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    Labs

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    1

    Class overview

    Introduction to engineering and the design process, engineering drawing, sketching, back of the envelope calculations

    Introduction to the OETL (PDF)

    Solid Works tutorial

    Machine shop skills and safety (PDF)
    2

    Basic design analysis

    Free body diagrams, Newton's laws

    		  
    3

    Electronics and water: two great tastes that don't taste so great together…

    Exploration with instrumentation

    Light banks (PDF) (Courtesy of Kate Thompson. Used with permission.)

    Electronics Assembly (PDF) (Courtesy of Kate Thompson. Used with permission.)

    Solid Works tutorials/parts library
    4 Hydrostatics, pressure and water proofing  
    5 Holiday - no lecture

    Instrumentation panels introduction and construction (PDF)

    Information on sensors (PDF)
    6 Design brainstorming, project ideas, Solidworks repository development  
    7

    Motors and electronics

    Guest lecturer: Prof. Steve Leeb, MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

    Waterproof sensors/lights

    Design brainstorming
    8

    Design analysis, error estimation, data presentation

    Propulsion: power vs. thrust and efficiency

    		  
    9 Engineering ethics and using your best judgment

    Motor building and testing

    Team development and brainstorming
    10

    Communicating engineering design

    Promoting your ideas/inventions

    		  
    11

    Exploration on the Moon: mission planning for EVA and geology, part 1

    Guest lecturer: Prof. Dava Newman, MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics

    Testing sensors in lab

    Design analysis

    Brainstorming!
    12

    Exploration adventure part 2

    Guest lecturer: Prof. Dava Newman, MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics

    		  
    13 Student presentations: in-class design review

    Build

    Revise analysis

    Parts list submission
    14 Design iterations, recalculations  
    15 Cool robots and bomb disposal

    Build, build, build!
    16 Bio-Robots, Gecko feet, and cool stuff!  
    17 Engineering and society

    Dunk-test vehicle (Pool)
    Photos

    Complete electronics
    18 Guest lecture  
    19 Pool testing at the Z-Center

    Troubleshoot

    Data analysis from dunk test (Pool) and/or field test at Sailing pavilion (River)
    20 Engineering at MIT: things to think about... choice of majors  
    21 No class, optional Boston Harbor Day trip + lunch

    Off site testing (River)
    Photos
    22 Guest lecturer: Prof. Steve Dubowsky, MIT Mechanical Engineering, mobile robots  
    23 Guest lecturer: Prof. Sangbae Kim, MIT Mechanical Engineering, bioinspired design

    Off site testing (TBA)
    24 Engineering after MIT: things to think about... grad school, consulting, FE exam, professional engineers certification, internships  
    25 Guest lecturer: Dr. Sheri White, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, underwater exploration

    Further data analysis (PDF)

    Design review poster preparation
    26 Guest lecturer: Prof. Jeff Hoffman, MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics, aerospace engineering design  
    27 Final student poster presentations  
    28 Lab clean up, evaluations  

    Pool Testing Photos

    Two students posing with a cube-framed robot at the edge of the pool. Two students with their robot and coiled-up tether. Two students whose robot has a sloping top. One student uses a control pad to drive the robot around the pool. The video from the robot's camera is displayed on a CRT. Students use pliers and wire to fix their robot.

    River Testing Photos

    A sphere-bodied robot with a propeller hovers near the river surface. With one propeller at the end of each arm, the robot drives point-first through the water. The typical cubic frame is augmented with wings for added stability. Students on the dock maneuver their robots around, make adjustments before launch, and watch each others' progress. Four PVC pipe buoys are attached to this robot's frame. The hollow buoys are placed across from each other on two sides of the frame; 2 foam blocks add extra flotation on two other opposing sides. The multi-stranded tether coils up on the dock as a student hauls in the robot. A student repairs electronics stored inside a PVC buoy. A student attaches the PVC buoy to the robot with a metal hose clamp. The robot zigzags and turns around at the river surface. A student watches intently while steering their robot down to the river bottom.

    Video


    (AVI - 24MB)