July 15th- Project Work

 Project Work Intro:

Team Maca-

Dancing Robot(Maca):

Team Katawa-

Team Ferrari-

The Right Boys:

Ed entrances a future MIT student( Class of 2041) with the wonders of aerodynamics:

https://www.homesciencetools.com/product/thames-kosmos-ultralight-airplanes-science-kit/

Experimenting with aerodynamics:

Team Waforte:

Marvelin's Marvelous Karate Jacket:

Scrum Intro:

Team Ferrari Scrum:

The Right Boys Scrum:

Team Maca Scrum:

Catawawa Scrum:

Mentor Discussion:

The conversation revolves around a team of mentors and students working on technical projects, primarily involving Arduino, C++, and physical model building. Key points include:

1. Project Challenges and Solutions:

   • Mentors discuss the difficulties students face with Arduino coding and physical model measurements.
   • Suggestions include simplifying projects to boost confidence and breaking down tasks into pseudocode for better understanding.
   • Encouraging design reviews to ensure everyone is on the same page and progress is documented.
   • Recommend Microbit microcontrollers which has easier block-based coding

2. Team Dynamics:

   • Emphasis on ensuring all team members understand project goals and contributions, avoiding misunderstandings.
   • Noted that having multiple mentors helps students make significant progress and better design decisions.

3. Tools and Techniques:

   • Use of tools like Adobe Illustrator and Onshape for better design accuracy, and Canva for generating graphics
   • Utilizing ChatGPT for as an aid to text-based coding; requires a clear prompt

4. Mentor Involvement:

   • Mentors should actively participate in small projects to foster teamwork and model good practices.
   • A fun project suggestion is to create a robotic cat to place on a car, enhancing team bonding and technical skills.

5. Student Progress:

   • Students are divided into groups focusing on coding and physical building.
   • Despite initial frustrations, some students show interest in learning new aspects, like coding with Arduino.

6. Additional Notes:

   • Ensure students document their progress and maintain clear communication.
   • Mentors should check for approval of parts and materials needed for the projects.

Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of clear communication, incremental learning, and mentor engagement in technical projects.