Freshman/sophomore design projects provide students with hands-on experiences in conceptual design and manufacturing. For some of these courses, a design competition is used to teach the design and construction components. These competitions are often reused from semester to semester, so the students typically suffer from design fixation. When design competition tables are erected new every single semester, it requires advanced planning and high budgets. This paper discusses a case study of a different structure for introductory design courses and competitions at Harvard. We summarize a yearlong effort to improve an existing early design competition with more machine component elements and linkage design. The goal of a interchangeable design competition was to prevent design fixation while at the same time providing boundaries for students to successfully implement their robot designs, independent of their previous mechanical engineering exposure.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2015 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
August 2–5, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Design Engineering Division
- Computers and Information in Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-5710-6
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Case Study for Introductory Mechanical Design Competitions
Daniela Faas,
Daniela Faas
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Robert D. Howe
Robert D. Howe
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Daniela Faas
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Robert D. Howe
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Paper No:
DETC2015-47286, V003T04A020; 4 pages
Published Online:
January 19, 2016
Citation
Faas, D, & Howe, RD. "Case Study for Introductory Mechanical Design Competitions." Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 3: 17th International Conference on Advanced Vehicle Technologies; 12th International Conference on Design Education; 8th Frontiers in Biomedical Devices. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. August 2–5, 2015. V003T04A020. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2015-47286
Download citation file:
15
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Articles
Results of an Industry/University Survey of Machine Systems Design Education
J. Mech. Des (October,1981)
Design of Machine Elements, Eighth Edition
J. Mech. Des (January,2004)
What Constitutes a Good Design Education Research Paper That Would be Suitable for JMD?
J. Mech. Des (March,2011)
Related Chapters
Identification and Analysis of Risk
Managing Risks in Design & Construction Projects
Introduction
Turbo/Supercharger Compressors and Turbines for Aircraft Propulsion in WWII: Theory, History and Practice—Guidance from the Past for Modern Engineers and Students
Development of Electronic Learning Industrial Environment (eLIN) System for Requirement Engineering Education
International Conference on Computer Technology and Development, 3rd (ICCTD 2011)