NU - SmartTree

SmartTree has made great progress this quarter! After a very successful spring/summer, Project Managers Callista and Katie hoped to continue this momentum by bringing in new members, finalizing project details and starting construction. SmartTree is extremely excited to share that we have done it all!

We brought in multiple new members of backgrounds to aid progress on accomplishing all the tasks we had planned over the summer. Here’s a picture we took with most of our active members!

Although former experiences varied, all the SmartTree members were eager to join design conversations while we were finalizing the SmartTree design and learn new things outside of their comfort zone. We even had a group of three students, two of which with no prior experience, create an electrical team to focus on building the very core of our structure, which will help convert the solar energy harnessed into usable power! Cally and Katie really enjoyed watching this group grow in confidence and knowledge over the quarter.

Beyond electrical, SmartTree also had a construction team that met for around 4 hours/week in the Ford Design Shop to build our structure. We learned how to be safe in the shop around the heavy machinery, how to use various machines and power tools, as well as and how important tolerancing is. At this point, we have a significant portion of our giant modular base pieces cut out with most of our materials delivered to our office.

Mostly we focused on the outer base pieces. First, we cut out the exterior portions using a panel saw. Then, we drew and cut out the geometries on the bottom using a band saw. These angles are cut out so these pieces fit snug on the triangular foundation. We also started mitering these pieces so they fit together smoothly at the proper angle of 60 degrees. We'll definitely be continuing to miter throughout the winter as it's a lengthy and time-consuming process. 

For the interior portions, we followed the same procedure of cutting with a panel saw then tracing the complex geometries and cutting them out with the band saw. We are still in the middle of tracing and cutting with the band saw and plan to continue this process throughout the winter. The unique part of the interior portion is the gaping hole used for access to electrical wiring. We will be cutting these out with a handheld table saw during the winter. 

With that being said, we’ve also finalized plans, ordered materials, prepared parts and are so excited to continue on in the winter! Hope everyone has an amazing rest of their 2021, and we will touch base once again at the end of the upcoming quarter with even more updates on our structure!