread awareness of ISM and the good it does for its students and society. The development of this display board has pushed me to portray my topic and product in a simple and aesthetically pleasing manner, causing me to dumb down complex aspects like linkages and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). This has taught me the skill of simplifying specific concepts into broad explanations as well as the development of physical displays of products.

This past week, I have been focused on designing my original work and creating a budget sheet for all the needed parts. However, I have been hesitant to decide whether to develop a linkage-based mechanism, a tendon-based mechanism, or a combination of both, as they both seem appropriate for my goals and meet my basic requirements. A linkage mechanism is where each joint (knuckle in a finger) is interconnected with the other joints, so powering one joint would move the others in relation to this one. Implementing a linkage mechanism reduces the overall cost as it requires fewer actuators (motors/servos) and is also optimal for grasping objects as it mimics a human hand closing around an object. However, a few disadvantages of this is that it limits the flexibility of the finger as it has only one degree of freedom (DOF), even if it may look like it has multiple. Alternatively, the tendon-based mechanism is superior as it mimics the muscles and tendons in human fingers. Typically, there is one tendon per joint, which offers multiple DOFs and allows for dexterous movements. However, this requires numerous actuators per finger and precise tendon tensioning, which also tends to weaken over time and use. Thus, to combat this indecision, I plan on designing, 3D printing, and testing both mechanisms on two fingers to see which is appropriate for my motives. Additionally, I plan on developing one where I combine these two mechanisms into one finger, similar to the MCR II robotic hand and the ILDA robotic hand.

During the last couple of weeks, I have been busy emailing and calling cold and warm contacts for information interviews about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and all its related components. To overcome my fear of meeting new people, I contacted my warm contacts and successfully scheduled three interviews! I discussed my experience and weaknesses with the first meeting in my previous blog. The following two interviews went more smoothly as I did not stick to the script as strictly as I had previously. The second interview was about robotics in the big picture, as I discussed the different motors, control systems, subsystems, and various design aspects. I learned that my interviewee had attempted a similar project with his friend decades ago, so he had a lot of insightful advice. I plan on having another meeting with him about more specific things. The last interview was with a recent college graduate who got hired at META as a software engineer in a machine learning team. I asked him questions about my robotic arm in general and discussed the AI aspects of this project. I learned that he, too, had done robotics in high school and had a lot of insight. Unfortunately, I did not receive any connections from them, so I must continue sending cold emails and calls to professionals. These interviews have taught me to avoid sticking to the script and keep the conversation flowing as that allows them to talk more about their experiences, which could reveal an aspect of their profession or experiences that open the door for more direct questions.

During the last two weeks, I finalized my original work, which is like a stepping stone for my final product. My original work will be a 3D model of my robotic hand with a budget sheet and evidence of prototyping and testing the design. I will model my product using CAD software called Fusing 360 because I have experience with it, and it is industry-standard software. Alongside researching for my original work, I also reached out into the professional world and contacted professionals in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). I learned how to formally ask a random person for an informational interview and generate topic-specific questions depending on the professional. I have also learned to maintain a list of contacts and log all my conversations with them in a spreadsheet. So far, I have taken an interview and have two more scheduled interviews. I observed some mistakes I had made during the first interview, such as not organizing my questions correctly. I had also wrapped the interview too quickly without asking if he had any questions for me. Moreover, since I had known what major he was pursuing, I had to tailor my questions to more general topics and things I knew he understood. However, I did not ask any new questions on the spot when I learned about his major. I will rectify (hopefully) these mistakes during my following interviews.

I had an excellent opportunity to practice the interviewing and networking skills I recently learned in a professional setting: The ISM Professional Symposium. The ISM Professional Symposium is an annual event that introduces all ISM students to the professional world through networking and mock interviews. This event is instrumental in developing the soft skills that ISM strives to instill in its students. It enables them to practice amongst themselves and with professionals in various fields. I struggled at first to bring myself to talk with the experienced professionals, but I overcame this fear by approaching them with two to three of my friends. This way, we could converse with the professional without me being the sole bearer.
Moreover, I did not anticipate the possibility that I would be mock-interviewed by someone interested in a profession other than mine, so I did not have any open questions to ask them, which led to my poor performance, as evidenced by the feedback I received. However, as the day progressed, I brainstormed some questions I could ask anyone and even solidified my responses to common questions I encountered in my student networking session. This led me to have a fantastic interview that I enjoyed tremendously at the end of the day. The professional and I discussed my future pathway to my desired career and how best to go about it. He provided some hard-earned insight he gained from his life experiences and advised me that college is not needed; if an opportunity presents itself to be better than college, I should take it, given I properly consider my choices.

After officially and professionally proposing my topic to my ISM teacher, we learned about making new connections and generating interview questions. I proposed my topic about a robotic tactile hand that can autonomously grip objects based on calculated points using computer vision and AI/ML. This would allow me to combine my interests in computer science and robotics alongside more minor electronics, math, and physics passions. This past week, we learned about networking. We learned how to find contacts daily, like hearing a conversation and politely introducing ourselves. We even listed multiple questions about our specific topics that we will use in our inevitable informational interviews later. I learned that generic questions that can be answered with a simple yes and no are usually viewed as too simple and a waste of time for the interviewee because I could just google it. So, I had to come up with questions that would help me understand more about my topic and give me guidance in my journey. Moreover, to expand our networks further, we finalized our resumes and printed them out to give out at our upcoming symposium (more about that in the next blog post). Finally, I got to practice all these skills we learned in our classes during the AI and Engineering meetups that ISM 2 students hosted to help new ISM students understand their topic. These sessions allowed me to practice my communication skills with fellow students and even mentors who were there to provide very informative speeches.

After narrowing down my topic to a specific area under robotics, I researched deeply into Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Robotics and cybernetics alongside computer vision and object detection. I learned about searching for credible sources and creating an annotated bibliography for each of my sources. More specifically, I learned that peer-reviewed sources and sources from the government are highly reliable. Moreover, I also learned how to gain more information about the authors of my sources to further credibly the source. This research taught me about the specific implementation and the hardware required to build a potential robot. For example, I can use a three-dimensional vision system to track an object in three dimensions, followed by a multiple-degree of freedom arm (DOF) with a claw or hand gripping it. However, I still have multiple questions about the particular details and the viability of 3D printing the parts to reduce the budget. I aim to ask these questions in an informational interview with a professional in the robotics or AI field.
On the other hand, I attended the ISM Engineering and Architecture meet-up at Frisco UNT, where we had multiple fabulous speakers who knew much about biomedical engineering and architecture. This helped me expand my point of view, as some biomedical products incorporate robotics and computer vision to aid the surgeon quickly and safely. Additionally, the architecture speaker expanded my knowledge of designing and planning a product. So, this past week has been highly educational and resourceful for my topic, AI-driven robotics.

After learning about professional dressing and the ins and outs of ISM, I had to narrow down my topic to research it. To accomplish this, I had conferences with my ISM teacher, Ms. Naegle, to help me find an exciting topic. However, I am still not satisfied with my selection. I want a topic that combines my interests in CS and robotics while still being relevant to the real world. Lately, I have been thinking more about the autonomous robotics side of things, where robots do tasks without much human input, like a self-driving car or an automatic cook bot. But those feel it is too grand of a task for ISM and would require a hefty amount of funding. Therefore, I explored similar areas and developed an autonomous navigation system with real-time mapping of the environment, which can be applied to many frontiers, such as ocean exploration or an automatic lawn mower. Moreover, I am interested in making a robotic tactile hand with object detection that can grasp irregular objects and do tasks with them; this can be applied to industrial automation and prosthetics or be used to help people with difficulty in everyday tasks. I will spend this week deciding on one of them, with the approval of Ms. Naegle, and begin researching that!

The first weeks of Independent Study and Mentorship (ISM) were challenging and rigorous regarding the study materials and research. We, ISM students, learned a lot about professionalism and researching a specific topic. For instance, we learned how to dress professionally and business casually. Moreover, I grew my knowledge on how to properly research my topic (more on my topic later) by utilizing credible sources and avoiding plagiarism or warping the meaning of evidence. Additionally, I attended my first ISM-related professional meeting. ISM II students managed this meet-up at the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) to bring together ISM students interested in pursuing a career in Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning (AI/ML). This meeting was informative and beneficial as I met many students with varying ideas for applying AI to their projects. I expanded my professional network and learned more about my particular topic using this opportunity. I am interested in pursuing a career in robotics, so I wish to develop a project related to robotics that combines my knowledge of computer science (CS) and engineering. However, I will have to spend time diving deeper into my specific interests in the coming weeks and developing a project idea. Currently, I plan on either building a mechanical arm that can follow a human arm in 3D space using computer vision and AI/ML or instead, I might develop software that can interpret American Sign Language (ASL) through computer vision and AI/ML.