Hey there, and welcome back to my blog! If you’re new here or need a quick refresher, you can catch up on everything so far in my earlier posts. I’m currently working on two exciting projects this summer: one, a smart egg prototype that supports conservation efforts at the Houston Zoo, and the other, a vertical inspection camera system designed to monitor microgreens in an indoor hydroponic farm. Both are hands-on, fast-moving, and full of learning curves, just the way I like it.

This past week brought a little bit of everything: deeper technical progress, new design challenges, some much-needed rest (hello public holiday!), and even a weekend filled with cooking, culture, and community. From fine-tuning sensors and building circuits, to sharing meals with fellow interns and wandering through living history, it’s been a week that stretched me in the best ways.

So whether you’re here for engineering, the everyday moments, or the little surprises along the way — I’m excited to take you through it all. Let’s get into it!

Egg Project Progress
As a quick refresher, our egg prototype is being developed to support conservation efforts for endangered birds, like the Attwater’s prairie chicken. The idea is to track key environmental factors such as light, temperature, and humidity during incubation. That data will be sent wirelessly to a nearby substation, helping conservationists better understand how to manage eggs outside of natural habitats. This week, the egg team focused on getting our substation,  the device that collects data from the egg to connect smoothly to both Wi-Fi and Firebase using an ESP32 board. Like many hardware adventures, it didn’t go perfectly at first, so we spent a good amount of time troubleshooting and brainstorming alternatives (spoiler: Raspberry Pi is looking like a promising option).

We also printed a scaled-up version of the egg using a cream filament, tested how components would fit inside, and started building the breadboard version of our circuit. One of my key contributions was optimizing the photoresistor, and helping lay out the egg’s internal circuitry. On Wednesday, we measured the communication range between the egg and the substation and created both a hand-drawn circuit sketch and a digital schematic using KiCad. To wrap things up, I helped write our design review documentation, reflecting on the progress, lessons learned, and what’s next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspection Camera Prototype
Our first prototype was pretty basic but invaluable, we used aluminum extrusion for the frame, a belt system to move the camera up and down, a retractable power cord, and an old bulky camera mounted on some cardboard. This setup helped us understand how the belt-drive mechanism would work in practice and made us think hard about how to securely fasten the vertical frame to the ceiling. But it quickly became clear the prototype had some limitations. For one, the camera could only pan about 180 degrees, while we needed it to cover at least 270 degrees to capture the full growing area. Also, the bulky camera and the whole prototype were just too large to fit neatly in the space we have.

So, in our second prototype, we kept the aluminum extrusion and belt but swapped out the bulky camera for a much smaller Raspberry Pi camera (though we’re still considering other options). We found some mounting parts online to attach the camera to the cart and to secure the extrusion to both the ceiling and floor of the indoor farm space. We 3D printed these parts and tested their fit, and so far, everything snaps in place nicely.

Because this system needs to work smoothly with the existing Trolmaster software, we programmed the stepper motor that moves the camera up and down, as well as a servo motor that rotates the entire extrusion 360 degrees for full panning. Right now, these motors respond to joystick controls, but once we get access to the Trolmaster firmware, we’ll replace those signals with commands from the software itself — making the whole process automatic. Helena and I also began drafting the design review for this project, documenting both the technical work and the thought process behind our design decisions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fusion Class & 3D Design Lessons
Wednesday also came with a creative twist, we had a 3D design class using Fusion 360, where I tried my hand at designing a 3D model from scratch. I created “Umbra,” a vase concept that plays with curves and light, designed to capture the soft shadows that wrap around its surface. It’s not the most perfect model, but it was a great exercise in digital sketching and form exploration. I’m excited to iterate on it and get better with each design.
Outside the class, I also 3D printed a laptop stand and a phone holder to support my devices, a small but satisfying personal project. Unfortunately, the print didn’t quite hold up; the way I sliced it affected its strength, and it started collapsing soon after. Lesson learned, and next time, I’ll be more mindful of how print orientation and infill affect durability.

 

 

 

 

Rest and Cooking Break
Thursday and Friday were public holidays, and to be honest, I was grateful for the break. I had pretty uncomfortable menstrual cramps on Thursday, so I gave myself permission to rest, stay cozy, and take a full day off. Friday was a complete shift in energy, grocery shopping, cooking, and a whole lot of joy. I teamed up with other international interns and our amazing student hosts, Dohoon, Tasia, and Helena, for a cooking session. I mixed and baked brownies from scratch, cooked some beef using good ol’ Nigerian seasoning (Knorr, of course), and helped Tasia fry up fries.The final menu? Chipsi Mayai (a Tanzanian-style fries-and-egg dish), sautéed veggies, cookies, strawberry smoothies, and plenty of laughter in between. It felt like a warm blend of cultures coming together in one happy kitchen.

On Saturday, I visited the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, which was hosting a family-friendly lawn festival behind the building. There were living history reenactments of the United States Colored Troops, hands-on games, and thoughtful exhibits that brought Black history to life. I left feeling inspired and proud. After that, I made a quick stop at Ross Dress for Less, where I scored a 12-pack of socks for just $9.99, a small win, but a satisfying one! Later that evening, my team and I met up at the OEDK to continue troubleshooting our second camera prototype. While we’re getting closer to something reliable, the session revealed a few more constraints we’ll need to tackle next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Ahead
This week was the perfect balance of building and breathing. We moved both projects forward, tackled new challenges, and still made time to rest, cook, connect, and explore. I’m learning that engineering isn’t just about solving problems , it’s also about finding joy in the journey and building community along the way.

Next week promises more testing, prototyping, and refining — and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

Thanks for reading and as always, stay tuned.

Eniola 🙂