The Purpose of the puzzle design challenge was to put into practice sketching, CAD, and building in one project.
CONCLUSIONS:
- Why is it important to model an idea before making a final prototype? Even if you aren't milling or printing a prototype, modeling can help make sure the numbers check out and give you a nice visual before you begin construction.
- Which assembly constraint(s) did you use to constrain the parts of the puzzle to the assembly such that it did not move? Describe each of the constraint types used and explain the degrees of freedom that are removed when each is applied between two parts. You may wish to create a sketch to help explain your description. Mate: makes the two surfaces stay on the same plane, facing opposite directions. Flush: The two surfaces stay on one plane, and the faces you select face the same direction.
- Based on your experiences during the completion of the Puzzle Design Challenge, what is meant when someone says, “I used a design process to solve the problem at hand”? Explain your answer using the work that you completed for this project. The engineering design process starts with identifying the problem and researching. Then it goes to brainstorming (the combination sketches), then prototyping (the models and wooden puzzles).
- How does the gender of the puzzle solver affect solution time? Be specific and provide evidence to support your answer. I don't have enough data to answer this question.
- How does the age of the puzzle solver affect solution time?
- I think age decreases solve time because M16 was faster than M14.
- s ~= -290a + 5200 where s is Solve 1 time in seconds, and a is age in years.
- By that equation, a 3 year old would solve the puzzle in ~ 4330 seconds (-290 * 3 + 5200).
- By that equation, a 95 year old would take ~ -22350 seconds (-290 * 95 + 5200).
- While the first prediction may be accurate, you can't have negative solve times, so the second one goes out the window.
- A reasonable domain would be a > 6 (so they know what they're doing) and a < 18 (so the time remains positive).