{"id":2427,"date":"2002-09-15T17:53:08","date_gmt":"2002-09-15T21:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/magazine-archive\/?p=2427"},"modified":"2014-12-15T17:53:25","modified_gmt":"2014-12-15T22:53:25","slug":"innovation-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/magazine-archive\/2002\/09\/innovation-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation by Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seniors solve real-world problems with teamwork<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quick\u2014how long does it take 35 Whiting School students to crack a dozen conundrums in mechanical engineering? \u201cExactly 31 weeks,\u201d says Senior Lecturer Andrew F. Conn \u201957, \u201959 MSE, \u201964 PhD. \u201cIt\u2019s not a lot of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the clock is ticking from that first day in September when seniors in the Whiting School\u2019s Department of Mechanical Engineering file into his Senior Design Project course. Conn, who has been leading (or as he would say, \u201cmanaging\u201d) the two-semester capstone course for more than a dozen years, has refined the process down to a fine science. \u201cOver the years, we\u2019ve evolved a method and understanding of what the students need to do,\u201d he says. \u201cAt this point, we\u2019ve got a very good batting average.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, stepping up to the plate in this game can be daunting at first, for the ultimate goal of the class is to solve real-world engineering problems\u2014ones that have real-world engineers stumped. And to solve them, the students must team up into highly functional two- or three-person workgroups that meet at least two hours (and always more) a week. They must collaboratively create a design solution, then actually fabricate a working model that is accompanied by a highly detailed and professionally written report (usually an inch or so thick). And finally, they must present all of this work in a precisely rehearsed formal session before a panel of seasoned engineers. All in 31 weeks? It\u2019s not a lot of time.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the Real World<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI tell the students from the start that we\u2019re going to get as close to a real-world experience as possible,\u201d says Conn. During the first few class meetings, each of the project sponsors\u2014the industrial firms and organizations he recruited\u2014makes a presentation outlining the particular engineering need in question. Students then indicate their project choices, while Conn interviews each student to develop an individual skills profile. By weighing their respective strengths with their project preferences, along with what he believes each project will need, Conn creates his twoor three-person teams. Mechanical Engineering faculty members are assigned as advisors for projects, based on their expertise. Then the real work begins.<\/p>\n

The teams devote the fall semester to developing their conceptual solutions and preliminary designs. Each team consults with a contact engineer from its project\u2019s sponsor, and provides Conn with weekly in-person updates \u201con the big picture.\u201d The teams are assisted by Curt Ewing, the department\u2019s director of undergraduate labs, and by John Woomer, department machinist. The seniors must develop a working budget for purchasing the necessary materials\u2014tools, parts, software, and other equipment\u2014as well as travel, phone calls, and machining time. A base contribution of $10,000 per project, paid by the sponsor, covers these costs.<\/p>\n

Conn makes his expectations clear from the start. The dynamics of the senior project teams demand the highest level of professional responsibility from every team member. \u201cI think the teamwork experience is the toughest aspect of the project for them,\u201d says Conn. \u201cThey have to delegate the work to each other, divide up duties, schedule each other, and interact with management\u2014which is me\u2014and the client.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working for Results <\/strong><\/p>\n

After a December progress report to their sponsors, the student teams shift into high gear for the spring semester. That\u2019s when each team constructs and tests a prototype, and produces that final presentation. At this point, the machining sparks are flying\u2014\u201cThey are actually modifying, improving, changing, or creating a device or system,\u201d notes Conn. Then, by mid-May, it\u2019s suddenly over. The teams have completed their projects and reports, made their formal presentations before sponsors and faculty, and can catch their collective breath for the first time in months.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur students are very bright human beings who are capable of doing amazing things, but who need the guidance and practice in professional standards. So all of their experiences figure into what I call being a professional engineer,\u201d says Conn. \u201cI teach them that hard work doesn\u2019t count, results are all\u2014that\u2019s all your clients care about.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of results, the Senior Design Project class always seems to produce a bumper crop. Several team projects have led to patents and intellectual property, while others have formed the basis for later solutions created by sponsors. The Whiting School\u2019s summary of its past successes includes these examples:<\/p>\n