This week, our team gathered in the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence to meet with a panel of UF faculty for an evaluation of our project. The Qualification Review Board, as its called, serves as a check-in to ensure our team is on track to meet our goals and deliver the best product we can. Our team’s review board consisted of three experienced mechanical engineering faculty members who gave us both praise and constructive criticism.

Since the Spring semester began, our team has been working hard to begin final manufacturing. A few small delays throughout the previous month have added up to a larger issue, but it’s nothing that we can’t solve without some careful planning and hard work. Every big project is bound to hit a speedbump, and we’re ready to adapt to the challenge. We’re working diligently with our partners at the HWLEE Open Prototyping Lab, our IPPD Lab, and Pinecrest Gardens to resolve issues before they occur. For instance, while motor testing is underway, we are preparing an alternate vendor and manufacturer to take over in case our testing uncovers issues with the parts we have. We’re also moving forward with parts of our project that aren’t impacted by any delays, such as scenic finishes. This will allow us to get ahead and save time in the future.