Initial Final Project Proposal

I am only in the earliest stages of knowing what I'd like to do for the final project, considering so many of the fabrication methods and skills of this course will be completely new to me. However, I do have two broad categories of something I'd like to build for a final project.

Idea 1: Something Didactic

        Being in the Education School, it seems natural I'd gravitate towards building something that could be instructive, either in the building or operation of the device by students. This could include structures with sensors that provide stress and force feedback, giving students data so they can design and redesign structural design projects.

        For a completely off the wall idea that will never be approved (and indeed is probably illegal in most states), I thought building a potato artillary cannon could provide ample educational opportunities for studying projectile motion. Computerized controls could allow ignition and repositioning of the cannon from a safe distance, and by collecting data about angle of shot, recoil force on the gun, and distance traveled (though this one would be very difficult, but crucial for the educational purposes of the cannon.

        While I probably won't go with the cannon, I mention it because it gives a clear example of how students could use tools to learn by doing, rather than reading or being told. In a typical classroom projectile motion is taught from concepts, often mentioning parabolas and formulas. However, pedagogical research consistently shows that students are more likely learn, be engaged, and build their own complex epistemic knowledge through experimentation and play. Even from a young age a student may not understand parabolas or formulas, but through the metrics gleaned from such a cannon they could effectively figure out what the best angles are to achieve the greatest distance, highest height, etc.

Idea 2: Something Awesome

        I mentioned in my application to this class that some of my first fabrication projects involved building Halloween costumes. In high school and beyond, I experimented with materials including plywood, chicken wire, newspaper, aluminum flashing, cardboard, and plastic. Notable examples are pictured below. All of these I made through rough measurement and eyeballing. The level of precision achievable with the equipment we have available, as well as the 3D planning skills I've now begun to cultivate, could allow me to take this to a whole new level. I would be particularly interested in costumes which could integrate electronic responsiveness – such as having mechanical transformations,   haptic responses, and integrating multiple materials with properties that best suit that part of the costume. Even if it's not completed in time for Halloween, I've never been to ComicCon or any kind of convention despite being a nerd of various striped. A costume I've wanted to make for a long time but presents numerous design difficulties is the EVA02 robot from Evangelion (last image below).