Variables and Fun!

Here we are adding one to a value five times, once the value hits five we quit the program. Easy enough.

Branch Functions

We are messing with the branch functions available in RoboPro softwhare, in order to learn and apply them.

Branches allow logic to be done. Without branches the program will work with gates, that is once it gets somewher it will wait untill something occurs. With branches, it can go along a different path depending on a variable or the return of a function.

A normally open switch could be used on a segway to only allow power to the drive train when there is someone on the segway.

A normally clossed switch could be used onthe robot as a limit switch. When pressed (By, say and arm reaching its upwardmost point), it could put power to the motors.

Flow Charting

I performed a small exercise in flowcharting in order to get used to the process. It was fairly simple, and it reminded me of programming. Due to my inability to use word software (so expensive!) I used OOo, which proved to not have as many features as word.

Initially I was to pick up an object from a bin and weight it three times:

As you can see some programming slipped in there, as I saw no easier way to do it. Hooray for for loops!

Basically pick up the object and weigh it, then place it in the appropriate bin. Very simple.

Next the code was to be modified to weight 10 objects, not only three. Luckily for me, I used a for loop, which proved quite versatile.

Lastly I had to do some random number calculations, which seemed simple enough. Still felt like programming.

1. How is flowcharting similar to using a map to plan a route for a trip? 

Flowcharts are the path you use in order to arrive at your destination, much like what you get from mapquest. However, mapquest doesn't have if statements, making flowcharting have branches while maps are very linear.

2. Describe a process that you perform every day. Develop a flowchart that illustrates the process.

Here I am flowcharting driving/biking to school each morning. It's fairly simple.

MKS

Various things put in units of length, time, mass etc.

Length==m
Time==s
mass==kg
Area==m^d, where d is the number of dimensions the space has.
Velocity==m/s
Denisty==g/cm^3
Gravity==N
Force==N
Energy==J
Power==W

OPTIN: The Revolution will not be televised, but will be available on youtube.

The Egyptian change in government was not simple and required much work by its populace in order to facilitate the change.  Which really seemed to ignite the protests was shutting down the internet in Egypt, then the power. This may seem to shut off all lines for the protesters to communicate, however the protesters made use of modern technology in order to continue their protests and reach the outside world.

First off, the protests made up of Bluetooth and Ethernet switches, connected to the internet through Satellite internet, in order to stay connected to the outside world. The government shut down all land based internet, leaving only those who had Satellite. Those people "shared the love" by giving it to others, making their own intranet, connected to the internet.

Secondly the protesters made use of their cell phones as video cameras in order to impart the horrific things that was occurring in their country. In contrast to the videos and images pouring out of Libya however, there are rather benign. Never the less, images of Mubarks security forces running over protests by the dozen are quite shocking, and no doubt fueled support for their protest outside of the country, and inside of Egypt, too.

Lastly the Revolution used social networking sites such as Facebook, Reddit, and Youtube in order to spread their words. Facebook was used in order to organize the protests (Although in later days it was no longer needed to organize anything, for they occurred everywhere at all times). Youtube was used in order to host the videos, while sites like reddit were used to spread word of the atrocities far faster the conventional news sources so much as knew of them.

Here is a graphic displaying more tools the Egyptians used in order to protest. Seeing as I do not know Arabic, I will attempt to expand on their usefulness.

Hoodie, goggles, and Gloves: they serves a double purpose, for protection. They prevent damage from light projectiles, pepper spray, and broken glass, all things likely to be found in major protests and riots. They also serve to mask the identity of the protester, so that one can protest with impunity.
Shoes: Protect against broken glass and whatnot. Doesn't mask your identity, though.
Pot Lid: I makeshift shield, for when police shoot mild projectiles (Sandbags, paint-balls, pepper-balls), or beat them.
Spraycan: To spread the word, or to bank out the president's face on posters.
Singular Rose: To deliver to the funeral of the man you murdered, in order to creative a name and symbol of yourself. Staple of detective novels.
Trashbag(?): Te clean up the city and dump it on police's head, I'd assume.

Content is King

We are all present on the internet, yet so few of us give back to this system by which we derive so much joy and facts. Also funny cat pictures and pictures of scantily clad young females. If I were to create a blog, it would surely be about my favorite subject: engineering. Perhaps funny cat pictures, but most likely engineering.

Carl in his early days

I know that the head of First has created a blog, along with many other engineers. For example, Notch (Creator of Minecraft and computer engineer) has a blog set up. I love engineering in all its forums, thus to create a blog about anything other then engineering is almost silly to me.

Machine Control

Picture:

What my group had to do to complete this project was to create a device that could move back and forth in a specific area and be able to transport materials along with it. The device must be controlled by a potentiometer.

We did this because we were put into a hypothetical situation of having to transport waste to and from a work site.

The who:

David: Was the one who designed all of our coding for our actual machine
Tom: Helped design and put together the hardware that David coded

Rafe and Henry did all of our drawings and took screenshots of the code.

Dylan took all of our pictures and also helped with putting together the hardware.

"Programming"

I believe we all made an equal contribution though it was obvious David had the toughtest job.

Input/output lab thinggy

We ran a brief barrage of tests on a set of input/outputs from fisherprice products. Firstly, the switch.








It is a standard switch with two outputs, a NO  and a NC.
three is nornally unchecked and results in a zero when in the testing, with no voltage output.
When using two, it is normally checked and gives a one in the testing window, outputting voltage. thus switching between outputs 2 and three switches the results.



Next came the pot, which has the great values of between 43 and 5000, whilst the NTC resistor records 5000 initially, and 1183 after it gets some heat.





Next came the outputs, where changing the output voltage changes the speed or volume of the product. You can change to CCW from CW on the motor by changing the polarity.






The reed switch is triggered by magnets, thus the addition of an electromagnet will trigger it, switching it from 0 to 1, thus the reed switch is considered normally closed.






The photoresistor and transistor are sonsors that are light sensitive. the photoresistor is closed when there is light, and open when there is darkness. The phototransistor has more resistance when there is more light. You can easily switch the actiopn of this (normal closed vs. noramally open) via programming.

The miniswitch's wiring diagram is simple, line witha circle indicates it moves, and lines indicate lines of power. Thus it is noramlly closed where the line makes a complete circuit, and it is normally open when there is a break in the line.

Team Building Exercise

We had to pass a tennis ball between a group of people as fast as possible. The ball had to touch each person's hands the first round, and the second round it had to physically be in possession on the person before it could be passed around.


Thusly the first round we went with this design:
The arm "a" indicates a singular person who retainer possession of the ball the entire time. She would quickly roll the ball over everyone's hand (represented with "O"), which achieved a fast time. However, the rules were quickly changed to say the ball must  be in each persons possession in order to win. Thus revisions were necessary.


The second round we changed the design drastically:

Here we line the hands to make a large ramp, where we drop the ball from the top. The ball thusly touches each person's hand, and they are in possession of the ball for a millisecond. However, questions were raised as to whether we all touched the ball, as the ball would frequently "hop" a hand. Thus another redesign was in order.





Lastly, we modified the design:

Now everyone had two hands in the came, and the ball would fall and brush by each person's hand. This not only allowed us to constantly have the ball touch each person's hand, but also for the ball to achieve greater speeds. This design worked very well, if it weren't for the other team winning. Their design was very similar, but the ball only touched each of their fingers, not was stopped for a second by their hands before it was released.




Next time we would approach an activity of similar nature, I would retain the way the ideas were made, for we had an "open forum" style, which was very productive and resulted in good designs. I would also ensure the rule set was firm, to avoid these mid-game changes.

Ship at sea

We were asked to evaluate a list of objects and rank them by their usefulness when deserted on a raft in the middle of the ocean.

Personal Order:

1. A floating seat cousin: In case the boat sinks (I figured if you drown nothing else will be of any assistance to you. Also sitting in a raft all day would eventually hurt your behind.)
2. A shaving mirror: to attract people, to save me (If I can't get help then no amount of food nor water will ultimately save me)
3. plastic sheeting
4. Gas
5. Water
6. Fishing kit
7. Army rations
8. Rum
9. Mosquito netting
10. Rope: to use with the net
11. Sextant, Maps, and radio: All useless without other technology, such as a paddle.

The group that I was with had identical choices, excluding the inclusion of the seat cousin so high up on the list. I figured that drowning is a real hazard, they figured it was a non-issue. Also they tended to move the opaque plastic sheeting as a sun shield, which I found humorous.

Our choices were very similar to those of the experts, although they did rank the seat cushion much lower, which was surprising. Also ranked the oil lower, however heat is one of the most important things to sustain. Personally I'd go with experimental data, that is actually getting trapped on a raft, for experts are frequently incorrect, just less so then a normal person.