Bridge Project

I competed in VIU's 2016 Bridge Building Competition and completed the Fundamentals of Engineering certification. This section highlights my contributions and experiences for this event.

I collaborated with teammates on proposals, drafting, construction, and gear systems. A motor with pulse-width modulation helped keep the bridge lifting at a slow rate without needing an overcomplicated gearbox. A worm gear prevented gravity from reversing the motor.

I implemented the electrical systems, which included an 8-bit shift register controlling all of the sensors. Vehicle and ship traffic was detected using an ultrasonic sensor to masure return time and calculate distance while discarding noisy inputs. Conductive pads detected bridge states or pedestrian traffic by polling. An H-bridge chip controlled DC motor polarity for bridge movement, while 4 LEDs signalled traffic.

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