You will be keeping a design notebook to record your work, ideas and experiences. Basically, this is an idea book which you, like all good visual thinkers, will carry with you at all times. Sometimes we will tell you what to put in the book; sometimes you will be on your own. Your notebook will be a success if all 96 sheets are filled by the end of the semester. There will be many notebook assignments, and notebooks will be collected and assessed several times during the semester. The notebook contents constitute a significant portion of your final grade. The objective is to set you off down the visual thinkers' path and develop visualization skills you will use throughout your academic and professional career, no matter what field you end up in.
Please bring your notebook to every class and every section, but do not use it to take class notes.
Figure 1 shows the notebook we are using: University of Minnesota Lab Book, Number 2077S. Accept no substitutes.
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| Fig. 1: The design notebook |
As shown, put your name on the front cover in two places using a thick, indelible marker and large, dark, BLOCK CAPITAL letters. Marking the name near the spine is so that you can easily find your notebook when it is in a pile of 30. Be neat and professional when lettering your name.
Use pen or marker in your notebook because pencil is problematic from a legal standpoint when attempting to verify the date of an invention for a patent. If you want to cross something out, make a large X rather than blotting it out. If you come up with a really great invention, sign and date the drawing.
Use only one side of each sheet because the paper bleeds through with a marker or dark pen. As shown in Figure 2, reserve page one for a table of contents that you can fill in as you go along. The example is for a Durfee research notebook. You can use your own format for the table of contents. Also on page 1, enter your name, telephone and email so that lost notebooks can find their way back.
Number all the pages in the top right corner. When you start work for the day, enter the date on the page. All these are good engineering notebook habits.
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| Fig. 2: A table of contents. |
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Here's something that may help you with the first assignment, [A101]: Hydraulic floor jacks have two check valves that stop fluid from moving in the reverse direction and prevent the load from slipping down during the upward return stroke of the jack handle. For more info on what's inside a floor jack, visit the tutorial section of hyjacks.net and see the animation of a cut-away bottle jack. |
Your notebook will be collected and evaluated on a periodic basis and will have a final assessment at the Robot Show. Collection dates are listed on the schedule. The evaluation is based on volume, and if required work is there. If notebook has the required work, score = check. If lots more, score=check-plus. If losts less, score = check-minus. If notebook not turned in, score = 0.
You should add to your book every day. You should use your notebook to work out your designs, work out your presentation drawings, work out your projects. All pages should be dated! At a minimum, here's what you should have at the notebook checks.
[N01]
[N02] The following items in addition to what you have for notebook check 1
[N03] Your notebook will be examined by the jury at the Robot Show for evidence that it was used as a design notebook for your robot. This means 10 or more robot related pages since the notebook check #2 and a record of all concepts, parts searches, information gathered, ideas tested, designs refined and so on. Think of your notebook as an engineering diary and use it as you proceed in the project.