Left: the pneumatics system

middle: keeps the chain moving

right: unfinished programming of light censors 

Glide to Victory

1) An image of your completed glider design.

2) Your Glider Challenge: Design Phase notes.
We decided on making a glider with a fairly large wingspan with triangular support structures within the wings. We did our best to make the equilateral triangles so that the force would be distributed evenly. We also settled on a double tail design in hopes that it would keep the glider in a straighter path while it flew. The wood was put together using both tape and glue, and we used thin layers of the adhesive to connect the tissue paper to the aircraft.
3) Your Glider Challenge: Test Phase notes.
Without the added weight to the nose, the glider would flip around and fall to the floor in a somewhat oscillating pattern much like how a leaf would fall from a tree on a cool autumn day. Wrapping a thick layer of tissue paper to the tip helped stabilize this issue. We also noticed that the size of the wings may have been too big because they were bending with just their weight. This was not a huge problem during the test phase, but was a big problem during the actual challenge.  

4) Your Glider Challenge competition day results. How did your glider perform? What would you change if we competed again?
When we first walked into the engineering room on the day of the competition, we were horrified to see that our glider's wings were broken. With some tape and spare wood, we were able to patch up the wings. In terms of distance, our glider was rather unimpressive since it failed to go in a straight flight path but rather flipped over itself due to the air resistance. The strong air current also re-broke the wings in our later attempts. Luckily, our wounded-warrior excelled in staying in the air for a long time. This is probably due to the fact that the wings gave the glider a very large surface area allowing it to simply float to the ground in a relatively time consuming manner. 

Egg Drop Challenge - Iteration #1

Total Number of Achievements Earned: 26

Idea Generation Achievements

Brainstorming
-Create a sketch of one possible solution. Include labels.
-Create a sketch of another possible solution. Include labels.
-Create a sketch of a third possible solution. Include labels.
-Use a decision matrix to justify the approach you chose.

Material Prep
-Generate a list of materials required for build day.
-Document a plan to ensure materials are brought in on block day.

Build Achievements

Material Size:
(your egg is not included in the material size)
(air is ubiquitous and not included in material size. "Rare" commodities like helium are.)
-Your materials fit inside a printer paper box
-Your materials fit inside a shoe box

Material Weight:
(your egg is not included in material weight)
-Your materials weigh less than 500 grams.
-Your materials weigh less than 300 grams.
-Your materials weigh less than 200 grams.
-Your materials weigh less than 150 grams.
-Your materials weigh less than 100 grams.

Drop Achievements

Drop Accuracy:
-You hit the butcher paper!
-You hit inside the third ring!

Egg Resilience:
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times)
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times)
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times)


Calculation Achievements
-Describe an aspect of the event using arithmetic. (234g-149g)=85g
-Describe an aspect of the event using geometry. A=pi r^2 A=36pi
-Describe an aspect of the event using algebra. x + x + x =85; 28.33g per plate
-Describe an aspect of the event using calculus. 1/2 a t^2; t=1.01s; integrate 1/2 a t^2= at; (9.8)(1.01)=9.9 m/s


Other Achievements
-Help set up the Bullseye. Ana did it
-Come up with a clever name Mr. Olson uses for an existing Achievment. Don't Scramble the Egg (Egg didn't break)
-Design an Achievement Mr. Olson approves for next year's Egg Drop Challenge. Use only one type of material.
-Suggest a redesign to the activity that Mr Olson confirms he will use for next year's Egg Drop Challenge. Obstacles and challenges; like blindfolded drops, spots on the tarp that do not count for any points, AESTHETICS SHOULD COUNT

University Engineering

http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/Why does this institution appeal to you?:
UCSD is near my home and it is very well known.


Which engineering program is most interesting to you and why?:
I am interested in Bio engineering because I have always liked biology. Also people with Bio engineering degrees can get a really good job.

Which undergraduate engineering elective is most interesting? Describe the course and its appeal to you:
I like the sound of the team engineering lab because it seems very group oriented and based more on building things rather than listening to lectures.

Ted

1) TED is a global organization dedicated to compiling the "ideas worth spreading." Their conferences are used to spread innovative ideas that shed light on many fields including technology, business, entertainment, design, science, and global issues.


2) What is the purpose of their website and how does the functionality of their site support that? The website efficiently organizes the videos based on which categories they fall under and their popularity. The different tags can be viewed on the left and the videos are in the center of the screen in different sized rectangles. Under the videos there is space for people to leave comments. 

3) As Engineers and Problem Solvers, which topic areas (the choices from the "Show talks related to:" section on the sidebar) are of most interest to us? Justify your answer. I am most interested in Technology, Science, and Design. I have always had an affinity for new inventions in the scientific field, and I enjoy seeing new ways to design the world around us. 

4) Based on your previous answer, what are 3 talks (videos) on the site that appear like they would be of most interest to you as an Engineer/Problem Solver? Justify your choices. For technology, Theo Jansen creates new creatures because it he has a really out of the box idea and uses simple components to create amazing masterpieces. For science, JR's TED Prize wish: Use art to turn the world inside out, because the artist shows that simple paintings can have a tremendous impact on people's emotions. For design I like Jason Fried: Why work doesn't work because he discusses the inefficiency of the modern workplace.  


5) Each student will watch a unique video. Claim your video on the following period specific posts: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. If no one else has claimed your video, leave a comment on that post to call the one you want. If someone else has already claimed the talk, go back and pick another one. Watch the video. Embed the video in your blog post and create a bulletized outline of the key issues presented in the talk.


 Using only plastic tubes and bottles, Theo Jansen hopes to create creatures that are able to walk on the beach by being powered by the wind. His pursuits combine elements from both art and engineering resulting in creations that are visually fascinating and are capable of passing multiple obstacles like detecting the sea.


6) How could you get involved in the field/technology/issue you chose to hear about? What experience/skills/training/education would you need to learn to get involved with this field?

Subprograms

The subprogram Bro is used at a delay for the light in the main program. After the subprogram runs through, the main program proceeds with the rest of the main program.

Funny Joke

A math and engineering convention was being held. On the train to the convention, there were both math majors and engineering majors. Each of the math majors had his/her own train ticket. But the Engineers had only ONE ticket for all of them. The math majors started laughing and snickering. The engineers ignored the laughter.

Then, one of the engineers said, "Here comes the conductor". All of the engineers piled into the bathroom. The math majors were puzzled. The conductor came aboard and collected tickets from all the math majors. He went to the bathroom, knocked on the door, and said, "Tickets Please". An engineer stuck their only ticket under the door. The conductor took the ticket and left. A few minutes later, the engineers emerged from the bathroom. The math majors felt really stupid.

On the way back from the convention, the group of math majors had ONE ticket for their group. They started snickering at the engineers, who had NO tickets amongst them.

When the engineer lookout shouted, "Conductor coming!", all the engineers again piled into a bathroom. All of the math majors went into another bathroom. Then, before the conductor came on board, one of the engineers left the bathroom, knocked on the other bathroom, and said, "Ticket please."

Variables and Branch Functions

Variables are used to make the system run a certain number of times. By making A=50, the system would run 50 times on 1 second intervals. Variables are used to make a program take a specific direction based on the variable value.

Branch Functions

Vinnie worked with the RoboPro software while I built the hardware. Unfortunately we were not able to get an image. I made the greatest contribution to the effort

Branch Functions are important because they allow the computer program to make certain decisions by comparing different values and use empirical data.A clock has a normally open switch while a street lamp has a normally closed switch. 

Flowcharting

Flowcharting highlights the pathway for the process by specifying what specific actions should be taken in each situation. In many ways this is like a map since maps also guide you through specific pathways.

Inputs and Outputs

There are three pathways on the miniswitch, three, one, and two. One and two mean that there is a constant current and pressing the switch would turn it off. Three and one mean that pressing the switch would make the current flow, so there is no constant current.


The analog signals are converted to digital signals by the interface. The interface is used to make information from the computer be readable on the the devices we use, and the signals from the devices readable to the computer.


In insulators, resistance decreases as temperature increases. This is because as the flow of electrons increases because there is less resistance, more heat is generated.


Pressing the button on the mini switch resulted in a check on the I1 test window, which therefore made a voltage present. Not pressing the button makes it unchecked.For the inputs, turning the potentiometer changed the intensity of the current in the system.For the outputs, switching the connections on the wires could change the direction of the motor shaft.

Units

l (distance) = m

t (time) = s

m (mass) = kg

a (area) = m^2

v (velocity) = m/s

(density) = kg/m^3

g (gravity) = m/s^2

F (force) = kg(m/s^2)

E (energy) = kg(m/s)^2

P (power) = kg(m^2/s^3)

Opt In- Gamification

How are social networking and games combined?

Games on Facebook have been hugely successful. Just look at the fact that there are more farmville players than twitter accounts. Facebook and farmville combine two big forms of entertainment, social and gaming. This creates a perfect niche for those of us who like to both be social and play games. 

How is gaming evolving?

Playing a flash game online is very much different than popping quarters into a House of the Dead arcade machine. The rules of gaming have been turned upside down and now the most unconventional games come out on top. Many new games try to combine the physical world with the fantasy one. Guitar hero and the Kinect are two examples. This unorthodox juxtaposition has actually been wildly popular with the consumers, so it's pretty clear only ideas that are "out of the box" will thrive in todays market.


Are gaming ideas limited to video games?

The whole idea of levels is appealing to many different fields, even school. For example, in classes students can be ranked in...classes. A student who is failing would regress back to an "Engineering newb apprentice" class while a student with an A+ would have the title "Grand Master Engineering Arch Wizard." A ranking system can be both fun and a good motivator, provided we all keep it class-y.  

Content is King

     Even at a young age, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian like my father. I'm not gonna lie though, veterinary medicine isn't really a "hobby" of mine but more of a blinking red dot on my radar, creeping closer closer. Developments in the veterinary occupation don't exactly spike my interest as much as the trailer of a new video game, but I am certain that will change in the upcoming years. My interest in the world of animal sciences has always been like a seed planted in a patch of soil. As time progressed a passion for this line of work has sprouted within me. Recently I have been working in my family owned small animal clinic, where I get first hand experience with a variety of animals. The funny thing is, I actually enjoy it. I'm hoping someday I will have a true passion for veterinary medicine.
    I have never come across a veterinary blog before (probably since most veterinarians are crusty old people who can't use computers) but come googleing has led me to one. http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted. This blog, and probably many more like it, promote a service rather than a brand. But more importantly, it highlights important breakthroughs in the veterinary field like stem cell therapy.
    Someday when I become one of those old dudes in a white doctors coat with "Dr. Deo" stitched over the pocket, I could blog about my experiences with animals. I'm sure I would see many interesting cases and since there is not doctor-patient confidentiality I can blog about them all I want.

I'm on a raft

     Being shipwrecked on a life raft isn't exactly the most ideal situation to be in, but yesterday's activity put us in the middle of nowhere with a handful of "useful" items. Our job was to order the items from least to most important in terms of how they would help us survive in the environment.
     For the most important, I put water and food because I figured keeping your energy up with nourishment would be vital for survival. Even though you are out in the ocean, the sea water is not safe to drink since it has a high salt concentration. Therefore water is both scarce and necessary. Food is also important because it keeps you alive longer, which is the basic premise behind surviving. For the least important I put chocolate bars and oil. I didn't think indulging on sweets could make the situation any better, so other items that have a practical use should be considered more useful. I could not think of any use for the oil except creating a fire, and I came to the conclusion that a fire on a raft would be a bad idea. Personally, I had a hard time ranking the mirror since it seemed to be an obscure object within the list and didn't seem to fit in.
     My group agreed my logic on the most important items so we chose water and food as the most important items on the list. As a team we also agreed that chocolate was pretty useless. However my team believed shark repellent would be less important than oil since the chances of a shark attack are very minimal.Overall, my group and I listed most of the items in a similar order. We were also able to work very well with each other since we could communicate openly and listened to all ideas (no matter how crazy). However the several tangents that we went on did slow our progress.
     I was surprised to see that the oil was actually ranked much higher, though it makes sense since it can be used to make a signal that help you get saved. The importance of the mirror also baffled me since the experts great praise for the potential of a simple mirror seemed excessive. I would rely more on experimental data since proof lies in the objective, not the subjective.

Dropping the ball

     The challenge was to pass a tennis ball to each member of the team so that the ball touched each person's hand. However this had to be done quickly so we could beat the other team. One constraint we added in which made the challenge much more difficult was that we have to be at arms length from our peers.
     At first we tried to simply pass it to each other, but we kept "dropping the ball." To succeed in the most efficient manner, our group decided to roll the ball down each of our hands, allowing gravity to do all the work for us. This proved to be the easiest way to solve the challenge. Unfortunately the other team copied us, even though we executed it better.
     It was good that we all communicated during the activity, since knowing what your team mates are doing is necessary. It would have been better if we practiced more so that we could perfect our technique.