"Not Fast, Just Furious"
An interactive Hot Wheels-themed locker nameplate featuring laser-cut race graphics, 3D-printed lettering, LED drag-race sequencing, and a powered track loop.
Engineering Summary
This project reflects my introduction to systems thinking and constraint-based design. Being my initial multi-component engineering project, it involved the balancing of creative vision and physical constraints, electrical safety, fabrication tolerances, and coordination of the team. I was taught to conceptualize abstract concepts into parts that could be manufactured, debug integration problems in both mechanical and electrical subsystems, and make design decisions given very limited spatial and functional constraints. This experience formed the basis of my approach to bigger engineering projects today: to divide complex systems into manageable parts and make iterative progress toward reliable, buildable solutions.
Project Overview
This introductory design project challenged students to build a “pumped-up” locker nameplate integrating digital fabrication, electronics, and creative engineering under strict constraints. Our team designed a Hot Wheels-inspired interactive display titled “Not Fast, Just Furious,” which combined a custom racetrack motif, a working drag-race LED sequence, and a fully functional Hot Wheels loop powered by a repurposed motor assembly.
The project served as my first exposure to building a multi-component engineered system from concept, to CAD, to fabrication, to electrical integration.
Design & Fabrication
I led the design process, translating the team's creative concept into CAD models, fabrication files, and integration-ready components while coordinating constraints across mechanical, electrical, and aesthetic elements.
Laser-Cut Elements
The stylized race-tree graphic (inspired by Hot Wheels branding)
Decorative framing and structural supports
3D-Printed Elements
All letters forming “FURIOUS”, with a custom flame-sweep base
Mounting interfaces for the LED system and track components
The racetrack artwork was hand-painted on reinforced cardboard, designed to remain within the 5-inch depth limit and withstand the dynamic load of the passing Hot Wheels car.
Electronics & Integration
The final nameplate incorporated multiple electronic and electromechanical systems, including:
Drag-race LED start-sequence, wired and programmed on a Red Board
Embedded LED indicators around the racetrack
AA-powered system with switch
Repurposed Hot Wheels motor drive, cut down and re-housed to fit inside the enclosure
This required learning foundational wiring, sequencing logic, and safe power delivery, including electrical testing to ensure no overloads before installation.
Engineering Challenges
One of the hardest aspects of the project was track placement and mechanical stability. We had to:
Ensure the Hot Wheels car could complete the loop smoothly.
Mount the track rigidly without exceeding the allowable depth.
Integrate electronic components cleanly inside a small enclosure.
We iterated on several cardboard mockups to test load, spacing, and alignment, ultimately designing a mount that held the track securely while maintaining visual cohesion with the theme.
My Contribution
As project leader, I:
Formulated the concept and visual theme
Modeled and fabricated the laser-cut and 3D-printed components
Integrated the Hot Wheels mechanical system into the enclosure
Led electrical setup and LED sequencing tests
Coordinated team task allocation and timeline
This project was my first technical build, and it laid the groundwork for the engineering mindset I now bring to more advanced systems.
Outcome
The final nameplate:
Met all project constraints, including fabrication method requirements, electronics integration, and depth limitations
Functioned successfully with active LED sequencing and a working motorized track
Demonstrated our ability to merge creative prototyping with engineering fundamentals
This early project now serves as a fun, but meaningful, benchmark of my growth from introductory fabrication to the complex environmental engineering systems I build today.
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