Crafting Confidence: My Engineer's Journey | Yitian Wang | TEDxSSBS Youth

Building a Custom Microscope

• Yitian Wang, an engineering student, describes the process of building a custom microscope stand for a macro chemistry project.
• He initially used a plastic stand but found it to be too wobbly and unstable. He then decided to use aluminum extrusion profiles, a more rigid material, for the stand's construction.

Challenges and Solutions

• He encountered challenges with the cost of custom aluminum parts and instead opted to design and drill holes in the aluminum profiles to hold the camera and its mounting plate.
• He also conducted computer simulations to ensure the stand's rigidity.
• Yitian faced numerous design challenges, including finding the right mounting brackets, ensuring the 3D printed parts wouldn't melt under the light, and choosing the appropriate optical system.

Collaboration and Success

• Yitian reflects on the collaborative nature of the project, acknowledging that he wouldn't have been able to complete it alone.
• He credits his friend Daniel, a chemistry club leader, for his expertise in chemistry and Bob, a filmmaker, for his contributions to the project.
• Yitian emphasizes the importance of collaboration and the power of combining different skillsets to achieve a common goal.

From Art to Engineering

• Yitian Wang, a student at SSBS, describes how his passion for art and design led him to explore various creative pursuits, including CG digital art, photography, and SSBS TV.
• He recounts a specific instance where he, Daniel, and another friend collaborated on a project during a lunch break, showcasing his ability to work collaboratively and brainstorm ideas.

Discovering Robotics

• Yitian's initial interest in CG digital art led him to dedicate countless hours to creating models, but he eventually felt limited by his skills and decided to explore other avenues.
• He discovered robotics through a friend's invitation to join the school's Vex Robotics team, where he learned to design, build, and program robots.

Engineering Mindset

• Despite facing challenges and setbacks in competitions, Yitian enjoyed the experience and found that his previous skills in CG digital art helped him quickly adapt to designing robots in software.
• Through his involvement in Vex Robotics, Yitian developed an engineering mindset, which he describes as the ability to identify problems and find efficient solutions.

Applying Engineering Skills

• He emphasizes that his journey through art, design, photography, and robotics has equipped him with the skills and mindset necessary to tackle various challenges and make his everyday life more convenient.
• Yitian highlights his contributions to the school's journal, Veritas, where he used his engineering thinking to design posters and create more efficient workflows.
• He concludes by mentioning that he is currently designing a tool to streamline packaging processes, demonstrating his ongoing application of his engineering skills.

The Power of Collaboration and Passion

• Yitian Wang, the speaker, emphasizes that his current presentation, with its multiple screens, captions, and translations, is a testament to his experiences and the collaborative efforts of individuals from SSBS.
• He highlights the importance of seizing opportunities and pursuing passions, citing his own regret for declining a Vex invitation four years ago.
• Wang encourages the audience to be brave and pursue their passions, as the impact of seemingly small decisions can be significant in the long run.
• He expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share his story and for the support of the SSBS community, particularly the individuals who made TEDxSSBS possible.