Exploring Engineering Darin Gray Group 5 July 15 th, 2011 Darren Draper Sinem Sargin Ryan Vo Marquel Jones-Francis

 To better understand bridges, we used design programs, index card tests, and sample structures to get an idea of how we wanted our final bridge to turn out  Once we created a successful scale model, we constantly refined it and added newer and stronger portions to our full scale bridge  We also created the ROV within the length limits and finally tested the strength of the completed bridge

 First Step:  Before we could start drawing or thinking about our designs, we used a Bridge Design Program to better understand the basic structure, tension and compression of bridges  We determined that the ratio of size of the bridge and the ROV are directly proportional

 Second Step:  After we used the design program, we created a very basic design of a bridge on paper and determined the dimensions within the parameters given  We also used trial and error design methods to test strengths and weaknesses in design  We also began making some sketches of the ROV model

 Third Step:  We then spent a lot of time determining how much material we would use and refined our design to get rid of any weak points in the design  This step mainly focused on material management and reinforcement of design pieces  The ROV plan was finalized and reviewed for efficiency and stability

 Fourth Step  Once we had a list of all of the items we would need to construct the bridge, we began systematically cutting, gluing, and constructing the bridge pieces  We interchanged parts of the ROV for stronger and/or lighter parts in hopes to create a successful design

 Once we finished constructing the bridge, we added in as many final supports that we could and we tested the final product with the ROV!

 With only four group members, we relied heavily on each other to work together and get the job done well  The success we had was because of our clear plan from the beginning and great teamwork and work management  Splitting into two groups helped us focus on two different but related tasks and greatly increased the amount of work we were able to get done

 Darren Draper helped with the design and construction of the bridge and ROV  Sinem Sargin helped with the design and construction of the bridge as well as taking pictures  Ryan Vo helped with the design and construction of the ROV  Marquel Jones-Francis helped the design and construction of the ROV

 Overall, we didn’t face many obstacles throughout construction  After seeing many designs of other groups and online, the design of the bridge changed on a day to day basis with new information that we learned ◦ This made us rethink the best design to create a bridge, but we made sure we never made cuts until we knew exactly how it was going to look  Our main obstacle was that the ROV was too big for the bridge width ◦ We eventually redesigned the ROV three times to create the best size possible

 We also faced some problems with the ROV construction, making sure it had enough power, and making sure everything was tight and compact ◦ This problem was not fully overcome by the end of day two of design/building, and thus why our robot is not fully functional ◦ This problem posed the biggest threat to our success because our bridge was strong enough to hold the ROV, but the ROV had trouble getting mobile

 Instead of building the entire bridge as one big piece, we tried to separate the sections and then connected them at the end ◦ This decreased strength because not all measurements were perfect, and made it harder to put it all together  When we cut the Balsa wood, the wood would splinter or crunch, and decrease integrity of the pieces we put together ◦ We solved this by doubling and trpling some sections of the bridge we constructed in hopes of strengthening the supports

 We also had a lot of trouble correlating the design measurements of the ROV and bridge and that took time and labor to fix  Another obstacle we ran into was time ◦ Although we were given two days to construct the bridge and ROV, it still wasn’t enough time to create a perfect ROV that filled all of our expectations

 We would improve the project first and foremost by getting better, stronger pieces of wood to work with ◦ The Balsa wood given was an equivalent to sponge, and lacked concrete strength to begin with  Another path we would take if we had more time, would be attempting to plan in depth to create a design that would use less materials, and use them in the most beneficial way possible  We would also improve the project by trying to find a smaller robotics kit to make a smaller but still capable robot to do the job ◦ This would take some stress off the bridge design and allow it to be as small as possible

 First and foremost, we all learned that frustration and exhaustion is part of engineering. ◦ This is just a fact of eningeering of every type of engineering and we definitely felt the effects of it after putting in two 11 hour days  We again learned about the importance of job distribution and the need for good communication between partners  With only four group members, we split into two groups and focused two people on the bridge and two people on the ROV-this saved time, focus, and materials  We learned a lot about material consumption and more importantly, the importance of precision of creation. ◦ Even though we may have designed the pieces correctly, it was important that we cut them and glue them together in a fashion that maintained strength and integrity of the bridge without using too much material  We learned about the importance of the step-by-step process needed before construction can even start ◦ Planning is key to an engineers success and always relying on basic sketches and designs will ensure that success  We also learned the importance of team work and division of labor ◦ Without this fact in mind, we wouldn’t have been able to finish as much as we did