Arunabha Dhar - Engineering Lab

Hello! My name is Arunabha Dhar. I am a senior from Buchanan High School as well as a second year engineering student for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Robotics (EMR) lab at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART). As the description entails, I was enrolled in the EMR lab for my first year. Through the lab, I received a proper introduction to the academia of engineering design, applied physics, and technical writing through a project-centered curriculum. Our engineering portfolio involves rockets, aircraft, circuits, machines, and more. Exploring engineering practices through these endeavors allowed me to hone the skills needed to pursue and work on large-scale projects in the succeeding EMR second-year program.

Every week in the EMR lab, my cohort distributes its time in the lab to meet numerous deadlines. To ensure our general engineering skills are sharpened, we’re assigned different tasks requiring us to operate with related tools and software. This week, we were tasked with modeling a product of our choice using CAD software that would be manufactured in a CNC mill based on code we generated using a “slicer” application. I chose to fabricate a station for my smart watch charger to rest on. As is the case with most engineers’ intentions when designing any product, my design should provide a solution to my charger falling off my desk!

Routine assignments aside, the most notable aspect of our weekly ventures in the lab is the tasks related to our zoo enrichment projects. Every week, we set achievable goals for the production of our individual zoo enrichment designs. My project is a prey chaser for an owl at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Its basic function is to zip around the enclosure and encourage the owl to pursue it, allowing the owl to exercise its predatory behaviors. As the electronics lead for this project, I have spent this week wiring new components onto the main circuit, creating wiring diagrams for the prey chaser’s power supply, and writing the code for its motion and controls. I hope to be testing its functionality in the upcoming weeks.

As I’ve observed in the EMR lab, CART’s approach to career technical education is like no other. Through CART, my ability to draft and develop solutions has been refined to a point where, as part of the class’ curriculum, I can be responsible for creating a product used by real-world clients. I no longer have to ask when anything I am learning will ever be used, as I use every lesson to drive the progress I make on all my projects. Beyond engineering, I have also grown proficient in professional communication, time management, and accountability. Based on my experiences as well as those of many other CART students, I can confidently affirm that CART allows you to develop your workplace skills, realize your goals, and pursue your passions.

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