Hello everyone,
If you frequent the A-Wing, you may notice robots scurring along the corridors. Tomorrow is the big day for students to test their latest robots, notably those that will attempt to climb/descend stairs. Their ideas and designs are amazing, which is necessary for this challenging task. We’ll report the outcome of this event in next week’s blog.
The recent engineering project involved robots tossing 3D printed cubes a calculated distance. The cubes were designed in CAD to have shapes buried inside to vary its weight. The landing pad was coated in Play-Doh to indicate exactly where the cubes landed.
Team robots exhibited wildly different designs. Some robots threw cubes like a trebuchet while others used the robot’s CPU itself to swing-throw the cube (like a see-saw). The class found that varied cube weights made little impact on distance calculations. This was because the LEGO Mindstorms’ motor power was not accurate nor reliable. But it was still an incredible learning experience.
Preparing launch of a “catapult” style robot
Control trigger to launch a cube
Measuring the throw distance
Robot programming software
A makerspace ecosystem thrives from collaboration. Students help each other with exploring project ideas, sharing suggestions for improvements, learning from each other’s mistakes, and so on. Likewise, mentoring is a important part of a makerspace. We are honored to know several community members who frequent the lab to work on projects and offer advice to our students.
One mentor is an OSU retiree who specializes in electrical engineering. He makes it a point to regularly spend time in the 3D Lab to answer questions about electrical theory, how things work, how to accomplish project ideas, etc.
Chris explaining a radio controlled glider that he designed in Solidworks
Mike explaining sine wave theory to interested students
The 3D Lab is looking for teachers, staff, and community members to mentor our students as they create projects and pursue hobbies/interests/assignments. If you are willing to help them, please send an email to tjh1@uakron.edu.
At the start of the fall season, students from Dalton Middle School worked with Wayne College to teach laser cutting. Students produced helicopter designs on paper which were scanned into the computer, then laser-cut from balsa wood. A real helicopter landed on the school’s front lawn as the event concluded. It was a wonderful collaboration with the middle school and the students learned a new skill as a result! We hope to collaborate on future projects together.
Calling all makers! Have an idea for a wood or metal working project but don’t have the right tools at home? Need access to CNC router technology or laser engraving? Are you interested in learning the skills of the workshop or how to operate these project-enhancing machines? Schantz MakerSpace (in Orrville, Ohio) has everything you need!
Schantz is offering an Open House for their makerspace on Saturday, December 5th from 11am to 1pm. Please see the below flyer for details. Please promote this event to friends, family, schools, businesses, and organizations that may be interested!
See how New Balance’s 3D printed soles might put a spring in your step:
http://www.gizmag.com/new-balance-3d-printed-shoe/40543
A 7-year-old girl received a new hand thanks to affordable 3D printing:
Until next week,
Tom