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2.995 Creation and
Communication of Ideas |
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Welcome to the 2.995 Website
Purpose | Outline | Basic Info
All human existence is based on creating and communicating ideas, and this course pays homage to the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the physical embodiment of the picture can be worth a thousand pictures! Furthermore, this course will build awareness that great social change is best brought about by empowering people to create and communicate. Just as an outline is often crucial to effective writing, creating and idea and then representing it by sketching, drawing, and physical modeling is critical dependent on the execution of a design process. This course will teach the process of creation and communication, and show that this process is actually the same for any creative endeavor ranging from the creation of art to automobiles. The process of creation is summarized as defining the functional requirements (clearly define what you want to accomplish), the design parameters (the components you have to work with), and the rules (how the components interact). The process of communication is summarized as being able to simply state what the creation is to do, then sketch by hand what the creation will look like, then draw the design on the computer, and then actually create a physical model. Students will first learn by working with existing creations (for example, Alexander Caldor’s mobiles) and then will continue to learn by creating their own project. EACH STUDENT MUST BE PREPARED AT A MOMENTS NOTICE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE CLASS THE STATUS OF THEIR PROJECT. Projects can range from creating a new instrument, to creating a quilt, to creating a knitted fabric pattern, to creating a piece of furniture, to creating a new product idea. Resources and associated teaching personnel include the MIT Hobby Shop, Solid Modeling workstations, and a computer controlled knitting machine. The course culminates with a gallery-like showing of the student’s work.
The first eight weeks of the course will be spent learning CAD modeling using SOLIDWORKS. The majority of the work will take place in class, including the labs. The exercises will focus on the engineering principles associated with the design and production of the models, in addition to the basic skills required to create the CAD models. These engineering principles include: design intent, manufacturing processes, and assembly. The final four weeks of the course will be devoted to a project of the students choosing. The project must be of a complexity such that the project can be completed in the four weeks allowed. No hardware is required - only CAD models (parts, assemblies, and drawings).
When does the course meet? Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. Where does the course meet? Room 3-460, the atrium in building 3. How many units is the course? 6 units. Who is the instructor? Dave Pancoast
This page was last updated on 02/22/99.
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