grades and machine pickup

All-

- Your letter grades will be posted next Monday.

- Due to end-of-semester travel, we will make your machines available (and will ask to borrow some for display) for pickup after the break. I'll make an announcement about this after Jan/1. You'll also be able to get your MS10 score detail then.

I hope you enjoyed ME250 and have a great break!

wrap-up

1. Your team and individual reflections are due on your blog by 9AM Monday. Many of you have described your machine in detail already and you don't need to repeat yourselves - just be sure that you have a good description of your final machine, a few photos, etc. overall.

2. Complete the team evaluation form that has been posted on ctools. This is to be submitted by noon Tuesday (Dec/15) via the corresponding ctools assignment. Type your responses into the document. Your responses will be held strictly confidential.

3. Your MS10 grades will be posted early next week.

4. Letter grades will be posted no later than Monday, December 21.

5. We will be in touch regarding a time for machine pick-up and reclaim of unused kit parts.

slot-bots on annarbor.com

http://www.annarbor.com/news/students-showcase-projects-at-u-m-engineerings-design-expo/

with captions at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36693965@N04/sets/72157622851153057/

slot-bot results

Thanks and congratulations to all for an exciting and successful competition yesterday. Here are the results:

First Place: Murphy's Law - Vince Ji, Mac Van Loon, Corwin Stout, Michael Wang

http://me250-f09-murphyslaw.blogspot.com/

Second Place: Team Legend - Tony DeMarco, Dan Forhan, Nathan Rowley, Jimmy Wobith

http://me250-f09-legend.blogspot.com/

Third Place: Sei Jin's Army - Michael Czarnecki, Dave Huston, Jeff Plott, Nathan Thome

http://me250-f09-seijinsarmy.blogspot.com/

Fourth Place: MEN - Dimitris Assanis, Adam Hall, Nathan Lusk, Paul Schrems

http://me250-f09-men.blogspot.com/

Bracket with scores: http://bit.ly/7p8O19

Recognition by staff consensus

Best mechanical design - MEN

Best manufacturing - Hole in One

Most creative AND riskiest - Fear Pong, Stiga

Strongest machine - Murphy's Law

Most complicated machine - LAWN

Occam's razor (simple and effective design) - Team Ramrod

Funniest - Sei Jin's Army

First place - Murphy's Law

Second place - Team Legend

Third place - Sei Jin's Army

seeding and bracket

Please see the link below for the updated contest instructions, including seeding and the first round bracket

See you tomorrow at the gallery!

http://bit.ly/5hfoG6

wiring

All - Please make sure the wires on your machine are neatly arranged and constrained to your machine. If a wire detaches during a round, we will not restart the round. If your wires are unnecessarily loose and your opponent becomes entangled in your wires, the referees may disqualify you.

kevlar thread

We have more kevlar thread in the crib now; feel free to get some during your section time.

contest logistics

All -please view the document below for details of Thursday's competition. Instructions for the competition itself (i.e., seeding, bracket, on-deck procedures, etc.) will come late tomorrow night.

http://bit.ly/8UMYGZ

video submission

All- we'd like to include your videos on a looping DVD that will play on a large TV at the entrance to the competition on Thursday.

If you'd like to include your video in this, please upload it to ctools (assignments --> video) by 9AM tomorrow. This is not required; we just created an assignment to facilitate submission. The file must be smaller than the ctools limit, if a size limit exists.

As far as I know, any standard file format is ok; however, quicktime is preferred.

Note that your video must be be posted on your blog anyway - this is your official assignment.

photos of machine action

All - I'm looking for photos of machines in action for advertising the competition. If you have a good photo from your practice session, and you'd like me to consider it for the poster, please send it to me before midnight tonight. thanks

MS10

All -

reminder that 1131 will be restricted to lab sections ONLY tomorrow, i.e., no one from another section can work in 1131 after 9.30am.

your machines are due during your lab section, and cannot be accessed after your section time.

we will bring your machines directly to the contest location (duderstadt gallery) on thursday. more details on that coming soon.

Found a TI-84

I found it a few days ago but forgot to send out an announcement. If you've lost it, come and get it.

MS10 - offense vs. defense

When we assign the 20 points for scoring during MS10, your machine's defense will be considered equal to offense (i.e., moving balls to the other side).

There isn't a scoring formula for this, since there will not be another machine competing against you. However, the GSI will use a manual arm (PVC pipe) to gently bring balls toward your side.

Defense performance will also be accounted for in the seeding.

arena testing signup

Starting Sunday (3pm shop open), we will allow advance signup for testing of your machines on the arenas.

Arenas 1 (with fixed axes) and 2 (no fixed axes) will both be available. Two teams will be permitted on each arena at a time. One side of arena #2 will not be reserved in advance, and will be first-come, first-serve for quick testing (i.e., fitting machine in slot) only.

Each team can reserve up to 3 hours total in advance. Times that are not reserved in advance will be first-come, first-serve (30 minute rule enforced by honor code).

Sign up at http://bit.ly/4CI8Y2

Also, a control system is now available for checkout from the crib. We will have a further update on control testing/availability tomorrow.

mounting suggestions

In response to your questions about mounting/coupling kit components having a size mismatch, Sam has prepared some slides at the link below. These include recommendations for coupling to the double gearbox, mounting the large-bore gear to a 1/4" shaft, etc.

http://bit.ly/8VFxpe

laser cutter online

The laser cutter in the ME machine shop is operational once again. So, please use that one and no longer go to the autolab.

MS9 and MS10

Additional details of MS9 (next Monday) and MS10 (next Wednesday) have been added to the 'MS7toend' slides on ctools.

final signup and extended hours

The signup sheet for next week:

http://bit.ly/7bkDZV

Due to the low attendance for morning hours this week, we can't justify keeping 1131ggb open beyond 7PM this week. The hours are 8a-7pm through this Friday. After that:

SUNDAY (Dec/6): 3-9p

Mon: 8a-11p

Tues: 8a-11p

Wed: 8a-3.30p (1131ggb closed after all the machines have been submitted)

Note the machine shop is only open M-F 8-7.

laser cutter

The laser cutter in the main machine shop is out of order until further notice.

Fortunately there is another laser cutter in the Autolab, in the Graduate Machine Shop on the Autolab main floor. Speak with Mr. John Mears there. The operation is different, so DON'T use the machine without asking for assistance. That shop is open weekdays until 5pm.

early rise...

Hi everyone -the shop remains empty in the early morning, and crowded in the afternoon ...so I encourage you to work early if you can. it'll only get more hectic as the week proceeds.

exam questions

Sam and I will be available to answer questions on grading of the exam 2-3pm Thursday in 1131. If you have a question, please visit us then.

exam stats

http://bit.ly/5geRKA