Cardboard Canoes!

For the Cardboard Canoes our team earned 14 achievements:

Design Achievements

Define the Problem and Brainstorm Solutions - State the problem you are designing a solution for. List at least 20 ideas you have regarding your solution.

Criteria & Constraints - List or reference the specified Criteria and Constraints you're designing for. List at least one implied criteria. List at least three implied contsraints.

Sketch Ideas - Draw 3 different sketches for possible designs. Label at least 3 key features for each sketch. Describe the feature's functionality so a viewer understands why the called out feature is important

   • Surface area! - Calculate how much surface area you can cover with your given duct tape. How many sf can you cover with one roll? How many can you cover with all your rolls? What % efficiency do you think you can achieve with your overlap?

• Prototype Ideas - Craft physical prototypes (models) of each of your three sketches. Use a notecard or post it note to call out at least one key feature on each model. Post the images to your blog and describe the key feature that you've pointed out on each.

 

Select an Approach - Generate feedback (+, change, ?, !) and make a decision matrix regarding your sketches/prototypes. Specify the approach you've chosen and justify your selection

Our team decided to use the fold over box because it was the sturdiest. It also I didn’t take in much water because it the edges were already sealed.


Build Achievements:
• Build It! - Build your watercraft. Your build must meet the standards of construction (100% covered in Duct Tape). Document it with a presentable photo.

   
Test Achievements:
• The Longest - Awarded to the team with the watercraft that floats the longest (multiple teams may be awarded this achievement if multiple boats remain afloat at the end of our competition period).

-Our boat was able to stay afloat the whole period.

• Balance Master - Awarded if you can have at least one person stand for 5 seconds in the boat (you must conduct this away from the edge of the pool so that non one falls over and hits their head)

-Jordan was able to stand up for more then 5 seconds in our boat

• Videographer - Take video of the challenge and post to your blog.



Reflection Achievements:
• Feedback - Generate ten items of feedback for your effort (from the design/build process and/or the actual product). Make sure you include at least one item of feedaback in each of our four feedback areas (+, change, ?, !)

I think that our team worked really well together and we had a great design. We folded multiply pieces of cardboard over each other and covered the whole thing with duck tape. We found that our fold design worked best with the prototypes because it was able to handle the most weight. With ended up working really well because we were able to have 3 people sit in our boat without it sinking. I don’t know if I could change anything about our boat because it was a strong design. But if I had to I would have added another layer of tape and cardboard to the top of the “V” on the front of the ship. I would have added another layer of duck tape to the bottom of our boat because it began to take on water. What I didn’t understand was at the end when we took the boat out it had a lot of water in the bottom but the boat never caved it.

• How Low Did You Go? - How low in the water did your canoe sit (roughly)? Was it surprising how little your boat went down in the water? What is the unit weight of water in pounds? How much did your pilot weigh (roughly)? Use math to help explain the depth that your boat sat in the water.

Our boat didn’t go that low it probability only went 8 inches underwater. Our pilot  roughly weighted 120 pounds. It was surprising because we put up high walls to avoid the problem of the water pouring into the boat from the sides but they weren’t necessary   but a good precaution.

• Redesign - If we were to do another Carboard Canoe race next semester, what would you build? Draw from everything you experienced in your class and propose the most competative solution. Include a sketch with key features and dimensions labeled.

I would have made it easier for the pilot to navigate the boat better. With someone just pushing it would fine but really a good way to gain speed it for the pilot to propel themselves.  

• (Make Your Own Achievement) - Make an achievement of your own design that you can award yourself for something awesome your team did. (Example "Transformer" - although our canoe sunk, our team was able to convert it into a surfboard style design and continue competeting!)

My achievements would be “able to hold the most people”. Our boat was able to hold 3 people without sinking.

Mouse Trap Cars

Our team earned 14 Achievements:

Design Stage:

“Brainiac”

1.       Bigger Wheels in Back

2.       Holes on the bottom of the base

3.       Attached Axel

4.       Front wheels not attached to mouse trap

5.       Smaller wheels in the front

6.       Base for mouse trap

7.       Attach string onto the back of the mouse trap

8.       Use the sturdier string

9.       Have wheels with bands around them

10.   Use tape to attach the mouse trap to the car.

Visualize It!

Build Stage:

“Build it”

 Test (Compete) Stage:

“Competitor”- Competed

“Led Food”- Moc3 won the acceleration bracket

“Heavy Foot”- We won the acceleration bracket

“Feedback”-(+)- Our team worked really well together. We never fought and we all brought great idea’s to the table.

(change)- Our group decided to add an extra lever that would allow the car to travel at a farther distant.

(?) Even though we changed our design, how could we have made our car move faster?

(!) I believe that if we wrap the string around the car a little tighter we could have gotten the car to travel farther.

Iterate Stage: 

“Re-Work”

Our group decided to add a pencil to our car to help propel the car forward more.

“Game Changer”

I would allow the use of more string. If we were able to use more string I think we could have gotten our car to travel a little faster because we were able to wand the string up better to propel the car for a longer distance.

“Name It”

Moc3

Clean up Stage:

Yes, our group left our work area cleaner then we found it. Our group worked in the same area everyday. We did not spread out too much so we kept the mess contained to one area. After each day we up our car away and any unused materials in the bins. We also threw way all of our trash and picked up the floor around us.

Reflection Stage:

“Design/Build”- A design and build process is a time when engineers map out and design their product. My experience with this challenge was our group had an idea of what we wanted our car to look like. From there we had to test out different methods until we found a solution that worked for us. I would experience this in a career related to technical innovation because you have to try and fail to get the product that you believe will succeed.   

Greeting

Hi!

My name is Rebecca. I am currently a junior at Coronado High School. I am looking forward to a great year in engineering.