Working with BU Professor Michael Ruane in the High Tech Tools and Toys Laboratory, I designed, programmed, and built a CAT Scanning robot using Legos, motors, several software programs, knitting needles, and lasers.
My interest in electrical engineering developed when I started playing the guitar. I wanted a nice amplifier, but my parents said they wouldn't buy me one—they didn't trust that I'd actually stick with the guitar. So, I found a design for one and built it myself!
I expected my research to work out just as I envisioned it. But I found out that when you actually put things together they don't always work. You hear it, you read it, but it's a different thing when it happens to you. There were definitely moments where I thought this simply wasn't going to come together, like when the translucent objects I tried to scan kept refracting my laser—including gummy bears! It took me time to find an effective procedure for testing my robot.
I had to find ways to solve many problems. It wasn't as if I had a list of alternatives when something failed. It was very different from anything at school. This was all about going out and figuring out how to do something. I had to improvise—it was very intellectually stimulating.
I built a CAT Scan in six weeks. The basis of my project was a failed master's thesis, and I still can't believe I got it to work. I can point to the tangible outcome of my efforts. The whole experience really confirmed my interests.