Senior Mini Capstone Project

During Autumn quarter 2024, I proposed a new candy dispenser system to improve student engagement during advising hours. Leading in a team of 3 other students, we progressed through the ideation, design and manufacturing of a mini capstone project in a highly structured approach.

Our product won first place in a cohort-wide competition, and is now used by the ME departmental advisor — Kendra Burdett, who described it as: “What a show stopper! I felt turning the knob was so intuitive even with so much going on with the overall design. I loved the symbolism it represents and cannot wait to display this proudly.”

Below is the poster pitch:

TreeTop Sweets

Operating the dispenser

Candy storage and dispensing mechanism

Refill method (up to 10 hichews)

—In more detail—

Design & Development

With a tight project timeline of only 2 months, we decided to use LEGO to achieve both robust functionality and a polished look that would put us ahead of other groups.

Leveraging my extensive experience in the medium, I took responsibility for the entirety of digital design, while my teammates worked on 3D printed and acrylic parts.

Given the timeline, it was only possible to order 1 complete prototype after design. With a thorough consideration of all potential complications, combined with active discussions with my group, we were able to create a mechanism entirely digitally without issues in stability and reliability when tested.

Initial Sketch

Detailed Design

A reduction gear ratio of 1.8:1 was used to overcome friction forces when moving the slider.

Development of Outer Structure

The structure is reinforced extensively with cross-beams, then covered in detailed sculptures of the tree trunk and foliage, greatly elevating the aesthetics of the product while being incredibly robust.

After reaching a final design, we ordered components for delivery. However, delays in shipping made it necessary to create a separate back-up model using a random assortment of bricks from the lab.

We were able to develop a fully functional model, and made up for missing aesthetics using cardboard and acrylic.