The HPG : The Heli-Peli Generator

I spent the last two weeks of my senior year at Loomis Chaffee working on my senior project with two of my great friends: Elizabeth Lee and Seyun Kim.

Our device generates electricity as it falls, mimicking the motion of a falling seed.
The key idea of the device is the generation of magnetic flux.
We named it The HPG: The Heli-Peli Generator.
[side note: Our school's mascot is the mighty Pelican!] 

Liz, Bam, Seyun

Colorful wires inside the pole!

While Seyun and Liz worked on the electrical part of our device, I spent time exploring the mechanical portion.  This included the "propeller" and its attachment to the pole.

I was very excited to work on this project because it was the first time I was able to work with a 3D Printer.  I  taught myself Autodesk 123D.
Furthermore, this project was my first encounter with the design process.  It was truly amazing to realize how much our design changed over the period of only two weeks.

I also learned about the importance of communication.  Since we were working in different rooms, our team had to meet regularly to ensure that we were all on the same page.

Some run-throughs!

The project was a great success!
We created a prototype and presented it to the student body.

I really enjoyed the project.  It was such a great way to cap off my high school life with my best friends. (: