To find out more about MIT's Mechanical Engineering Department's Introduction to Design is, go to the 2.007 Course Web Site.

My Design Tutorials for 2.007

Here are the design tutorials I wrote (and did the graphics for) to help the 2.007 students build their machines. These are part of the online Design Handbook for 2.007.

• Mechanism Gallery: A series of photos demonstrating the design and implementation of both good and poor mechanisms built from parts in the 2.007 kit.
• Using a gas pistion as a spring: This takes the student through the modeling and analysis required to calculate the "spring constant" for a gas piston used as a spring (both in compression and expansion).
• Four Bar Linkage Design: The four steps to designing a four bar linkage.
• An instroduction to Pneumatic Actuators: The contest kit used to include several linear and rotary pneumatic actuators.
• Pro's and Con's of Different Software Packages for Engineering Calculations: This is a side by side comparison of Excel, MathCAD, and Matlab for engineering calculations. Each package has a different roll is an appropriate for use in different situations.
• Balancing a Machine with an Arm (PDF)
• Motor torque, speed, and power calculations (PDF): This is a simple introduction to these calculations for the students. It includes examples of using a winch or pushing objects.
• Piston Actuated Linkage Calculations (PDF): An introduction and example of calculating how much force and travel can be applied to a linkage from pistons.
• Beam Bending (PDF): Examples of calculating the deflections of beams in different loading configurations.
• Vehicle Climbing and Incline Plane (PDF): Example calculations of Front Wheel Drive, Four Wheel Drive and Rear Wheel Drive vehicles climbing incline planes.
• Introduction to Process Planning: Process plans are a way of helping one make the best use of their limited time in the shop.
• Some useful page numbers from "The Machinery Handbook"

My 2.007 Contests Designs

MechEverest (1999)

I designed two of the contests for 2.007.

The first contest I designed was the 1999 Contest MechEverest. Inspired by the Everest IMAX movie. The contest consisted of a giant steel table that got progressively steeper. Contestants score points by dropping hocking pucks through "plus" shaped holes in the table. The higher the hole the more point per puck. Read the complete rules.

I also designed and built the digital scoring system which calculated the score in real time and displayed it on the massive jumbotron for the whole crowd to see.

Sojouner This... (2000)

The second contest I designed was "Sojouner This..." This was a simulated mars mission. The machines maneuvered on a carpeted table and tried to get as much weight in a bucket. There was hockey balls, hockey pucks, and a big heavy "asteroid" which is lowered on to the table in the middle of the contest. Read the complete rules.

Past 2.007 Contest Video Clips

Here are some video clips of the final rounds of selected 2.007 contests. They are in WMV format.