Hey everyone,
New series! This fall I became the software lead for a project in Triton NeuroTech, and I want to keep a log of it here. Partly so I remember what happened, and partly, so I can look back and see if I actually got better at this whole "leading people" thing 😅.
What we're building
The short version: a soft glove that helps your hand move. Small sensors on your forearm pick up the electrical signal your muscles make when you try to move, and the glove uses that signal to know when to help. Think rehab or someone with a weak grip, not Iron Man (yet 🤣).
I'm keeping the details vague on purpose. The team wants to protect what we're working on until the project is done, so these logs are about the journey and the people, not the code.
The team
There are two halves. I lead software, and the other leads the hardware. I'll be honest, the other lead is levels above me technically, and my first thought when I got the role was "why me?" But I think that's kind of the point. I do not need to be the best coder in the room to be a good lead. I need to make sure everyone knows what we're doing, why we're doing it, and that they actually enjoy showing up.
NeuroTech Olympics: 2nd place!
Our first real event as a team was the club's NeuroTech Olympics at La Jolla Shores on 10/24/2026, and we took 2nd place 🥈. Not bad for a group that had met maybe once! Beach, competition, and getting to know everyone was a good icebreaker.
One rule we're living by
After a lot of back and forth with the club, we settled on one rule: sense, don't stimulate. We only read signals off the body. Nothing sends electricity into anyone. A teammate raised safety concerns early on, and I'm glad they did, because it made the whole project simpler and safer. Lesson one as a lead: listen to the person who says "wait, is this safe?"
That's it for now. Next up: our first workday, eh!