Saratoga InvenTeam

Austin Recap

2009-11-15T18:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, the InvenTeam members that travelled to Austin, Texas for the Project Lead the Way National Symposium arrived home. Overall, the trip was very eventful as Chad, Mackenzie, and myself met with many Project Lead the Way executives, teachers, and board members from other innovative companies. The night before the plane ride home, Saratoga Springs High School placed 3rd in the engineering competition. The objective was to make a children's toy out of available resources that had two mechanical parts that transfered motion between each other. As a prize, we were rewarded with a Fuel Cell Car and a glass trophy to take home along with the plaque honoring our school's presence at the convention. Along with the car and trophies, the InvenTeam members also made many important contacts at the symposium. Many people took up an interest with the EDD project "The Guardian". Chad and myself even received contact information from the Project Lead the Way Affiliate Director, Donald S. Griffith, who said that he had computer science majors at the University of South Carolina that could help with the computer programming of the project. Also, the team received the contact information of Curt Schmidt, the Director of Public Safety in Minneapolis, who also might be able to get the project going.

Project Lead the Way National Symposium

2009-11-13T10:38:00.003-05:00

The last two days here in Austin have been filled with presentations and demonstrations. There are about 800 people here from Project Lead the Way, and about 25 different schools. So far, our group has handed out about 200 brochures about the past successes of the InvenTeam at our High School to Project Lead the Way executives and members of other schools. Of the people that we have talked to, we have gotten about 75 to register for our blog and receive blog updates about what the Saratoga Springs InvenTeam is working on. Also, InvenTeam members working on The Guardian received a huge boost when they met with the Director of Public Safety for Minneapolis. He said that if we emailed him, he would possibly be able to help us get the word out about our college safety device. We also met with representatives of the University of South Carolina who told us to email them because they can have some of their Computer Science majors help us with the programming aspect of our project.

Blog Hits

2009-11-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

A map of international visitors for our blog. Dark green shaded areas represent major populations of visits while light green shaded areas represent smaller populations of visits. The orange dots represent population clusters of hits on our blog.

New Project Lead the Way Logo

2009-11-10T19:21:00.004-05:00

Today, Mr. Gallagher showed all the InvenTeam members the new Project Lead the Way logo that he had received in an email. I worked on taking the graphic of this logo and pasting it into Autodesk Inventor so that I can make a 3D logo along with the coaster that Mr. Gallagher had already made. Then, I put the logo and coaster cutout on a laser template in order to cut the coasters out and inscribe the logo into the wood of the coaster. We plan to take these Project Lead the Way coasters with us to Austin to raffle off to people who sign up on our blog. We also put together video files for each InvenTeam member where they discuss the impact that Project Lead the Way has had on their lives. Many InvenTeam members were staying after school late to finish these videos up while KC Bianco finished the syringe robot to take to Austin.

2009-11-09T12:48:00.003-05:00

Today is a very stressful day in the classroom as the InvenTeam is preparing for the trip to Austin. Even with the stress, some InvenTeam members found time to contribute to the tutoring program that was set up for Project Lead the Way students. Tristan DeJesus is working with freshman on their Introduction to Engineering & Design projects. In the meantime, Mackenzie Knight is working on creating a poster with every InvenTeam member's name, contact information, and picture on it to bring to Texas. Hopefully, people we meet in Austin will contact our members with potential questions, suggestions, or ideas. Furthermore, the 3D models that the Computer Integrated Manufacturing classes built and put together are carefully being packed into boxes with bubble wrap to prevent them from breaking.

Pressing for Austin

2009-11-05T12:33:00.002-05:00

With the Austin Trip only a week away, most of the groups have put aside their projects for time being to get ready for the Project Lead the Way symposium. Some InvenTeam members have finished up making brochures on Microsoft Publisher about the past InvenTeam projects that have received national recognition. They printed and folded 100 of these while other InvenTeam members worked on finishing up the Project Lead the Way posters that we are going to bring to Austin. We had a few problems with the printer so we had edit some of the posters and reprint them. Also, KC Bianco finished using the laser cutter to cut out the two syringe robots. He is currently bending the plastic and putting them together so we can have more examples of projects that we have done in Project Lead the Way.

Getting Ready for the Austin Trip

2009-10-31T11:49:00.005-04:00

Chris Carter sat and talked about his experiences with the Project Lead the Way program. He is currently working as a Civil Engineer.

From the left: Nick Florin, Tom Corona, KC Bianco, Chad Baker, Tristan DeJesus, and Mackenzie Knight.

Today, several members of the InvenTeam woke up early on a Saturday morning to come to the high-school to finish some things up to prepare for the Austin trip. We met with past Project Lead the Way student and R.P.I. graduate Chris Carter to catch his memories of PLTW and his thoughts on the program on camera. Also, we each talked about a Project Lead the Way class offered at our high-school on camera. We plan to show these videos at the PLTW symposium in Austin, Texas. While some students were working on the videos, other InvenTeam members worked on cutting the laptop holders out with a laser cutter and bending them in order to sell them in the future as a fundraiser. Finally, KC Bianco worked on cutting the parts to a syringe robot out in order to put two together to bring to Austin.

2009-10-26T12:32:00.003-04:00

Today, our class worked on finishing up the rendered videos of all the InvenTeam members that we plan to take to Austin, Texas with us. Also, past Project Lead the Way students Tom Hayes and Juliana Wakeman stopped by so they can share their thoughts on the program. Both students, who are currently enrolled at W.P.I., talked about how Project Lead the Way has helped them decide what they want to do for the rest of their life and how it has helped them get a jump start on their careers. Also, Mr. Gallagher brought in the button-down shirts that he is going to get embroidered with the Project Lead the Way logo for the InvenTeam members travelling to Austin with him. In terms of the InvenTeam members' projects, the team working on the Wind Power Assisted Device is researching programs that they can use to simulate wind tunnels and determine pressure and wind resistance values based on a 3D model that they use. Also, the members working on The Guardian have gained access to the class notes that the actual Java class is working on at our high-school, and is working with Tom Hayes on learning the language.

New Grant Money

2009-10-22T11:46:00.003-04:00

Today, a member of the group working on The Guardian, Chad Baker, announced that he has recieved a two-hundred dollar grant from Environmental Design Partnership located out of Clifton Park, New York. This money will go a long way for all six class projects which are for the most part, past the stages of research and looking to start purchasing materials to build their prototypes. Of the groups in this stage of the design process, the Wind Power Assistance Device group is looking to purchase materials to construct a wind tunnel to test wind resistance as well as DC motors to turn the wind energy into electrical energy. The group working on the Emergency Vehicle alerter is focusing on purchasing electronic components such as wires, transmitters, LED light bulbs, and sound chips that they will use to build their prototype. InvenTeam members working on The Guardian are working hard after school and during class on learning the Java programming language and are looking to purchase research materials while the group working on the Shower Temperature Control unit is looking to purchase logic analyzers to control the digital functions of the unit. Finally, some group members are diverging from their projects temporarily in order to create multiple models of a syringe robot that they plan to take to Austin, Texas to present at the PLTW symposium as well as to present at the Saratoga Springs High School during First Night.

Mr. Gallagher Honored for Work as PLTW Teacher

2009-10-21T07:56:00.003-04:00

On Monday, October 19, the InvenTeam students working on The Guardian met in a coffee shop to discuss programming techniques with past InvenTeam Project Manager and current WPI student majoring in Computer Science, Tom Hayes. While there, the Saratogian stopped by and took pictures with the intentions of doing a story about the award Mr. Gallagher will be recieving in Austin, Texas as well as the trip that the InvenTeam members Chad Baker, Mackenzie Knight, and Nick Florin will be taking to Austin, Texas to the Project Lead the Way Symposium. While in the coffee shop, The Guardian group began learning Java programming code as well as how to use software to compile the code such as Eclipse. This code will be fundamental to the design and programming of The Guardian website as well as the functioning of it on smartphones. As well as learning the code from Tom, the group members plan to purchase several books that teach Java as well as using online tutorials to learn it. They plan on purchasing these books with a five-hundred dollar grant the the InvenTeam recieved from General Electric in order to purchase resources for research as well as materials for the implementation of groups' proposed design prototypes. All group members are very thankful for recieving this grant and know that the money will go a long way and be put to use almost immediately.

Link to Article

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/10/20/news/doc4add26b5d096a985241411.txt

2009-10-16T19:14:00.002-04:00

Today, Mr. Gallagher informed us that he has decided to create the Invent Club at our high school. This will allow the InvenTeam members to stay at the school past 4 P.M. as well as allowing students to help out with the projects even if they are not in the Engineering Design and Development program. One of the first priorities of this new club is setting up the Project Lead the Way tutoring program that we want to do at the high school. Chad Baker has decided to take the lead on this project and is starting to create log sheets to ensure that all students are participating in the program.

2009-10-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

Our EDD class met for the first time this week on Wednesday because we had Monday off. Some members of the class are working hard on creating video-recorded interviews to show in Austin, Texas during the Project Lead the Way symposium while other students are working on putting together posters for other presentations. Even with the heavy workload from these assignments, the students are still making progress on their projects. For example, the Shower Temperature Control Units group has begun to use CAD software to design a preliminary visual concept of the device while the class members working on The Guardian have started to order books in order to learn the programming they will need to know. Finally, the Wind Power Assistance device group has obtained a remote controlled car to test. However, they are still finalizing their testing procedures.

2009-10-09T11:56:00.000-04:00

This week Mr. Gallagher presented us with some wonderful news: First Night of Saratoga is allowing us to do a presentation. We are currently working on this presentation - hopefully it will get our program and our ideas out to a much larger audience. Through the presentation we will hopefully garner more support for us from the community. We are very excited because we will likely be the only students presenting at First Night. We feel it is a great honor for them to let us get our ideas and program out to a broader audience. Patrick Foss and Tristan DeJesus will be heading up the presentation and they feel that it is an honor for them to have this opportunity. Our class is grateful to First Night for allowing us to present and we are working make it worth it for them. We are planning to have an engaging presentation for the community.

InvenTeam 2009

2009-10-02T19:24:00.001-04:00

October 1, 2009

The start of another year, and another EDD group to go with it. So far, 6 projects have been begun by different groups or individuals: the “Water Saving Sprinkler System,” by Ben Steer, the “Wind Power Assisstance Device,” by Gary, Elliot, and Colin, the “School Safe Speed System” by Ryan Bobbitt, the “Emergency Vehicle Alerter” by Pat and Eddy, the “Shower Temperature Control Unit” by James and Mackenzie, and “The Guardian,” by Tristan De Jesus, KC, Nick, Tristan Frey, Tom, and Chad.

Each group is at slightly different stages of the design process; however, they have all put in time to research their topic and continue to do so. Some groups, like the Shower Temperature Control Unit, Water Saving Sprinkler System, and Guardian, have made mock-ups of their idea, whether as sketches in notebooks, or Inventor drawings. Others are still working on the actual ‘doing’ of their idea – the Emergency Vehicle Alerter, for example, are trying to determine the best way to transmit a signal from emergency vehicles to standard cars. The School Safe Speed system is trying to get professional ECU reprogramming companies to aid in designing a program which is critical for the project to succeed.
As we continue to research our solutions, we are also looking for means to fund the projects.

MIT Trip Wrap-Up

2009-07-03T15:59:00.003-04:00

Overall our experiences at MIT over the 4 day period were extremely beneficial to our growth as engineers. It opened our eyes to the hard work, dedication, and motivation needed to succeed in today's competitive engineering environment. The opportunity to show off our own creation, along with the Invention to Venture workshop were both learning experiences as well as character building events. The trip truly broadened our scope on the world ahead of us, and hopefully next years team will be able to enjoy the same things we did this year.

2009-2010 Inventeam at the Boston Museum of Science: Rest of day

2009-06-27T19:29:00.003-04:00

We were split up into 28 different groups for the design challenge. Our task was to construct an object that would convert wind energy into mechanical energy and raise a garbage can 30 feet into the air. We saw a plethora of ideas and in the end, about half were able to make it to the top.

The ideas ranged from horizontal wind turbines to falling hammers. There seemed to be no trend in the most successful projects but the winner was a wide, large surface area, horizontal axis turbine. The wind hit the plates and rotated the turbine, spinning the rope around, raising the can. Two of our group members were able to raise the can to the top with their new teams.

The day was full of adventure and excitement, and culminated with a lobster dinner. Our time at MIT was very well worth it. We were able to experience advanced entrepreneurial training, as well as experiencing the thrill of presenting and showcasing the Garden Consultant.

2009-2010 EDD MIT Trip day 4 morning: The Saga Continues

2009-06-27T08:35:00.001-04:00

We joined fellow Inventeams at the Boston Museum of Science today. After watching a brief video about the creation of RockBand/designing we were pleased to see the rest of the amazing contributions to the Museum. Soon to follow is a competition that allows members of different teams to work together on the topic of wind power.

Broad Institute-On Tour

2009-06-27T00:33:00.004-04:00

A solute separator and the Microsoft surface computer.

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

Jet Turbine-On Tour

2009-06-27T00:32:00.003-04:00

A see-through Jet Turbine worked on by MIT students

Unmanned Offroad Car

2009-06-27T00:29:00.002-04:00

A two million dollar car with many cameras and sensors worked on by MIT students.

2009-2010 Inventeam 6/26 Afternoon Tours

2009-06-26T23:55:00.010-04:00

We began our tours at the 2nd largest and one of the most prestigious wind tunnels next to NASA. Over 70 years old, the wind tunnel was originally ribbon cut by Orville Wright and draws so much power (over 3 mill watts) that they have to notify the local power companies and have a risk of shutting down the campus as they run the facility. Currently being tested was a more efficient wind power generating system although presently it was disabled. Undergrad projects showed how the wind tunnel can adapt to different atmospheric pressures in speeds. We were taken down to a separate lab were we were lucky to see a 2 million dollar unmanned racing vehicle, a jet turbine, and a robotic forklift.

As we explored Broad Institute, we were excited to find Microsoft Surface, an interactive touch screen computer, similar to an iphone. Broad institution is used for chemists, biologists, and those using DNA separation techniques. We were given a tour of the labs and shown how Genome's were sequenced as well.

2009-2010 Inventeam 6/26 morning-afternoon

2009-06-26T15:37:00.003-04:00

Today we all woke up and attended the breakfast in the Baker House. We then signed up for two different tours the Wind Tunnel and one at the BROAD Institutue. At 9:00am we headed over to the Stata Center were Humera Fasihuddin once again lead us in the inspirational Advanced Invention to Venture section of Eureka Fest. We began the Invention to Venture class by learning tips and strategies as Humera, along with Eben Bayer, Gavin Mclntyre, Teresita Cochran, Cory Cole, and Angel Hall demonstrated examples of good and bad business plans. We than took the examples and combined them with previous knowledge to articulate a game plan that would allow our project the "Garden Consultant" to have a successful future.

Advertising Our Website in the Stata

2009-06-26T00:14:00.002-04:00

Stata Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stata_Center

Saratoga InvenTeam Showcase Set-Up

2009-06-26T00:12:00.001-04:00

2009-2010 Inventeam Shows off the Garden Consultant at MIT Day 2

2009-06-25T23:25:00.002-04:00

We woke up for breakfast around 6 o'clock in the morning then moved on to the Advanced Invention to Venture training with Humera Fasihuddin. The combination of interacting with renowned inventors and the elevator pitch activity was a good learning experience.

Following lunch we moved into the Stata Center's auditorium for the InvenTeam and Student Prizes presentations at 1:30PM. The EcoFridge sparked our attentions and it really felt like there was a lot of potential for the system. Then at 6:00PM we set-up our stand and began to entertain every passerby we could with our new elevator pitch.

After the LMA Award presentation, a very inspiring event, we packed up all our laptops and posters and went back to the Baker house for an ice cream social. We met an aspiring young entrepeneur by the name of Garrett McNeill who told us about his new up and coming site IStudentUnion.com, something that he promises to become an excellent tool for student-teacher communication.