Q2 Benchmark

I am not making many changes to my project. I plan on sticking with learning and perfecting my robotics skills. After going in and beginning to work on my project I found a major flaw in my plans. I found that I need to make my own place to be able to work on my robotics if I want to be efficient with my time. So I am going to use the rest of November, the whole month of December, and possibly part of January to turn the shed in my backyard into my own robotics workplace.

Through December I completed a few parts of my action plan. This was due to changes that popped up as I went through with my project. In October I did create my own youtube channel. In November however I, instead of reviewing an rc, I received a quadcopter and started learning how to fly with it. I have made great progress and can fly it pretty well now. I also practiced some soldering through i2 meetings and on my own.

Nathan Jew, Class of 2019 i2 scholar, wants to build on his skill of 2D game programing and make a 3D game. I think this is a really interesting project. I see the progress Nathan is making with his new game Swipe and Shoot or Swipe-and-Shoot (I don’t know the official spelling) everyday. Nathan’s game is fun and slightly addictive (trust me I learned on the first day he brought it to lunch on his phone). The only problem he might find is that coding a game is an extremely long process and can grow frustrating. I think Nathan should post new versions of his game online through his blog every time he updates it to make it more accessible to being played and constructive criticism.



Christiana Peggy is a Class of 2018 i2 scholar and she wants to create her own music. By this she wants to make every aspect of every song herself (background music, vocals, etc.). Christiana wants to make meaningful songs that are unlike most popular songs nowadays which focus around being on drugs or having sex. I think that if Christiana was really dedicated and learned how to make songs really well she could very well change the music industry’s outlook on what songs should be about. Something I would add to Christiana’s project is taking small clips of herself, in the music making process, and post them to her own youtube channel (which she would post her music videos and audio to) so that people that have similar interests in making music can look at her as an example while creating their own music. (P.S. I really like how your blog plays music in the background could you tell me how you got it to do that).


Sophia Plett a 2017 i2 scholar has an interest in travel and wants to change her project from just taking photos/videos with her iPhone. She wants to combine her these 2 hobbies of hers and take pictures/videos of places that she visits then post them to youtube or a website/blog (currently undecided). I think Sophia’s project could really help travelers decide where they want to travel to. The only suggestion I would make is to travel to places nearby first because traveling can sap your budget really quickly. I suggest Sophia travels to places filled with nature and scenic views.

This year my project will be learning and perfecting a skill. The skill I want to learn a bit more in and perfect is robotics. The robotics I’m talking about is RC robotics specifically. The project will consist of learning new facts about robotics (how servos and motors work, how does the circuit board work, etc.) and perfecting old skills (soldering, controlling, etc.). I will also be reviewing a few products such as rc boats, helicopters, and quadcopters. Most of to all the work I will be doing will be done with my neighbor who makes RC products of a living.

I chose to do robotics because I have a strong interest in it. I already have a background in robotics. I have been working on robotics projects since the summer of last year. So far the most impressive project is that I have made a quadcopter that can go 50+ mph. I also would like to have a career in robotics. I want to create something along the lines of regenerable energy (a invention that can charge itself just off of moving). I feel that if I consistently learn new skills I can make my idea a reality.

A  few pieces of media similar to my project are the youtube channels, Nor Cal RC and quadvisionfilms. On these websites my neighbor uploads videos. Nor Cal Rc is: “all about rc fpv quad copters aerial video 3d heli's atv moto x racing plus reviews and builds i mix it up hope you like what you see and subscribe :)”. (https://www.youtube.com/user/bayareaheli/about) The channel quadvisionfilms is all about testing out products and mod’s on rc products. I will work alongside my neighbor to create videos similar to his on a new channel I plan on making.

I have an action plan. In October I will create my new channel. In November I will finish a reviewal of an RC boat. In December refine my soldering skills. In January I will switch my RC 4x4 truck from brush to brushless motors. In February I will read a book on electrical components. In March I will continue to read a book on electrical components. In April I will finish reading a book on electrical components. In May I will begin work on a new Quadcopter.