A GRAPHICS AND DESIGN COURSE BASED ON COMPETITION MACHINE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

A second year mechanical engineering course in design and graphics is described. The course is structured around the design and fabrication of machines that take part in a competition at the end of the term; however, the main components of the students' performance evaluation are midterm and final design reports. The design objective is to build a competition machine, using only a supplied kit of materials, that performs a specified task better than the opponent’s. The course instructor prepares a new contest each year. This paper outlines the course structure and contents. It details the competition organization and its physical setup. Challenges associated with teaching this type of design course are discussed as well.