Pick one applied project. Build it. Document it. Ship a working physical artifact plus a 2-3 page write-up plus a 60-90 second demo video.
What you ship
A single zip file containing:
- Working circuit photographs (5+ photos showing the assembled circuit from multiple angles)
- Schematic (hand-drawn or Fritzing-exported; PNG or PDF)
- Arduino source code (your sketch; well-commented; runnable)
- Demo video (60-90 seconds; .mp4 / .mov / .webm; shows the project actually working)
- Write-up (2-3 pages; ~500-800 words; markdown or PDF)
Zip filename: hw101-capstone-{your-name}.zip (lowercase; hyphens; no spaces)
What counts as a valid project
Your project must:
- Use sensors + actuators + Arduino R4. At least one input device (sensor or button); at least one output device (LED, buzzer, motor, servo, etc.); the Arduino as the brain
- Solve a recognizable problem (or simulate one). A friend who is not an engineer can hear your one-sentence description and nod
- Be buildable in 8-12 hours of focused work during week 14 (after week-13 scoping)
- Use only components from the Arduino R4 Classroom Pack and the SETUP.md supplements. No exotic off-kit parts
- Not require soldering. Breadboard or pre-built jumper connections only; soldering is advanced-track scope
Examples of "fully sufficient" capstones
| Project | Inputs | Outputs | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door alarm | Button or motion sensor | Buzzer + LED | Trigger when input changes; silenced by reset button |
| Mood lamp | Photoresistor + button | RGB LED | Brightness inverse to ambient; color cycles on button |
| Reaction-time game | Buttons | LEDs + Serial | LED lights randomly; player presses matching button; time logged |
| Distance alarm | HC-SR04 ultrasonic | LED + buzzer | Beep faster as object approaches |
| Temperature monitor | Temperature sensor | LED + Serial log | LED color shifts with temperature; Serial logs readings every minute |
| Plant moisture | Soil sensor (or potentiometer simulation) | LED indicator | Red when dry, green when moist |
| Single-button game | One button | 3 LEDs + speaker | Simon-says style; player repeats a flashing pattern |
Pick one of these or invent your own. Variety welcomed. Ambition rewarded only when paired with completion
The write-up
Five sections (~500-800 words total, not per section):
Section 1: What it does (~200 words)
One paragraph the non-engineer friend can follow. Lead with the use case. Describe what happens when the device is powered on and used
Section 2: What components it uses (~150 words)
List every part. For each: name + value + role. Use a table if you like
Section 3: What surprised you (~150 words)
One specific moment in the build. Not "everything was great" or "the project worked." Pick a specific thing that caught you off guard. (The wire that wouldn't carry current; the sensor reading that made no sense until you re-read the datasheet; the moment the whole thing worked for the first time)
Section 4: What would you change in v2 (~150 words)
Looking back, what would you build differently next time? More features? Different parts? Different scope? Be specific
Section 5: What I learned about my own work process (~100 words)
Reflective. Where did you waste time? Where did you under-plan? What habit would you carry forward into your next project?
Success criteria
Three equally-weighted dimensions:
| Dimension | Full marks |
|---|---|
| The hardware works | Circuit is built; demo video shows actual running output. No fakes; no broken parts |
| The schematic matches the build | A grader can reproduce your wiring from your schematic. Every wire is shown; every part is labeled with its value |
| The write-up is honest | Five sections are present. Section 3 ("what surprised you") names a real specific moment. The reflection sections are specific, not generic |
No minimum complexity threshold. A simple button-LED project with a clear write-up earns the same grade as a complex multi-sensor project with the same quality of write-up. The grade rewards finished + honest
Timeline within week 14
| Day | Work |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wire and verify input subsystem; wire and verify output subsystem (separately) |
| 2 | Integrate; write main sketch; iterate |
| 3 | Polish; test edge cases; tune thresholds |
| 4 | Record demo video; finalize photographs |
| 5 | Draft write-up |
| 6 | Trim, polish, assemble zip |
| 7 | Buffer / submit |
Legal and ethical
The capstone is 100% your own work. No "I downloaded this Instructable and tweaked it." If you used a tutorial or example as inspiration, name it in your write-up (Section 4 "what would you change" is a natural place)
If you used AI assistance for code, name where and how. The academy does not prohibit AI assistance; it requires the assistance to be visible
Submission
Email the zip to interested@virtuscyberacademy.org with subject HW-101 capstone, {your-name}. The course staff replies within 7 days with the grade and a personalized note
Forward-pointers
After HW-101 ships:
- CSA-101 (Computer Systems Architecture I, 155 hours). The flagship FPGA + RV32I-Lite course. HW-101 graduates arrive comfortable with breadboard wiring and digital signal probing; CSA-101 takes you from there to a working CPU you built yourself
- CON-101 (Virtus Console, planned 100 hours). Game development on the academy's hardware platform. HW-101 graduates have the input + output intuition; CON-101 builds the game-development pattern on top
- Advanced electronics (planned electives). RF design; precision analog; embedded RF protocols. Each leans on HW-101 as the prerequisite physical-electronics layer
Capstone specification v0.1 prepared 2026-05-11. Refines after first pilot cohort.