Capstone Mission: Plan and Ship Your Own Build
The engineering process pros use: requirements, block diagram, prototype, test, document.
You have the skills. Now design something nobody has built for you. This lesson gives you the same process engineers use so your idea actually reaches the finish line.
Mission steps
Define the mission
Write one sentence: 'A ___ that ___ for ___.' List must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Draw a block diagram
Boxes for brain, sensors, actuators, power and network, with arrows for data and power.
Budget it
Use the Project Builder and Power Budget calculator to price parts and size the supply.
Prototype in stages
Get each block working alone on a breadboard before combining them. Commit code to Git as you go.
Test, document, share
Write down what failed and why. Photos, wiring diagrams and code make your build repeatable — and help the next maker.
Questions
I am stuck on an idea. Where do I start?
Pick a daily annoyance — forgetting to water plants, not knowing who is at the door — and solve it. The Projects section has more than 150 starting points.