Egg Drop Challenge - Iteration #1

30 Achievements


Weight 42.8g

1-3 Create a Sketch of possible solution

4. Use a decision matrix

5.List of Materials for build day

6.Plan for bringing in materials.-
I found the styrofoam ;While Austin planned to bring in the parachute material (tissue paper), and I was tasked wiith bringing in the string.

7.Material fit in Printer Box

8.Materials fit in shoe box

9-14. Weighs less than 50g
weighed 42.8g

15-19. Hit Bullseye

20-26. Egg didnt break/crack/spill

27. Describe using Alebra
28. Describe using Arithmetic
29. Describe using Geometry
30. Describe using calculus


5) What designs from your class did well? Based on the achievements you earned, how would you redesign your solution to score better? Be specific (sketches with labeling work well for this).
The parachute designs seemed to do the best. The parachute slowed down the egg enough to were the force of the landing wasn't enough to break the egg. If I had to redesign my project, I would try and shave off a few grams to try and get it under 25g and fit into an altoid box. I would have used only a parachute and made a harness with which to put the egg in. If we did this, im confident we would not lose any of our current achievements and we would have improved the efficiency of our design.

Glider Challenge

1.

Final Glider



2. Design Phase

1) The challenge is to create a glider using balsa wood and tissue paper. We have to make a glider that will hopefully glide the longest for the greatest amount of distance and most hangtime, if not both then it should do one of those things.

2) There are no rules to brainstorming. We went through all possible ideas and considered what would be the best approach to create the best design. We took ideas from the gliders around the class and we went online to look up ways in which the most efficient gliders are built, we then took these ideas to help create our own. Our idea was to create a glider with a short glider with long wings, angled up at 15 degrees and curved at the tips to reduce turbulance, then put two horizontal fins as well as one vertical fin. We ended not being able to to curve the wings because the wood would bend enough, also we ended up not being able to angle thie wings also, so we had to just put them flat, and we couldn't put a vertical wing because of lack of material.

3) Criteria: We had to use the material, the blasa wood and tissue paper, nothing else, and had to use glue and tape to stick things together, nothing else.

Constraints: The criteria really limited our creativity because we couldn't just use any material we wanted which limited what we could do.

4)

3. Test Phase

+ 1.       Solid flight 2.       Ok distance 3.       Good wing hole	Outcomes to change 1.       Try to lengthen flight time 2.       Try to lengthen flight distance 3.       Try to decrease the size of the plane
? 1.       Short flight time 2.       Lack of controllable direction	Ideas 1.       Increase stability of the plane 2.       Decrease the size of the plane’s wings 3.       Increase amount of tissue paper

Our main goals for our glider our to increase the distance it can go and I think decreasing the wing size and using more tissue paper and trying to add stability to the wings are our main goals.

4. Performance and Improvements

Our glider did not perform very well at all, it dropped immediately and went backwards. I i think a lot of it had to do with the wings, the wings needed to be much shorter because they were to heavy and caught too much wind, the shape of the wings need to be changed because they weren't efficient, and lastly the wings were not supported right they were to flmsy. Also we needed to put on a vertical fin, that would have helped a lot.

Achievements

For future projects, I believe that an achievement for using little to no pneumatic devices would be extremely unique and challenging, as most groups used multiple in their projects. I also think that an achievement where you leave out a key component of the intended design (in our case we left out the magnets) which would encourage innovative and creative designs.

Helping Hand

Tom helped our group out early on by giving us a design tip. He was the one that showed us how to create pressure in our pneumatic system and how to wire the pneumatic motors a certain way that made it easier to program with.

Reflection

In my opinion, we accomplished our objectives very well. We were able to create an innovative and unique design that completed the process with a lot of time to spare. In the future, I think we would use a magnet instead of using our spring because the major flaw in our design was that we could only complete the process if the wooden marbles did not follow a metal marble. The results fulfill the problem statement very well because we were able to sort out all 5 different types of marbles into different bins in less than two minutes (1:20 seconds was roughly our time). Freddy and I have learned the importance of an attention to detail, because the smallest adjustments produce a misreading that leads to a failed attempt, whether it be with the bins that catch the marbles pushed off by the spring, or the gate that lets the photo resistor differentiate between the colors of the marbles. We have learned how to program as well, our program was very complicated and we used a couple subprograms to achieve our desired result. We had a few challenges that faced us with regard to working in a team, one of us would bump something that we had been working on fixing or change part of the program which instead of helping us take a step forward, made us take two steps back. The purpose of this design problem was to teach us to work in teams, be able to program and use the various Fisher robotics parts, and finally show us some of the skills needed to use later on in our engineering careers. These skills include: teamwork, attention to detail, perseverance, dedication, creativity, and most of all, the importance of consulting with our peers on common problems.

Final Design

1. This is where our design begins This is the Compressor which builds the necessary pressure to operate the Pneumatics, and is stored in the blue container.

2 a. Here if the marbles are small enough, (either the wood or metal) the follow the track down the track where the heavier one (metal) will go past the spring and the lighter (wood ) will "spring backwards to a different bin

2. b. If the marble is too large to fit into wood and metal marble track it is stopped in front of the Pneumatic device which launches it onto another track.

4. On the next track the marble is stopped by our gate which is programed to hold the marble in place in front of the Photosensor to get an accurate reading of the marbles translucency.

5 Last, depending on what reading the photosensor gets it will fire one or none of the Pneumatics to either guide the marbles off the track or let it follow it all the way down the track.

6. Here is our main program. This program is responsible for seperating the metal/wooden marbles from the glass marbles (discussed in part 2)

7. Next, we have our glass program.

This was the part of the programming that took the most time to complete. We had to spend quite a few class periods to finally find the values that worked. When the marble arrives at the photoresistor, this program dictates what happens based on that reading. If the photo resistor gets a reading less than 240, it moves onto the next branch of the program. If its more than 240, the marble is placed in the bin on the right. The next branch takes that reading and if it is more than 200, then it is placed in the bin on the left. If it is less than 200, then nothing happens and it rolls into the bin waiting at the bottom of the ramp.

8. Lastly, we have our gate program. This program is responsible for controlling the gate that keeps the marble in the photoresistor long enough for it to get a reading.

We had to find times that worked so that the gate did not move to a different spot at any point during the trial. We found that the gate moved faster going down than it did going up, so, as you can see in the program, we made it go 1.5 seconds up and 1.4 seconds down to combat this problem.

Design Modifications

Altogether we didnt have too many modifications to our machine

• Here we added another flat piece attached to the metal pole to prevent anymarble from being lauched too far and off of the track.

-Here we added another support beam in order to further stabilize our gate to get more consistent readings from our photosensor.

•  To further stabilize our gate, in order to get consistent readings for the photosensor we added the flat red pieces to reduce any twisting or torquing of the building blocks.
• Also we flipped around the motor itself to reduce the amount of give it would have from going up and down.

Final Design Solution

(idea hatched on 3/22/11)

We decided upon using the spring to seperate between the wooden and metal marbles in order to save time and wiring. Once calibrated, the marbles were consistently seperated so long as they didn't come through at the same time. We then chose to use a photoresistor to seperate the different colors between the marbles.

Machine Control: Captsone Project: Decision Matrix

	Reliability	Time	Efficiency	Innovative	total
Pneumatic	2	3	4	3	12
Tree Design (magnets)	1	2	3	4	10
Spring	3	1	1	1	6
Photosensors	2	4	2	2	10

Because the pneumatics scored the worst, we tried to use as little as possible. The spring was extremely innovative, and required no power, only that it needed to be calibrated. The photo sensors worked well, but only when the marbles were opaque in nature. We decided to scrap magnets altogether because the spring would take care of the metal marbles.

Machine Control Capstone Project: Brainstorm

-Brainstorming Ideas:

This was the first order of business, we had to find a way to get our motors to start working. We added a variable counter also as a psuedo-timer to make sure our recycling center didn't go on forever.

We then made a brainstorm where we would work out a way to seperate the marbles (we didn't end up going with this design)

Freddy had the bright idea of adding a spring to our recycling center in order to help seperate the metal and wooden marbles (as opposed to using a magnet)

We also chose to use a photo resistor to differentiate between the different types of marbles.

3.1.7

Construct and program a vehicle to be able to move forwards and backwards upon different time intervals.

Team Members: Austin Von Pohle, Austin Copp, Will Burroughs

Austin VP programmed the RoboPro software do the needed specifications of the assignment.

We all worked on construction of the vehicle from brainstorming the design of the vehicle, to implementing this design with the building materials and the wiring of the vehicle.

Will prepared the images for this blog post.

We ended up choosing to wire it parallel as opposed to in series. Since we wired it parallel, both motors see the same voltage, giving them equal strength.



Austin Von Pohle was the MVP his programming and construction skills were very valuable to completing the project.

The main problem was the construction of a vehicle that could go forwards and backwards but also does not go too far over the limit of the distance to be traveled. To complete this task we hardwired stop buttons that when the vehicle was moving back the back switch would be the first thing to hit the limit and therefore click the switch stopping the vehicle from moving in that direction.

Conclusion

1. What was the most difficult part of the problem?

2. List and describe two features that were not part of the design problem that could be added to improve your design.

1.       I think the most difficult part was wiring and programming the vehicle so that it could move easily and not get caught up in the wiring. We used the Bluetooth functions of the computer and Robo TX Controller to connect the programming to the controller wirelessly.

2.       The vehicle could use more energy from more motors or a battery pack; we had a little problem getting the vehicle to get to faster speeds this could be fixed with the addition of more energy sources. Also I think that we could have organized the layout of the vehicle a little better due to the fact that the wires are quite scrambled in various parts of the vehicle doing so would increase its visual appeal and prevent wires from breaking or getting disconnected/lost in the jumble.

Subprogram

We created a sub program that counted to 5. Then we made the main program with the counter so you could see the count but you only see the >5 symbol representing the counter program.

This is beneficail because it is a good way to organize and not have a giant program desplayed the whole time. This is especailly useful for those who are messy programers.

3.1.1

5. unchecked, 0, notpresent

6. checked, 1, present

7. It was opposite reactions

9. 43 to 5000

11. 1521

12. 1360

14. switching the wires into the oposite positions

15. when the reed switch touches the electromagnet it gives out power

16. Normally Closed

18. the light shining means closed photoresister

19. more resistance more light

20. reverse the program

21. having it normal then it will be utilized

1. Examine the wire diagram on the mini switch and describe how the diagram relates to the concepts of normally open and normally closed.
The normally closed side of the mini switch makes it so that the switch completes the circuit at all times, making it a closed circuit.  ___ _ ___
The normally open part of the switch makes it so that you must press the switch to close the circuit. __/ __

2. If computers only understand digital signals, then how is a computer able to interpret the analog signals coming from the interface?
Maybe computers use simulations of the analog inputs, making digital signals to approximate their analog counterparts.

3. Why does resistance decrease as the NTC Resistor becomes warmer?
As the NTC Resistor gets warmer, the current is increasing. To keep the same voltage, the resistance must decrease.

Variable > 5

Super Bowl Ad Opt In

For the Chrysler commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc) they had to pay $12 million per commercial (Superbowl ads cost $100,000/sec). The ad was a record 2 minutes long, and followed rap artist eminem through Detroit. At $21,000, GM would need to sell over 500 Chrysler 200's/commercial (the car being advertised) to break even. Since 111 million people watched the superbowl, many of them only for the ads, I don't think this is a good deal. At 500+ cars/commercial, and the commercial needs to air multiple times for it to leave a lasting impression on the audience, the cost will be to great to overcome in my opinion.

Content is King

Q- What is a field/hobby/something you have a passion for (surfing, sailing, robotics, painting, etc.)?
I have surfed ever since I was little. The feeling of being on a wave is one that is matched by no other. If you catch a truely great wave, nothing else in the world matters. For that brief moment, any problems are gone; you are completely free.
Q- What person or organization in that field has used blogging to promote their brand?
Holly Beck: http://www.hollybecksurfs.blogspot.com/

Her blog includes descriptions of her travels as she competes around the world in surf competitons or just casually searching for the best wave.

Q- What is a field you might see yourself blogging about?

A field that I might consider blogging about would be running. Although I have a passion for surfing, it is not my greatest escape. I run to think about things in life and it would be pretty cool to discuss this with others or write about what I thought about on my runs.

Activity 3.1.2

1. A flowchart is similar to a map in that you must follow a certain set of directions to reach a desired goal. For example, if I were to go to San Diego, my condition statement would be: "Am I on the bridge?" If not, then I will turn around and keep asking myself if I am until I have reached the bridge and be able to reach my desired stopping destination.

2. Process: Getting ready for school
Get up, shower, eat breakfast and go to school.

l (distance) = m

t (time) = s

m (mass) = kg

a (area) = m^2

v (velocity) = m/s

(density) = kg/m^3

g (gravity) = (acceleration) m/s^2

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

E (energy) = J or kWh (Power = Work/time => Work = Power x time => kW x h = Energy

P (power) = W (J/s)

Team building activity

The activity was fun, it brought the people in the groups together against the other group. It seemed that each group would just copy the other and try and improve on the design because they already saw the end result, giving them another "practice" before the contest. I enjoyed the activity alot because it basically was trying to find a way to exploit a loophole in the directions. For example, if everyone had to touch the ball (with the intent of having to pass the ball) my group just put everyones hands together and touched them all with the ball at the same time. Also, when the rules were changed to make the ball be in the air between touching hands, both groups came up with a similar design of letting the ball fall through touching each persons hands as they go. We talked about it in AP Physics and Mr. Lemei was very excited about the team building activity. I think that if we were to do this every week, it would not only increase team building, but problem solving and loop-hole-finding abilities in all members of the class.

Lost at Sea

If I were lost at sea, given the choice to choose between 15 items, my first choice would have to be water. Water is the most important item on the list by far because you can only survive a few days without it. My next choice would have been food, so choices two and three are army rations and fishing kit. The items that I found least useful were the maps of the pacific ocean, the compass, and the boxes of chocolate.

My group had similar feelings on which items were the most important and which were the least. Kris was the most knowledgable about the subject, and was the leader of the group. Everyone else offered there input and we came up with some good ideas.