Environmental Technology Portfolio
An Exploration of Modern Technologies
I chose a variety of technologies that can be adapted to environmental purposes because I wasn't sure which areas of environmental technology I would be interested in. However, I did choose to 3D print, use the LEGO Mindstorm Robot, and the Arduino Sensor kit because I prefer doing things with my hands over research. I wanted my portfolio to be well rounded so I did include two sections that would involve research: the fresh water blog, and the wind turbine comparison essay. I picked these topics because I found them interesting especially the idea of a bladeless wind turbine.
3D Printed Water Filter
I printed a water filter that would be able to filter out sediment particles from water. The model I designed and printed is a large scale model of something that would be very tiny in order to really separate small particles from water. I also printed it into a basin which would collect the clean water from the filter tube. The holes on the side of the center tube would allow water to pass through without sediment particles.
Design
I used SketchUp to design my filter.
3D Printing
I used the Lulzbot Taz 5 printer to actually print the filter.
Sunfounder Sensor Kit
I designed a sensor system that would act as a miniature weather station. The sensor monitors the temperature and humidity and also whether or not there is precipitation. I used the humiture and raindrop sensors to build this system. This would be useful for monitoring weather both indoors and out. One potential application of this technology would be in a greenhouse. This sensor system would be able to monitor the conditions inside and potentially could be adapted to either alert to or change settings so that the temperature or humidity could be corrected. This could also be used in an outdoor setting such as a crop field to help farmers monitor how much water their crops need based on the weather.
LEGO Mindstorm
In this section I programmed a LEGO Mindstorm robot to autonomously maneuver through a short obstacle course. The robot contained three sensors which is used to pass through the course.
"Nature is a brilliant engineer and builder. It knows how to create seashells that are twice as strong as the most resistant ceramics human beings can manufacture, and it produces silk fibers five times stronger than steel. Nature also knows how to create multipurpose forms."