KSR Monthly Report - Gabi

1. What have I learned from the assigned readings and videos that we can include in our

design?

• I’ve learned how much we throw away when we could really recycle it or more importatnly upcycle it. Through watching some of the videos I’ve been able to grasp how some of these KSR designs function in both land and sea.

2. What have I learned from our site visits, photographs & videos that can inform our design?

• Going to the AVAM I got to see a few different design ideas. The one that stood out the most was the crocodile design. I thought it was interesting how they were able to constrain the trikes in a line while allowing them to swivel by turning the handlebars. I also thought the use of foam blocks on the side of each trike was a good flotation concept although I don’t think it would be able to displace the full weight.

3. What have I learned from the kinetic sculpture web site and KSR blog that can inform our design?

• From the KSR website I’ve learned all the do’s and the do not’s of the race. I’ve also gotten a lot of ideas for floatation mechanism which I think is going to be the most challenging part of the design. From the blog I’ve gotten to know the strengths of our individual members.

4. What have I learned about the importance of building partnerships in our community?

• Partnerships are essential to the development of a design. We wouldn’t have the design we have now without reaching out to the community and other individuals. We have a place to weld and person who’s going to get us bikes and many more opportunities and resources because of our outreach.

5. What have I learned about the design process (about developing a design in collaboration

with students with expertise in a variety of areas)? What has been meaningful? What has been challenging, and what are some ways in which we could meet the challenges?

• I’ve learned that it is very difficult to convey a mechanical design concept to someone with a background in psychology and I’ve also learned it is like talking to a wall when an art major is talking to an engineer about how the materials colors are important to the design. In the end the range of thought processes are what make it such a well rounded design. The hard part is continuing down a path and not getting bogged down in the details.

6. How can I draw from all of the above in order to “tell our story” (describe our project) to a wider audience?

• I’ve been slowly trying to pick up on how other members interact with the community so that I can better convey the story of our design.

7. How is our work interdisciplinary? Has there been any “transfer” of understanding from an

artistic perspective to an engineering perspective, for example?

• Every class there is input from people of all different disciplines and that is what our design is based on. It’s not solly an engineer designing the frame or an artist making the sculpture. It all flows together and in that we see how interdisciplinary action is affecting this project.