Tag Archives: Problem Solving

Pocket Prototyping


Dear Engineering Stories followers, It has been a great #engineering#career so far including my #coaching of about 20 teams in 20 years at the local university. I’ve noticed a few things over the years that could help newer engineers be more successful, and I … Continue reading

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#EngineerClips – “Drawn to Write” – by Ken Hardman (Feb. 27, 2022)


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#EngineerClips – ‘Elevator App’ by Ken Hardman


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#EngineerClips – Bathing with Bottles


by Kenneth Hardman “Jake!” Mom calls out from the bathroom. “Ya, Mom?” “Why is there a case of bottled water in my bathtub?” “It’s an engineering experiment, for my middle-school science class.” “An engineering exp…?” Mom pauses, then slowly inquires. … Continue reading

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Polaris Station – Novelette Part 3


(Continued from Part 2) Another person stood and commanded attention by his full gray suit and well groomed hair. “I have a question,” he said in a respectful tone. “Yes, sir,” Kendall and Katya said in unison. “Katya, I understand … Continue reading

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Spreading Spectrum Modulation and Peanut Butter – Part 2


(Continued from Part 1) “I can’t open my jar of peanut butter,” he exclaimed from the corner of his mouth with an overturned jar in his lap. “You’re a mechanical engineer; let’s design a mechanism for my wheel chair that … Continue reading

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Engineering is about serving People


“Engineers solve problems in complex real-world situations; they design new systems and strategies to adapt to changing times; they make structures and products more user-friendly, responding to the real needs of communities and people. At its heart, engineering is about … Continue reading

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A Real Engineering Story – Engineering Wheels for Mars


Mission name: Mars Science Laboratory Vehicle name: Curiosity rover Problem: Wheels wearing out on sharp rocks of Mars Solving this problem: Watch this lecture at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) given recently. http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

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Mars Mission Case Study from


May I recommend this interesting Aerospace Engineering case study presented partly in story form. It comes from the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University of Buffalo, and the National Science Foundation. “The Mars Climate Orbiter was deployed … Continue reading

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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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