June 4: Engineering Design Process

Creating a new form of transportation, the slingshot car, helped me understand the Engineering Design Process and the importance of planning.

Today at STEM Skills we learned about the Engineering Design Process by designing a new mode of transportation. We were given Lego-like pieces, wheels, and a rubber band. First, my group thought about the problem. We considered the constraints and criteria that must be met. We decided to make a car using a rubber band to move it. Stretching and releasing the band would allow the car to move. We would use the wheels and long connectors to form the frame and the smaller ones to secure the wheels and make a floor. Here is a sketch of our plan:

Here is an improved plan we did later:

After planning, we started building the vehicle. We pushed circular connecting pieces in the wheels and attached them to each other with long stick-like pieces. We attached the rubber band to the front of the car, allowing it to function like a slingshot. Here is a picture of the final design:

Through this exercise, I learned the importance of planning. Initially, my group rushed the planning stage which hurt us later on. We had to go back and rethink the design. If we had planned more thoroughly time would be saved. Building would also be made easier.