Providing Real-World Mechanism Design Experience through the Early Intervention and Mechanical Engineering (EIME) Project

Stephen L. Canfield, Andrew BryantDept. of Mechanical Engineering

Lindsay SmithDept. of Civil Engineering

Tennessee Technological University

ASME IDETC-CIE 2010Montreal CA.August 15-18

Outline of presentation Description of project Elements of education Pedagogical basis Stakeholders Expectations and outcomes per stakeholders Project Examples

Pedagogical basis Over arching idea; learn by doing in a relevant, guided and

motivational environment Problem-Based learning (Duch, 2001)

Using problems to engage students and initiate learning on the subject matter

Contextualized learning (McKeachie and Hofer, 2002) Students seek meaning in context and process new information in a

way that makes sense to their own frames of reference Service learning (Oakes et al., 2002)

Integrates community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience

This paper offers an example for contextual learning in mechanism design for undergraduates

TTU’s EIME Project EIME is my approach for creating a context for

learning in ME3610“Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery – Design of

Machinery” How?

All students in ME3610 engage in/join the EIME project

EIME is a team-based, multi-disciplinary design experience created around developing assistive technology for children

Student teams are matched with children/families with needs

Student teams are provided resources associated with such a project

Student teams are responsible to deliver a solution (Design, product*)

Consider how we create context for learning – “The Syllabus”

How a syllabus creates context Its major objective is to provide

students with proficiency and experience in the basic skills of analyzing motion of machines and to perform synthesis of mechanisms based on task specification.

How Service could create a context for learning: Your company thinks that Jon’s quality

of life might be enhanced with a machine

You are assigned to use your mechanism design skills to help Jon

Successful outcomes might look like

What a successful outcome might look like

Background & current status Began at TTU in 1999 Employed in ME 3610

1 section out of 2 per semester Approximately 60 students/year Classic mechanisms class

Analysis/synthesis of linkages, Cam and gear systems Basic force analysis

Project Objectives To demonstrate real-world application

of mechanism design Provide compelling and immediate

purpose for learning mechanism theory

To provide experience working with customers

Create opportunity to see design in practice

Details of the EIME Project Impact of project on:

1. Instructor2. Students 3. Course

General approach1. Collect project needs2. Present them to the students3. Provide feedback to the students during the design

process4. Provide resources for fabricating / testing the

product5. Reflect

How EIME Works

Collect assistive technology needs

Form Student Design teams

(Engineering, Education)

Match Child needs with

Student teams

Form Final project team

background research, integrate course

material, create design

Family

Service coord.

Therapists / Medical prof.

Deliver Final product to

child/family

Within context of a course

Disseminate Results

Community Curriculum

Fabrication, testing, evaluation and final

preparation

What the project implies Project requirements for:

Students Instructor Course

Project requirements for Instructor

Collect project needs Projects selected around theme:

Assistive technology for children with disabilities Focus on needs with motion-control or mechanism-based solutions Mobility, access, inclusion

Early intervention service coordinators, special education, school system

TEIS located on Universities in TN Letter soliciting nees Established relationship with service providers

Understand course objectives What needs are best suited to the project Successful outcomes not guaranteed (~70%) Support student team interaction with families Support logistical issues while instructor can focus on technical

feedback to the groups

Present to the students / initiate projects Students form teams Teams select projects from list Topic thoroughly covered in literature

Support design process Similar to feedback students receive in

typical assignment Difference here: 5-7 different projects,

more open-ended design To facilitate, two technical reviews are

scheduled One with preliminary design One with final design Present and receive feedback in 20-30 min.

review session Local engineers volunteer to help support these

reviews

Provide resources for fabricating/testing products Support consists of two parts: Location, technical support for fabrication

Typical shop support at engineering universities Financial support

Annual grant support from the TN dept. of special education

Other issues Liability

Students engage in the project as a formal class assignment

They fall under a classification of persons performing duty for state

Liability is born through the state A project release Any faculty engaging in this type of project should get legal

clarification through their OSP Time associated with managing the project

20 hours to organize project details 28 hours (2 hours per week) to provide technical support

and feedback 100 hours per semester required by supporting student (latter supported through state grant)

Project requirements for Students Form teams, create a short, written teaming agreement Meet with the family and service coordinator to identify

need/project specs. Submit a preliminary design report

Problem statement with design requirements Conceptual solutions Comparison/evaluations

Submit a written final design report Description of design Kinematic model Analysis of 3 components in the design CAD model, dwgs for all fab. Components

Fabricate, test design and demonstrate results *Deliver a functional, safe working model of the design to the

family Optional Incentive

Project requirements for Course 20% of class grade Represents 8 class meetings In practice, four class meetings assigned to project,

remaining 38 to class projects Project introduction, forming teams, project assignments Preliminary design technical review Final design technical review Final project review

Project assigned at the beginning of course +

Open-ended nature of projects project => Students may need access to course information in

an order different that that presented by the lecture schedule

Project Outcomes (on student learning) Course surveys

Indicate positive outcomes in meeting course objectives Relative to other sections on formal, in-place measures

Exams, follow-on courses, FE exams No significant deviation between sections

Heuristic measures Student evaluations, Senior exit interviews

500+ students engaged in the project 100+ products delivered Many students respond after graduating

What EIME projects look like

Modified Bike for Brendon

TTU engineering students help make holidays happy for child with muscular dystrophy 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 13, 2006) – A group of Tennessee Tech University engineering students are helping make the holidays happy for a 7-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy.

The team designed and built a motorized bicycle that will accommodate his special needs, giving him the once impossible opportunity to ride alongside the bikes of his two older brothers.

Team spokesman Nick Seegraves spoke for the entire group when he said, “It’s really made my Christmas knowing we’ve been able to do something to make Brendon happy.”

“I want the light on the front to shine,” he said, when team members finally got him to stop riding long enough to get his reaction to his new set of wheels — but even a working headlight wasn’t enough of a priority for Brendon to want to give up his new prized possession.

“Sit and Spin”Goal: Specified sensory

stimulationPrimary Challenges:

Multi-dofSpeed limitedFocus on a single sensory input

Delivered: Novel Sit and spin device for family, design solution and details

Sports Example: Modified Tee-ball

stand and swing device

Used by Structured Athletics for Challenged Children

Playground Equipment

Mobility: Tricycles, Bikes New

Tricycle/Modified Tricycle designs

Needs include Dwarfism, Spina-Bifida

Top Benefits 1. Provides students with a “relatable”

framework in which to organize new knowledge content

2. Catalyst for self-directed learning3. Emphasizes important skills not easily

incorporated into traditional activities4. Targets ABET learning objectives that

are more difficult to achieve in traditional classroom experience

Top Challenges (potholes)1. To work, the experience must be

meaningful => Faculty time, organization2. Self-directed learning => Need to

accommodate asynchronous knowledge transfer

3. Skills often require implementation => Cost (budget per team)

4. Learning objectives are much more difficult to measure => Assessment

Conclusions: Students have interest to engage in

service-learning activities Project offers opportunity to engage

technical and project management skills Multi-disciplinary team work

Success and sustainability of project depends on partnership

Assessment based on TTU Service-learning survey

# Question

1 I learn more when courses contain hands-on activities

2 Courses in school make me think about real-world situations in new ways.

3 When I am put in charge of a project, I sometimes wonder whether I can succeed at it.

4 I learn course content best when connections to real-world situations are made.

5 The community participation that I did through this course helped me to see how the subject matter I learned can be used in everyday life.

6 The work I accomplished in the course has made me more marketable in my chosen profession.

7 The work I preformed helped me learn how to plan and complete a project.

8 Participating in the community helped me to enhance my leadership skills.

9 The work I preformed in the community enhanced my ability to communicate my ideas in a real-world context.

Selected Survey response: ME 3610

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

averagestd. deviation

Figure 1: Student response (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree)