April 27, 2009

MAE 311

I wish I had a pocket camera, so I could take fun photos when I see fun things happening.

After my second class of the day, I paused outside, in the glorious weather. I was observing the students from a mechanical engineering class. They had divided into teams of three and four, for their final project: "Construct a Rube Goldberg contraption that flattens aluminum beverage cans to no more than 20% of their original height, without extending their diameter more than 20%. (I.e. crush straight down). The machine must use at least seven transfers of energy."

There was lots of creativity on display. Most machines did the crushing by dropping a weight on the can; one used a rotating tire, and the most frightening one used a to'b'for* with a hinge at one end, powered by springs with 120 lbs of tension. I was afraid that one was going to injure its builders as they loaded the can in place.

It looked like a fun final project, really. I, on the other hand, have a final project that requires me to create a multi-media advertising campaign for a fictional financial institution.

 

* "to'b'for" is an inside joke. Sorry.

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