Michelle Pitkethley's Portfolio
for
Rapid Prototype Design




   After taking so many classes involving computations and calculations, this semester I wanted to try something different.  I am taking the rapid Prototyping design class to get more hands on experience of engineering because I feel there is only so much that I can learn from doing problems out of a book.  I know that when I am working I will not be handed a problem with all the numbers chosen so the solution will work out perfectly.  With the rapidprototyping class, I have to think of creative solutions rather then pounding out an equation.


Toy Project
        Everyone's imagination runs wild as a child.  Our first project was to design a toy for young children.  It made me think back to when I was a kid to remember just what children like to play with.  It was also a great chance to let my imagination run wild, because there really was no limitations as to what I could build.  One thing I did learn though is that what you've seen definately influences how you think.  Coming up with a new design was hard, and honestly I think all of my toys were at least in part rip offs of those others have already created.  I realized that you draw ideas from others, and by varying them, usually come up with a new twist on an old game. Knowing this, I have a new found respect for patents.  Click here to check out my toy designs.

Newspaper Structures
    The newspaper structure project was a great opportunity to work in teams.  I found it to be an excercise of making due with what you have.  Honestly, I underestimated the strength of newspaper.  Writing instructions to another group was hard though.  When we built our design it seemed to work fine, but with thorough instuctions, the other team still seemed to screw it up.   That showed me the value of following instructions.  There's nothing wrong with thinking "why not just do this?", but when someone designs something they usually do it for a reason.  Building someone else's design made me realize just how nice it is to have a helping hand sometimes.  There was no way any of us could have built the structure without the others.

(above) My Team building another teams design

Our design as built by another team

Role Mole
    Well, the first thing I learned from this project is that moles are blind, so they don't need glasses.  Also, if they did wear them for some reason, they have no ears to hold them up.  Those things aside, what I took away from this project was that complex solutions aren't always the best.  The ideas I liked the most were the simple ones, like having the earpiece be circular so he can put them behind his head like several people thought of.  My idea took inspiration from my wallet.  It has a keychain on it, which keeps me from losing my wallet cause I always keep track of my keys.  I figured since a blind mole with no ears is wearing glasses, he can drive a car and have house keys too, so I gave him a case for his glasses with a keychain on it.

mlp2@andrew.cmu.edu
Last updated February 22nd, 2000