Caitlin Fotheringham

Electronic Engineer

Portfolio

Welcome to my online portfolio where you will find a selection of university and personal projects. If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact me. Happy scrolling!

Agro, A Small-Scale Plant Propagation Environment (Final Year University Project)

Oct 2019 – Apr 2020

– Developed a domestic product that grows plants from all around the world with minimal user input.
– Researched and prioritised growth factors.
– Chose components and coded a microcontroller for suitable sensors and actuators to ensure ideal conditions are met (temperature, soil moistness, and light spectra).
– Implemented novel ways of achieving desired lighting and moisture conditions, for example by generating purple rain.
– Produced a technical report (34 pages) explaining its operation and use case.

Skills developed: research, recognition of biological factors, hardware design and construction, printed circuit board design, programming, power electronics, technical report writing (LaTeX and Illustrator).

"A truly excellent project - some very innovative design concepts, and the student showed outstanding initiative and fully owned all aspects of the project. A wonderful piece of work - combining imagination, pragmatism, and in the end producing a "product" that does what was intended when the project was conceived."

Singing Soap Dispenser

May 2020

– Made a handsfree soap dispenser in light of the corona virus pandemic that counts down from 20 seconds, sings a song about hand-washing (performed by yours truly) and displays roughly how many hand-washing sessions are left in the bottle – all to keep the user entertained and well informed as they wash!
– Created a video detailing the engineering process.

Skills developed: Arduino C, project planning, acrylic plastic tooling, project video production.

Violin Tuner

Nov 2019 – Dec 2019

– Worked with Sarah Clark to develop a violin tuner using Python and IIR filters that successfully tunes all four violin strings.
– Created a pre-amp using analogue electronics.
– Made a video showcasing the device.

Skills developed: digital signal processing, teamwork.

HueGO, A Colour-Detecting, Line-Following Robot

Sep 2018 – Apr 2019

– Responsible for colour sensor, novel feature, and thermal management.
– Proofread group report: encouraged teammates with grammar and syntax, ensured consistent style and accuracy of descriptions.
– Developed an oral presentation, ensuring the most vital parts were covered within the time limit.

Skills developed: project planning, debugging, teamwork, communication, technical report writing.

 

Aurora, A Stylish Waterproof Bag for Commuting

Sep 2019 – Oct 2019

– Designed and made an elegant dry bag backpack after struggling to find an existing product.
– Implemented innovative strap buckle system to increase load and keep hands free.
– Integrated electroluminescent (EL) wire trim for low light visibility.

Skills developed: research and development, planning, minimising waste material, sewing.

Glasgow Hyperloop Website

Mar 2019 – May 2020

– Designed, developed and maintained Glasgow Hyperloop’s website, glahyperloop.com.
– Animated their logo and created various GIFs.

Skills developed: website design, search engine optimisation (SEO), GIF creation.

Solar Charger Workshop – for Glasgow University Sustainable Technology Society

Aug 2018 – Nov 2018

– Developed and delivered a workshop teaching students from various disciplines how to make solar powered phone chargers.
– Produced an initial design that was both adequate in performance and building difficulty.
– Made and tested a prototype.
– Wrote a poetic instructional guide.
– Explained engineering to attendees and encouraged them with their builds.
– Left the workshop with all participants happy to have made their own working device.

Skills developed: planning, procurement, liaising, workshop development and delivery. 

 

Campus Challenge – with GUSTS and Multiplex

Sep 2018 – Nov 2018

– Worked with the university and its contractors (Multiplex and FES) to research photovoltaic design for the university’s new campus.
– Proposed ideas, such as applying a hydrophobic coating to panels, which will be implemented.

Skills developed: electrical engineering, cost-benefit analysis

Spectrum Visualiser Infinity Mirror

2018

A 2ft x 4ft (61cm x 122cm) rave-ready mirror that represents the volume of 12 frequency bands within the audible spectrum. An incredibly fun, sensory experience, and a personal project.

– Designed and constructed a spectrum visualiser infinity mirror.
– Drilled 132 holes into acrylic, placed an LED in each, and wired them up as an LED matrix.
– Created infinity illusion and finished the device with a homemade aluminium frame and cable braiding.
– Connected all possible inputs to a summing amplifier negating the need to change inputs manually.

Skills developed: surface mount soldering, acrylic tooling, project planning.

Pulsemeter

Jan 2018 – Apr 2018

A pulsemeter that could display both a patient’s heartrate or pulse trace on a matrix display in realtime. Created for a university electronic design project.

– Worked in a team to develop a working pulsemeter.
– Developed an analogue circuit, programmed an LED matrix, and wrote a technical report.

Skills developed: analogue circuit design, PSpice simulation, fault-finding, technical report writing, task distribution and teamwork.

AMPhibian Calorie Counter

Sep 2018 – Jan 2019

An innovative calorie counter proposal for the university course Engineering Career Skills.

– Investigated current calorie counters and the present product market.
– Produced a persuasive product proposal for a calorie counter aimed at children.
– Researched the product’s feasibility, created graphics and showcased the proposed product in a presentation.

Skills developed: persuasive writing, product feasibility, graphic design and presentation.

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