Machine Control Design 3.1.7 Part 1

This project asks us to make a machine of our choice. We chose the project where we are asked to make a machine that drops a chocolate chip onto a cookie. We chose this because it had the lowest level of software difficulty and we understand our strengths and weaknesses and we are not good at programming. We are however, decent at building contraptions because of what we learned during the first semester.

As we are taking initiative and making up the project we failed to complete in class at home, our team members solely include myself and Sarah Dobi. We are working on this project completely equally and both of us are each other's MVP. :)

Here are our two brainstorming possible solution sketches and our programing flowcharts, one is for the dropper and the other is for the conveyor belt.

Conclusion

1. What was the most difficult part of the problem? The most difficult part of the problem was the construction of our ideas because we had to use our creativity to construct a project out of nothing but commonplace household items.

2. List and describe two features that were not part of the design problem that could be addedd to improve your design. One device we could add would put each cookie individually into the packaging. Another innovation we could add would make the dropping device more claw-like and therefore more precise.

RoboPro Incrementing Variable Program

This is a basic program we created in RoboPro in class today. We discovered how to create an incrementing variable and control the start and stop of the program based on the variable's number.

To view a larger version of the image, simply click on it.

3.1.2 Flowcharting

Flowcharting is like using a map because you have to think about where you are (choose an n) and go from there--following the chart or the road you need. You use it as a tool, but there are still things you need to do from there.

State of the Union - Opt in

I watched the State of the Union, though a while ago.

Many of the themes of the speech resonated with our class. For instance, he specifically said that we need to have more engineers in America because we need to "catch up" with China and India.

The comparison to the space race was with the research in technology right now, particularly with forms of alternative energy, another overlying theme of his speech.

Race to the Top will replace the No Child Left Behind program. Both programs have what's best in mind for our nation's students, both focused of raising standards for teaching and learning.

The president included the Chilean miners story to show that Americans are out in the world solving problems and "doing big things" and that is exactly the kind of America Obama wants.

The president's chief speech writer, Jon Favreau, is the second youngest person to ever take the post of speechwriter. In ten years, I hope to be either still in school learning or working on an exciting job, traveling the world and solving modern engineering problems.

The speech was a good one, and it definitely encouraged me that he is so interested in future engineers and technologies, and, in particular, green energy.

activity 3.1.1 inputs and outputs

This activity, although called inputs and outputs, illustrated for us the difference between analog and digital signals in computers. A helpful way for me to think about this was with those words connotated to watches and clocks.

5. unchecked, zero, not present
6. checked, one, present
7. when you switch 3 and 2 the answers to five and six switch
9. 38 to 5000
11. 1718
12. 1655
14. by switching the red and black wires
15. the electromagnet turns the reed switch on
16. normally closed
18. light shining = closed photoresistor
19. the more light, the more resistance in the photoresistor
20. reverse programming
21. leave it alone

Conclusion Questions

1. Because the lines touch for one side of it and don't for the other, it clearly displays the concepts of normally open and normally closed.
2. After doing some research, I found that the computer is able to understand digital signals because it uses an A/D converter.
3. As something becomes warmer, the molecules move faster and so there is less resistance.