After dedicating more than six months to InfantGuard, I was thrilled to wrap up my project at the Prince George’s County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, earning first place in my category and receiving multiple awards. I want to take a moment to reflect on what I learned throughout this journey and express my gratitude for the generous support from the organizations that helped me along the way.

What I learned:

This project was an incredible learning experience. I began with a vision but only a basic understanding of IoT devices. Over time, I strengthened my knowledge of how these devices communicate and discovered the most efficient methods. My coding skills grew from working with JavaScript workers to send GET and POST requests, managing SQL databases, and building a simple HTML website. I also gained valuable insight into PCB manufacturing and learned the process of creating those components from scratch. I learned the importance of component testing, breaking down a large test into smaller parts to eliminate bugs and confirm functionality before reassembling everything. Perseverance, asking for help, and most importantly, reaching out to companies proved invaluable, which brings me to my next point.

My thank-you’s

First, I owe a huge thank you to my family and the Great Mills High School STEM Academy. Their moral support, advice, and dedication kept me motivated throughout every stage of the project. Without their encouragement, none of this would have been possible. I also want to express my gratitude to two companies for their generous contributions to InfantGuard: PCB Way Prototyping and Webhook.site.

PCB Way

When PCB Way reached out to send me circuit boards, I was initially hesitant, unsure about any strings attached and skeptical about the quality. I didn’t even know how to design PCB boards in software at the time. However, their team exceeded all my expectations. Their ongoing support and the high-quality prints were more than I could have hoped for. The boards were extremely precise, allowing for detailed text printing, and even if purchased, they are available at a very reasonable price. Their 3D printing services are quick and produce beautiful results. I truly appreciate PCB Way’s support. Visit their website here: www.pcbway.com

Webhook.site

When I first contacted their support team, I didn’t expect much, but I was thrilled when they offered me a complimentary pro plan. Their support team was always available and incredibly friendly. Webhook.site is a powerful tool, perfect for redirecting traffic and sending quick GET and POST requests. I am grateful for their support of a motivated young learner. Thank you! Visit their website here: www.webhook.site

What’s next for this project:

To be honest, I don’t plan on doing much more. While this project was incredible, I’m ready to move forward. I’ll upload all my CAD files and code to Thingiverse and GitHub so anyone can use or modify them, but I won’t be making any further changes beyond that.