Team Charter
Team Statements
Charter Statement: Our mission is to design and deliver innovative, sustainable, and modular embedded systems that address educational and STEM-based challenges. This semester, we aim to develop an interactive, web-enabled physical device demonstrating a scientific or engineering concept. The project will prioritize modularity, standards compliance, and user engagement to support K-12 students' interest in STEM fields. Success will be measured by the device's interactivity, educational impact, technical robustness, and adherence to modular design principles.
Mission Statement: Our goal is to develop an interactive, STEM-themed educational display within four months that engages K-12 students by showcasing a scientific or engineering concept in a fun and Intuitive way. The product will emphasize energy efficiency, modularity, and user-friendly design, ensuring both technical excellence and alignment with educational standards. We aim to deliver a sustainable, impactful solution that inspires young learners to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while fostering our team's growth in professional engineering practices.
Team Goals
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Develop a Polished, Market-Ready Product
Create an innovative, STEM-themed, interactive device that's not only functional but also visually impressive and ready for real-world use. The goal is to deliver a high-quality product that investors and end-users alike will recognize as impactful and valuable. -
Emphasize Professional Collaboration
Operate as a professional team by leveraging everyone's expertise, maintaining clear communication, and working efficiently to meet deadlines. Showcase our ability to collaborate on a complex project and deliver results as a cohesive unit. -
Prioritize Standards and Scalability
Build the product with scalability in mind by adhering to industry standards and modular design principles. This ensures the device is easy to maintain, upgrade, and adapt for broader markets, making it appealing for future development and commercialization. -
Showcase Advanced Technical Skills
Demonstrate our technical expertise in robotics, embedded systems, and software engineering through a well-executed, innovative project. Highlight cutting-edge solutions to real-world challenges, proving we're ready for the next step in our careers. -
Focus on End-User Impact
Deliver a product that's intuitive, engaging, and tailored to the needs of the target audience—K-12 students and educators. Make it a standout experience that inspires excitement for STEM while solving specific user pain points. -
Highlight Sustainability and Innovation
Incorporate energy-efficient designs, sustainable materials, and forward-thinking features that make the product not only innovative but also environmentally responsible. Investors want to see a future-focused mindset. -
Deliver On Time and On Budget
Meet all milestones, stay within budget, and present a fully functional prototype or final product. Show investors that we're capable of managing resources effectively and delivering a tangible result within a defined time frame.
Communication Channels
| Name | 1st Choice | 2nd Choice | 3rd Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aarshon George | Text | Discord | |
| Alex Comeaux | Text | Discord | |
| Ian Anderson | Text | Discord | |
| Kushagra Dashora | Text | Discord | Slack |
Our team will primarily use an iMessage group to facilitate team communication. This allows for immediate and direct communication between all group members at once for important notices and discussions.
If team members are unresponsive for excessive times during meetings, the team member may be called for additional reminders.
Meeting Schedule
| Time | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | C | I K | I | ||||
| 10:00 | A I K | C | I K | A I | |||
| 11:00 | A I K | C | I K | A I | |||
| 12:00 | A I K | C | I K | A I | |||
| 13:00 | A I K | I K | I | ||||
| 14:00 | A I K | I | I | A K | I | ||
| 15:00 | A I K | I | I | I | I | A K | I |
| 16:00 | A I K | I | I | A C I | I | A K | I |
| 17:00 | A I K | C I | I | A C I | A C I | A C K | C I |
| 18:00 | A I K | C I | I | A C I | A C I | A C K | C I |
| 19:00 | A I K | C I | I | A C I | A C I | A C K | A I |
| 20:00 | A I K | I | I | A C I | A C I | A C K | A I |
| 21:00 | A I K | A C | A C | A C K | A I |
| Name | Initial | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aarshon George | A | anolas97@asu.edu | (480)876-1337 |
| Alex Comeaux | C | amcomeau@asu.edu | (602)527-7786 |
| Ian Anderson | I | inanders@asu.edu | (808)824-1519 |
| Kushagra Dashora | K | kdashora@asu.edu | (602)632-1229 |
Communication Methods:
- Text
- Discord
Meeting Coordination
Meetings will typically be held during Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, preferably in person and with all members present. If circumstances do not allow for a normal meeting time, a more suitable meeting time should be discussed and agreed upon. Meeting schedule will be kept in Google Calendar for reminders. For more spontaneous meetings, members may not be required to attend if personal reasons arise.
Roles & Responsibilities
| Name | Role | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| Kushagra Dashora | Meeting Leader | Schedules team meetings, creates and distributes an agenda for each meeting |
| Alex Comeaux | Meeting Recorder | Takes minutes of each team meeting, including attendance, and records action items and to whom they are assigned |
| Aarshon George | Assignment Leader | Coordinates the team's work on a given assignment to Canvas before the due date |
| Ian Anderson | Project Monitor | Tracks the team's progress relative to the project schedule (Gantt Chart) and keeps team members apprised of deadlines and project status |
Assigned roles are subject to change at any time
Team Coordination & Accountability
Each team member will volunteer for a role by articulating their qualifications and reasons for suitability. If two members express interest in the same role, they will engage in discussion and reach a compromise. We plan to rotate roles at least three times—or as needed—to ensure we maximize each individual's growth and learning opportunities. Roles are assigned based on each person's qualifications and skills, with regular check-ins to confirm that no one finds their responsibilities overwhelming. Technical tasks will be distributed in alignment with each member's strongest areas of confidence and expertise.
To ensure all contributions are properly credited, each member will sign their name at the beginning of every assignment, just as they would for a standard homework task. Additionally, each change made to the team website is recorded through github, creating a clear record of individual responsibilities. This method allows us to see if anyone is under-performing and prompts that individual to seek help or clarification as needed. As long as everyone completes their assigned tasks, there should be no hesitation in requesting or offering assistance. Otherwise, if a team member repeatedly fails to complete the tasks assigned to them, the team will be forced to hold this team member accountable.
Defined Roles and Responsibilities
Aarshon: Team lead and systems integrator, overseeing overall progress and ensuring the components come together seamlessly.
Alex: Hardware specialist, responsible for designing, testing, and optimizing the physical and electronic components of the project.
Ian: Software developer, handling coding, web integration, and system control logic for the interactive aspects.
Kushagra: User experience designer and tester, focusing on user-centered design, interface development, and end-user feedback.
Regular Team Check-Ins
Weekly meetings led by Aarshon to discuss progress, address roadblocks, and review upcoming tasks. Each member provides a brief update on their responsibilities.
Transparent Communication
Use Slack for daily updates, Trello for task management, and Google Drive for shared documentation. This ensures everyone has access to key information and can collaborate effectively.
Milestone Tracking
The project will be broken into phases:
Phase 1: Concept development (All team members)
Phase 2: Hardware prototyping (Alex & Aarshon)
Phase 3: Software integration (Ian)
Phase 4: User testing and refinement (Kushagra & Alex)
Peer Accountability
Each team member is responsible for updating the group on their progress during meetings and flagging potential delays. If someone is falling behind, others will provide support.
Conflict Resolution
If a disagreement arises, Alex will act as a mediator to ensure the team remains focused on the project goals. Decisions will prioritize the project's success and deadlines.
Feedback Loops
Weekly peer reviews will allow team members to provide constructive feedback on each other's work. This ensures everyone stays aligned and that the final product meets high standards.
Leadership and Decision-Making
Aarshon will make executive decisions if consensus isn't reached. However, all decisions will be informed by group discussions to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
Commitment to Deadlines
Each milestone will have a hard deadline, tracked on Trello. Missed deadlines will require immediate discussion and a revised plan to stay on schedule.
Conflict Recognition & Resolution
Our team understands that disagreements will happen in group environments. As such, members are expected to be able to handle conflicts in a mature and civil way. Additional meetings may be arranged upon failure to complete responsibilities, and repeated behavior will be escalated to professors.
If someone disagrees or there's tension, we'll address it right away instead of letting it simmer. Ignoring conflicts only makes them worse. We'll sit down, lay everything out on the table, and figure out where the disagreement is coming from.
We get it—everyone has different ideas, especially when you've got creative, motivated people working together. Disagreeing means we care about the project and want it to be great. The key is keeping it respectful and focusing on the idea, not the person.
We'll make sure everyone knows what they're responsible for from the start. If someone's juggling too many tasks or stepping into other people's lanes, we'll talk it out and adjust things. It's all about balance and making sure no one feels overloaded or overlooked.
If something goes wrong, we'll deal with it together:
Step 1: Talk it out. Let everyone explain their side and listen.
Step 2: Brainstorm solutions as a group. No bad ideas—just throw them out there and see what works.
Step 3: Agree on a plan, and make sure everyone's on board.
When to Ask for Help
If we're totally stuck, or the disagreement is starting to slow us down, we won't hesitate to bring it to the instructor. This is a last resort, but if it gets to that point, we'll explain the issue and ask for guidance to get us back on track.
Keep It Chill and Professional
At the end of the day, we're all here for the same reason: to deliver a great project and grow as engineers. We'll handle conflicts in a way that's respectful, keeps the vibe positive, and moves us forward as a team.