Basic Training: design-tool workshops

an Accelerator for eTransfers program activity

Build or further develop your engineering design-tool-belt. These workshops will provide you rudimentary design-skills that can open the doors to other more meaningful projects. Get your hands dirty on some technical work!

Purpose

There is no better way to discover the possibilities in engineering than to get your hands dirty on a technical project. Like working on a home-improvement project, having the correct tools makes a world of a difference in the kind of work you can do. At Basic Training, we will provide you with rudimentary tools to get started on technical work.

Additionally, these skills will be needed in the HAcK at Accelerator competition later in the summer.

What is Basic Training?

Basic Training is a series of workshops that will provide instruction on a set of design-skills and tools that students can use to work on technical projects. Topics include: a) coding, b) Arduino-microcontrollers and circuits, c) Computer Aided Design (CAD), and d) prototyping and fabrication.

Workshops will be led by undergraduate Basic Training & HAcK mentors.

Basic Training & HAcK mentors

Austin Liu
Electrical Engineering
Transfer from Skyline College

Hi everyone! My name is Austin and I’m a senior Electrical Engineering major. I transferred to UCLA in 2022 from Skyline College in South San Francisco, the city that I grew up in. I’m interested in software, robotics, signal processing, and just generally learning new things. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing a bunch of different opportunities since coming to UCLA, including (1) designing an Electrocardiogram in ENGR 96, (2) participating in the Aircopter and SPI projects from IEEE, and (3) doing a summer internship abroad in Berlin! Aside from engineering related activities, I enjoy watching movies, trying new foods, and spending my off time just relaxing. I hope you guys have a great experience this summer, and I look forward to meeting you all and watching you HAcK!

Daniel Paul
Aerospace Engineering

Hi guys! My name is Daniel Paul; I am a rising senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and I’m from San Diego, California. I’ve been part of the hardware team for Uncrewed Aerial Systems at UCLA for the last three years, and I currently serve as the club secretary on the admin board. My passion for engineering was kindled by robotics competitions and hands-on experiences from middle school and high school. I love science-fiction books and movies and playing video games. I can’t wait to meet everyone this summer!

Harvey Zhao
Computer Science

My name is Harvey Zhao, and I am a junior studying Computer Science. I have always had a passion for technology and the endless possibilities it offers. As a child, I was fascinated by games and spent countless hours tinkering with them, trying to understand how they worked. In my free time, I love to hike and explore nature. There is something so peaceful about being surrounded by nature and disconnecting from the constant distractions. Hiking allows me to clear my mind and focus on the beauty of the world around me. I am excited to meet you and learn from your stories. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or just want to say hello.

Jessica Chang
Electrical Engineering
Transfer from Foothill College

Hello Everyone! My name is Jessica Chang, and I am a senior studying Electrical Engineering. I come from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and I am super excited to be one of your HAcK mentors this summer. I transferred from Foothill college to UCLA back in 2021. I also participated in the summer accelerator program like you guys. It was such a great experience, and I met so many friends that later became my study buddies at UCLA. Besides studying, this past year I served as the workshop manager in IEEE at UCLA. It is a student organization that holds all kinds of technical workshops, year-long projects, and socials throughout the year. It became the highlight of my year and I really enjoyed being an officer there. In the future, I would like to go into the field of biomedical devices. Thus, I joined STL research lab led by Professor Candler. I am currently working on a noninvasive glucose detecting device using NMR. If you have any questions about transitioning to UCLA, clubs, research, or in general feel free ask me anytime. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you this summer! 😀

Rudy Ruiz
Mechanical Engineering

Hi, my name is Rudy Ruiz and I’m a rising 3rd year mechanical engineering major from Los Angeles. At UCLA, I am a part of the Bruin Racing Supermileage Vehicle Team and the Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists. I have many different hobbies including sports, gaming, photography, and more. I am looking forward to meeting all of you this summer; it should be a lot of learning and fun!

Theo Zhang
Computer Science

I am a rising 3rd year Computer Science Major! I was the 2022-23 Secretary and EDI Chair for IEEE at UCLA and part of the Pocket Racers project. In my free time, I like to read, write, sew, and garden. I am excited to meet all of you and hope that it will be a fun and educational summer!

Schedule

Sessions are virtual with the exception of the in-person Intro to the UCLA Engineering MakerSpace day (see schedule below).

Thursday, June 22, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Welcome & Orientation
Friday, June 23, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 1: Basics of C++
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 2: Intro to Javascript
Thursday, June 29, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 3: UI/UX
Friday, June 30, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 1: Intro to SolidWorks – 2D drawings
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 2: Solidiworks – extrusions and mates
Friday, July 7, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 3: Solidworks – mates continued and assemblies
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | 6 -9 PM – Engineering Design, Fabrication, and 3D printing
Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Circuits 1: Intro to Circuits: electricity, resistance, schematics, bread-boarding & working with potentiometers
Friday, July 14, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Circuits 2: basic circuits theory
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 1: Introduction to circuits and Arduino
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 2: working with sensors
Friday, July 21, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 3: intro to serial communication protocols
Saturday, July 22, 2023 | 9 – 2 PM – Intro to UCLA Engineering MakerSpace (optional; but recommended for those participating in-person at HAcK)

*Only participants attending and completing all training will be invited to participate in the HAcK technical competition.

Registration Fee

Participant fee: $0 (open and free to 50 participants). A cancellation fee of $125 (to cover the costs of parts and supplies) will result if you drop out of Basic Training.

Applications for Basic Training closed on June 9, 2023. If you are interested in attending Basic Training, please notify Wes Uehara, at wuehara@seas.ucla.edu, before the program begins.

Supplies & Parts

Supplies and parts will be distributed either through USPS or a pick-up location. Information will be provided at Basic Training orientation on Thursday, June 22, 2023 from 6 – 8 PM.

Out of state and international participants – are encouraged to purchase their own supplies. We will provide you a parts list for the training.

Basic Training parts-list
Please note – the Arduino requires a USB port. Please make sure your computer has a USB port and/or you have the correct adapter if needed.

Basic Training session recordings, session slides, & resources

Welcome & Orientation | Thursday, June 22, 2023

Session slides
Session text
Session recording (to the left)

Coding 1: Basics of C++ | Friday, June 23, 2023

Session slides
Session text
Session recording (to the left)

Coding 2: Intro to Javascript | Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Session slides
Session text
Session recording – missing last portion of the workshop