Robotics, IoT and Hardware + Mechanical Engineering
Design a mechanical part in CAD and simulate its stress
Model a bracket, apply a load in simulation and redesign it to be lighter and still strong.
- DifficultyIntermediate
- Estimated time1–2 weeks
- Budget₹0
- ClassClass 12 to college
- TeamSolo or up to 2
- You needComputer only
Prerequisites: None beyond your class work
Original · by TechnifyedEngineering DesignSimulationFree to doComputer onlyTwo subjects
Overview
Model a bracket, apply a load in simulation and redesign it to be lighter and still strong.
Skills you will use
Materials and tools
- Computer with FreeCAD
Tools and software
Step-by-step roadmap
Start
You will finish with: two designs with stress plots and a mass comparison.
- 1
Prerequisites
Nothing special to know first. Then collect the 1 item in the materials list.
- 2
Learn
Read up on cad: CAD, design, stress analysis. Your textbook chapter and one short video are enough.
- 3
Plan
Sketch the design, list every part with its price and decide how you will know it works.
- 4
Build
- Model an L-bracket with given dimensions.
- Fix one face and apply a load to the other.
- Run the stress simulation and find the highest stress.
- Add a fillet or a rib and run again.
- Remove material where stress is low.
- 5
Test
Run it ten times in a row. Note every failure, fix the cause and test again.
- 6
Document
Photograph each build stage, keep the circuit or drawing, and note what failed and how you fixed it. Report structure
- 7
Present
Demonstrate it working first, then explain how it works and what you would improve. Presentation structure
- 8
Publish
Share a short video, the parts list and the drawing or code so someone else can build it.
Expected outcome
Two designs with stress plots and a mass comparison.
Other versions of this project
Advanced version
Print both and test them to failure.
Working as a team
Solo or up to 2. Suggested roles:
Report and presentation
Report structure
- Title and aim
- The problem it solves
- How it works (principle)
- Parts list with cost
- Design: drawing, circuit or block diagram
- Build steps
- Testing and results
- Problems faced and fixes
- Limitations
- Future improvements
- References
Presentation structure
- The problem
- The idea
- How it works (one diagram)
- Parts and cost
- The build (photos)
- Live demo or video
- Test results
- What did not work
- Next version
Viva questions
Prepare your own answers to these before you present.
- What is the aim of your project, in one sentence?
- What is the principle behind it?
- Why did you choose these materials or tools?
- What result did you get, and was it what you expected?
- What went wrong and how did you fix it?
- How could this be improved or used in real life?
Resources
Source and attribution
Original
Written by Technifyed. Free to use for your own school or college project; write the report in your own words. Added 1 Oct 2026.
Similar projects
More Robotics, IoT and Hardware projects
Robotics, IoT and Hardware · Robotics
Make an obstacle-avoiding robot
Build a robot that drives on its own and turns away from obstacles using an ultrasonic sensor.
Robotics, IoT and Hardware + Agricultural Technology
Make a smart plant watering system
Water a plant automatically when a sensor says the soil is dry.
Robotics, IoT and Hardware + Mechatronics and Robotics
Build a line-following robot
Build a two-wheeled robot that follows a black line using infrared sensors.
Robotics, IoT and Hardware + Earth Science
Build a weather station that logs data
Measure temperature, humidity and pressure every few minutes and chart them online.
Same tools
Mechanical Engineering + Robotics, IoT and Hardware
Design a compliant gripper for delicate objects
Design, print and test a flexible gripper that can pick up an egg without breaking it.
Two-subject alternatives
Physics + Programming
Simulate projectile motion with air drag in Python
Plot real trajectories with air resistance and compare them with the textbook parabola.
Music, Theatre and Writing + Programming
Create generative art with code
Write programs that draw a different artwork every time they run and curate a series of ten.
EdTech and Study Tools + Software Development
Build a flashcard app with spaced repetition
Make a web app that shows each card again just before you would forget it.
Literature and English + Data
Analyse word use in a novel with a computer
Count words and character mentions in a public-domain novel and see what the numbers reveal.
Same difficulty and budget
Software Development · Mobile Apps
Build a habit tracker with streaks
Create an Android app to tick off daily habits and see streaks and a calendar heat map.
Data + Operations, HR and Supply Chain
Build a sales dashboard
Turn a public retail dataset into a one-page dashboard that answers a manager's questions.
Artificial Intelligence · Deep Learning
Classify handwritten digits with a neural network
Train a small neural network on the MNIST digits and study where it goes wrong.
Artificial Intelligence + Marketing
Cluster customers into groups
Group customers by spending behaviour with k-means and describe each group in plain words.