Tag Archives: Machine Design

2014 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Kickoff


It was snow and ice on January 4th, 2014 at Hillcrest High School in Utah where I attended my first FIRST kickoff session. It was cold on the outside, but inside the school the bagels were warm and the anticipation … Continue reading

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Coaches, Cars, and Character


Team after team, the endurance race pressed on. No car came anywhere close to beating us. Hopes were high. But when it was all over, the maroon and white competitors from Texas had the highest overall score, and my team, … Continue reading

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Weightless – Part 4


(Continued from Part 3) The next evening, arriving home after scout troop meeting, Gregory heard some noise out in the garage. He entered to find his dad expectedly working on his project. “I thought science projects were for kids,” Gregory … Continue reading

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Engineering Design – Functional Decomposition


I am working with an engineering team right now to develop a machine. We are at the Functional Decomposition phase where we are systematically examining the needed workstation functionality. I will have to relate the specific experiences some time but … Continue reading

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Engineering Student Projects Links


The ‘Engineering Stories’ blog gets a lot of hits from people searching for Engineering Student Projects. I expect these are students wondering what to do for their student project. Well, to help them out, I’ve started a blog page to … Continue reading

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Announcement – Engineering Stories in Paperback


Engineering Stories is now in paperback! Seven stories illustrated, formatted, and published in a handsome professionally bound book for some ernest reading. Listen to these endorsements by engineering academic professionals on the back cover. “A fabulous collection of realistic engineering … Continue reading

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Job Shadowing an Engineering team making the next great Smart Phone


“Get A Grip” is a short story in the ‘Engineering Stories’ series about Melissa, a young engineer who hit the ground running at her first job. What a great experience. Read the story for free at the link below. Here … Continue reading

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Get A Grip – Part 1


A Product Development Adventure “Okay everyone, listen-up.” Brandon leaned forward bringing the Monday morning staff meeting to attention. “The rumors are true.” “Oh no.” Melissa thought, arms crossed, hands gripping her upper arms. “Was everyone against hiring me?” Brandon, middle-aged … Continue reading

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Examples of Mechanical Engineering Student Projects


(Updated 8/27/2016) This is my thirteenth year coaching mechanical engineering seniors in their Capstone project. Each year, as an adjunct faculty member I have been assigned to five or six students to guide them through the product development process. This … Continue reading

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Solve a Billion Dollar Problem


Engineering Stories are intended to help you learn more about the activities of engineers. After each story, there is a mentoring section where I ask questions and provide insights. I’d like to know how you would solve the problem if … Continue reading

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