MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2016 Activities by Sponsor - MIT-SUTD Collaboration

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Build a Small Radar System

Patrick Bell

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/08
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: See Course Description

Are you interested in building and testing your own imaging radar system? MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course in design, fabrication, and test of a laptop-based radar capable of forming Doppler, range, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. This course will appeal to anyone interested in the following: electronics, amateur radio, physics, or electromagnetics. Teams of three will receive a radar kit and will attend sessions spanning topics from fundamentals of radar to SAR imaging. Experiments will be performed as the radar kit is implemented. You will bring your radar into the field and perform experiments such as measuring the speed of passing cars or plotting the range of moving targets. A final SAR imaging contest will test your ability to form a detailed and creative SAR image of a target scene of your choice. The best image wins.

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dr. Bradley Perry, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, radar.course@ll.mit.edu


Build a Small Radar System

Jan/11 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM NE-45 2nd floor
Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM NE-45 2nd floor
Jan/15 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM NE-45 2nd floor
Jan/20 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM NE-45 2nd floor

IMPORTANT:

Sessions will be held at Beaver Works @ 300 Technology Square, 2nd Floor

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)


Comprehensive Overview of Arduino Microcontrollers for Creative Exploration (8-day workshop)

Kyle Keane, Lecturer, Craig Carter, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Jan/11 Mon 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/12 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/14 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/15 Fri 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/19 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/20 Wed 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo
Jan/21 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM TBD, Students should bring a laptop to each class. Befo

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none; however, see note about

This is an 8-day experiential immersion into electronics and prototyping where participants will learn all of the foundational skills required to collaborate, design, and build complete electronics projects using open-source microprocessors. No previous experience with computer programming or electronics is required, since participants will be taught everything they need to know. Advanced students are welcome and will be accommodated with a faster pace and more free time to work on projects. Each day during the first week, there will be a short (20 minute) lecture about some aspect of building collaborative Arduino projects. Following the lectures, participants will break into small teams (2-4 members per team) to complete an activity that requires the application of the concepts covered in the lecture. Participants will be encouraged to form a new team every day during the first week. The five concepts that will be covered sequentially are: collaborating on software development using GitHub, the basics of electricity and circuits, programming Arduino microcontrollers, physical computing and tangible interfaces, and the complete design process. During the second week, participants will divide into slightly larger teams (3-6 members per team). These teams will have three days to design, plan, and build a final project that they will present to the rest of the course participants on the last day of the course. 

If new to Arduino, consider taking 1-day crash course first. 

 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Kyle Keane, 13-4061, kkeane@mit.edu


Crafting the Cosmos - Handmade Projects and Introductory Astrophysics

Zach Berta-Thompson, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kavli Institute

Jan/05 Tue 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD
Jan/07 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD
Jan/12 Tue 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD
Jan/14 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD
Jan/19 Tue 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD
Jan/21 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM TBD

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

The Universe is a big, complex, beautiful place. While astrophysical concepts can sometimes be difficult to grasp in the abstract, many can be brought to Earth through connection to hands-on projects. This course aims to provide a setting where exploring the Universe with astrophysics is set on equal footing with learning a new craft like knitting or sketching. Each class will combine brief lectures on introductory astrophysics concepts with related crafts activities. Topics will include stars, exoplanets, black holes, and cosmology. Students will leave every session with an object they created - either a piece of art or a scientific measurement instrument.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Zach Berta-Thompson, 37-641, zkbt@mit.edu


Create Your Own Comic! (Artistic Ability Optional)

Rebecca Thorndike-Breeze, Ph.D, Lecturer, CMS/W

Jan/11 Mon 02:00PM-04:00PM 56-167, bring laptop
Jan/12 Tue 02:00PM-04:00PM 56-167, bring laptop
Jan/13 Wed 02:00PM-04:00PM 56-167, bring laptop
Jan/14 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 56-167, bring laptop
Jan/15 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM 56-167, bring laptop

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/08
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

Collaborate with peers to write stories, create scripts and storyboards, create comics, and publish on our class blog. We’ll discuss students’ favorite comics and graphic novels, as well as those from the broad range of genres, styles, and media currently available. We’ll discuss different theories of comic and graphic novel form, including those from the US, Asia, and Europe. Brief in-class writing assignments, story drafts, scripts, and story-boards will be published on our class blog. Students will collaborate to create comics, in genres and styles of their choice, informed by our discussions.

Please sign up via email. Include your name, MIT email address, your student status or MIT title, MIT department/section, and a sentence or two about why you're interested in the workshop.

Special Instructions: The work we do in class will be published on our class blog, but you can opt out of sharing your work online. After signing up via email, on Jan. 11 please bring your laptop and charger, your favorite comic or graphic novel (a link online is ok), and a couple of ideas for short stories - from real life or your imagination - that you’d like to create in graphic or comics form. Estimated work on comic outside of class: 1-2 hours per day on first four days.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Rebecca Thorndike-Breeze, E39-115AA, rtb@mit.edu


Design of Fixed-Wing Aircraft for Radio Control

Dan Frey, Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Jan/05 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor
Jan/07 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor
Jan/12 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor
Jan/14 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor
Jan/19 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor
Jan/21 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd Floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/22
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: No experience necessary. Geared toward beginners.

This course involves designing, building, and flying radio controlled fixed wing aircraft. Students will learn how to:

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dan Frey, 3-449D, (617) 324-6133, danfrey@mit.edu


DN Class Iceboat Building (and hopefully sailing)

Bill Buchholz, Professional Boat Builder, Repairer and Restorer, John Brisson, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Jan/04 Mon 01:00PM-03:00PM N51 SEVT Space
Jan/05 Tue 08:00AM-09:30AM N51 SEVT Space
Jan/07 Thu 08:00AM-09:30AM N51 SEVT Space
Jan/12 Tue 08:00AM-09:30AM N51 SEVT Space
Jan/14 Thu 08:00AM-09:30AM N51 SEVT Space

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/20
Limited to 8 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

There aren't many things one can build with simple materials and basic skills, and then take it out and go sixty miles per hour. We'll be building four DN class iceboats in this course with which one can do exactly that. And, weather permitting, we will take a day to go iceboat sailing on a nearby lake using existing boats. We'll be working with uni-directional cellulose fiber, also known as spruce, the same kind of wood that's used to build airplanes.

All materials will be provided. Using hand and powers tool, students will lay out, cut and install all the small wooden parts that make up this mile-a-minute machine.

Students will come away from the course with new skills in woodworking, fiberglassing and fine craftsmanship. Dynamics of sailing will also be discussed. 

Note: It is unlikely the boats will be completed over the two weeks. They'll be finished either later in the year or next IAP. 

 

Set class times include four instructional sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. However, the workspace will be open approx. 8 hours a day mornings and afternoons, and participants should be able to work several hours daily over the course of the first two weeks of IAP (Jan. 4 through 15). Possible dates for iceboating trips include Jan. 9, 10, 16 and 17. The right conditions are needed, and we will go out when the ice is good.

 

Participants will be selected by the week of Dec. 21. Please include brief info about yourself, interest in and commitment to the course, etc.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Jesse Delaughter, 35-216, JESSED@MIT.EDU


Forces Frozen - Exploring Structural Ice Shells

Caitlin Mueller, Assistant Professor in Building Technology, Lancelot Coar, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba

Jan/04 Mon 01:00PM-06:00PM 7-434, bring warm clothes
Jan/05 Tue 01:00PM-06:00PM 7-434, bring warm clothes
Jan/06 Wed 01:00PM-06:00PM 7-434, bring warm clothes
Jan/07 Thu 01:00PM-06:00PM 7-434, bring warm clothes
Jan/08 Fri 01:00PM-06:00PM 7-434, bring warm clothes

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/31
Limited to 25 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

This workshop explores the world of structural ice shells for architecture, inspired by Swiss engineer and designer Heinz Isler (1926-2009).  Co-taught with Professor Lancelot Coar of the University of Manitoba, this year's one-week course will involve research, experimentation, design, and lots of hands-on building using fabric and frozen water to create incredible forms that are strong, lightweight, and expressive.  The week will culminate in the construction and celebration of a large-scale ice shell installation on the MIT campus.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Caitlin Mueller, caitlinm@mit.edu


Form and Color

Joan Levy Hepburn, Instructor

Jan/11 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM W20-425
Jan/12 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM W20-425
Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM W20-425
Jan/14 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM W20-425
Jan/15 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM W20-425

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/08
Limited to 12 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: No previous experience or art courses required

CLASS IS FULL WITH LONG WAITLIST ALREADY. NO MORE CONTACTS PLEASE.

This class will focus on learning visual language and color perception through drawing and painting. Students will come away from these classes with a new awareness of observational skills documented in drawing, an understanding of form, a thorough understanding and control of color and applications of its use as light and pigment, and the completion of an oil painting.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Katherine Higgins, E15-205A, higginsk@mit.edu


Getting Started with Arduino Programming and Electronics Prototyping (1-day crash course)

Kyle Keane, Lecturer, Craig Carter, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Jan/06 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM TBD, Participants should bring a laptop to each session
Jan/06 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM TBD, Participants should bring a laptop to each session
Jan/08 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM TBD, Participants should bring a laptop to each session
Jan/08 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM TBD, Participants should bring a laptop to each session

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 40 participants
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session
Prereq: None

This series includes four independent sessions: 2 half-day guided introductions to Arduino programming and 2 half-day open Arduino mini-makerspaces. We provide all the necessary equipment for all four sessions (except laptops, you should bring your own laptop). Participants should register for each session that wish to attend separately, it is recommended to register for 1 guided introduction and 1 mini-makerspace.

For those who wish to delve deeper, consider following this course with the 8-day "Comprehensive Overview of Arduino" course offered weeks 2-3 of IAP by the same instructors.

 

Session Description (A guided intro to Arduino programming):

Morning Sessions (Choose from Jan. 6 or Jan. 8)

This is a 3-hour survey of Arduino programming and circuit construction, designed for those with no previous experience in computer programming or electronics. The course will start with a 30-minute lecture about Arduinos, how to program them, and how to use basic electronic components (breadboards, resistors, LEDs, buttons). Participants will then receive instructions and materials to complete a simple Arduino project (controlling an LED and motor using a button and potentiometer).

 

Session Description (Open Arduino mini-makerspace):

Afternoon Sessions (Choose from Jan. 6 or Jan. 8)

We will host a fully-stocked Arduino mini-makerspace. Participants will have access to breadboards, Arduinos, motors, LEDs, resistors, buttons, and a whole bunch of sensors.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Kyle Keane, 13-4061, kkeane@mit.edu


Hands-On Holography

Dr. Robert A. Freking, Dr. Joseph Vornehm, Gregory Balonek

Jan/06 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/08 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/11 Mon 09:00AM-12:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/13 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/15 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM NE 45 2nd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Laptop with MATLAB, MATLAB experience

Hands-On Holography, Misjudged as passé art or entertained only as an amusing physical paradox, holography critically encompasses all the essential principles governing propagating wave interactions across every domain of matter and energy.  Yet, surprisingly few in the applied sciences and engineering appreciate how to leverage holographic phenomena in real-world sensing applications.  This course will demystify holography by demonstrating how to gather and interpret  2-D, phase-preserving recordings to recover a hidden , encoded third dimension of information. Course topics progress from basic phenomenology on to specialized applications of holographic techniques in the physical and computational domains.  Participants will practice holography hands-on in the electromagnetic and audio domains through interactive laboratory exercises employing traditional film, computer-generated holography (CGH) and sonic recordings.  Measurement devices, supplies and MATLAB starter code will be provided. 

All participants must supply their own laptops with MATLAB installed.

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dr. Robert A. Freking, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, holographycourse@ll.mit.edu


Inflated Appetite

Wen Wang, Postdoctoral Associate, Chemical Engineering, Lining Yao, Research Assistant, MIT Media Lab, Jifei Ou, Research Assistant, MIT Media Lab, Chin-Yi Cheng, MIT Architecture

Jan/05 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/06 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/07 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/08 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/11 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/12 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/14 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM E15-344
Jan/14 Thu 06:00PM-09:00PM kitchen areas, final event

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Undergrads and grads passionate about design and food

This course teaches the theory, design and fabrication of pneumatic shape-changing interfaces. For hands-on practice, students will design inflatable and edible objects. Two approaches will be used for the design of pneumatic shape-changing food: engineering approach and biological approach.

Engineering approach: Students will be introduced to an electronic pneumatic control toolkit used to create soft transformable objects. We will learn how to work with the toolkit (including an arduino-based programming board, a set of pneumatic circuits, and a series of pneumatic actuators), how to program the board to create interactions and shapes, and how to control the inflation of objects. 

 Biological approach:

Students will learn about the culturing and fermentation process of yeast.  A bio-safety level 1 lab from chemical engineering department will be dedicated for this session. We will emphasize food science and engineering, and apply the knowledge in a hands-on session to control bread growth.

Design workshop:

For the design workshop, the topic is “inflated appetite”.  We will use food material, especially flour, to create inflatable shapes. Students will be encouraged to think about inflatable shapes from different aspects: composite material structure, material anisotropy, elasticity and viscoelasticity, surface tensile strength and elongation, etc. and will develop unique creations drawing on what they've learned. 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Chemical Engineering
Contact: Wen Wang, 16-473, wwen@mit.edu


Infrastructure Design for Climate Change

Herbert Einstein, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ari Epstein, Lecturer, Terrascope

Jan/11 Mon 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371
Jan/12 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371
Jan/13 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371
Jan/14 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371
Jan/15 Fri 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371
Jan/20 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-371

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/15
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Undergraduate studies (ongoing or past) in any engineering d

In this team-oriented, project-based class, students will work to find technical solutions that could be implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change, bearing in mind that any proposed measures must be appropriate in a given region’s socio-political-economic context. The specific problem will be the effect of sea level rise. As a case study, students will work on measures related to the cities of Cambridge, Boston, and as much as possible Singapore, with input from officials of appropriate city agencies and/or local NGO’s. The issues and solutions will have direct relevance to large, coastal cities elsewhere.

Students will also learn the basics of the observational/adaptable approach to design, essentially having a feedback loop of “design-construction-operation-design adaptation”. This approach to design is already practiced to some extent, but is likely to become much more common in the near future, both because of advances in embedded-sensor technology and because of its relevance to high-uncertainty contexts such as that presented by climate change.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact: Ari Epstein, 16-177, 617-253-3666, awe@mit.edu


(CANCELED) Innovation Tournament 2016

Dr. Kevin Cohen, Assistant Division Head, Lincoln Laboratory, Dr. Bob Atkins, Division Head, Lincoln Laboratory, Ken Gregson, Senior Staff, Lincoln Laboratory, Dr. Matt Cormick, Assistant Group Leader, Lincoln Laboratory, Dr. Hamilton Shephard, Dr. Bob Galeis, Senior Staff, Lincoln Laboratory

Jan/07 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/11 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/15 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM NE45 2nd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

Do your innovative ideas get the attention they deserve? Would you like to become more innovative? In this interactive innovation tournament, we will collectively generate hundreds of new ideas to present, evaluate, refine, and ultimately transform into system concepts that solve relevant and challenging problems. We will discuss techniques and tools for brainstorming and concept development, including the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Blue Team process, and provide mentoring, presentation skills training, and lectures in advanced technology across diverse fields. This is the perfect opportunity to practice innovation and hone your skills for future research, development, and entrepreneurship.


*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government. 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Lincoln Laboratory
Contact: Dr. Kevin Cohen, cohen@ll.mit.edu


Intro to Modeling, Instrumentation and Control Using Skateboards and Scooters

Lennon Rodgers, Research Scientist

Jan/06 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/08 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/11 Mon 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/13 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/15 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/20 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM N52 3rd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Calculus I, Physics I, Microsoft Excel

This class will use electric skateboards and scooters to introduce concepts such as modeling, instrumentation and control. Along the way we will explore mathematical concepts such as differential equations and linear algebra. We will create a basic model for the forces, power and energy consumption of the vehicles. Then the basic theory of PID speed controllers will be discussed and implemented on the scooters. Data will be collected while the vehicles are driven to validate the models and gain a deeper understanding of the theory and concepts. This class will help students gain an intuition for engineering concepts through a fun and immersive experience.

 

For more information and to register: www.making-learning.org

 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, MIT-SUTD International Design Center
Contact: Lennon Rodgers, N52 3rd floor, rodgers@mit.edu


Introduction to Lasercom: Build a Laser Audio Link

Jade Wang, David Caplan, Gavin Lund, Dave Geisler, Neal Spellmeyer, Rich Kaminsky

Jan/05 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/07 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/12 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/14 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/19 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor
Jan/21 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

Free-space laser communication (lasercom) is poised to revolutionize space-based data transmission, by enabling links with higher data rates and longer ranges than are practically achievable with radio-frequency systems. MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA recently demonstrated a record-breaking high-data-rate lasercom link, from a spacecraft orbiting the moon to ground stations on Earth, in the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD).

 Although we won’t be sending laser beams into space, this class will provide students with hands-on experience designing and building a basic lasercom system. The accompanying lectures will provide an overview of lasercom concepts, lasers and optical components, lasercom-relevant electronics, communication link design, and analog and digital modulation techniques. Students will learn to apply these principles by building their own laser audio communication systems, and will work in teams to compete for a best-project award.   

 

To register,  email Jade Wang (jpwang@ll.mit.edu).  Include "2016 IAP Lasercom Course Registration Request" in subject line and provide a brief description of your MIT affiliation and interest in the course.

 

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Jade Wang, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, jpwang@ll.mit.edu


Learning Science through Cooking

Dario Marrocchelli, researcher

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/31
Limited to 25 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

Enrollment is closed. Class is at capacity with extensive waitlist.

Cooking is one of the most fascinating (and rewarding!) application of science and engineering. Indeed, few people realize that even the easiest recipe (scrambled eggs) requires a working knowledge of important scientific principles spanning the fields of Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and many more. The goal of this course is to show this connection between cooking and science.

This course is designed to be a fun, hands-on experience in which students learn basic scientific principles by performing simple experiments with food. The first four lectures will cover ice cream making, chocolate tasting, naked eggs, rock candies and other fun activities. At the end of each lecture, I will provide a connection between the lecture subject and some of the cutting-edge research happening at MIT. A private tour of nearby Taza Chocolate factory will conclude the course.

This course requires absolutely no prior knowledge. The only requisite for this course is a passion for food, cooking and science.

Registration for course will be first-come, first serve. Based on last year experience, this class tends to fill up rapidly. Please register as soon as possible by emailing the instructor.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dario Marrocchelli, (ENROLLMENT IS CLOSED- no more requests please), dmarrocc@mit.edu


Jan/11 Mon 06:00PM-07:30PM W20-308 coffeehouse
Jan/12 Tue 06:00PM-07:30PM W20-308 coffeehouse
Jan/14 Thu 06:00PM-07:00PM Taza Factory, arrive by 5:45PM
Jan/19 Tue 05:30PM-06:30PM W20-308
Jan/20 Wed 06:00PM-07:30PM W20-308

The session on the 14th will be located at the Taza Chooclate factory. Closed toed shoes are required. Jewelry & perfume are not permitted. There is no outside food or drink allowed. Come prepared to try a wide variety of stone ground chocolate!

Location for tour is 561 Windsor St. between Inman Square and Union Square in Somerville. 


Mechanical Testing of Engineering Materials

Pierce Hayward

Jan/21 Thu 09:00AM-11:00AM 1-307
Jan/22 Fri 09:00AM-11:00AM 1-307

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/20
Limited to 12 participants
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Opportunity for hands-on personal experience testing materials at your own pace. The lab has four conventional testing machines so that students can get the direct, repetitive experience frequently missing from standard courses. The lab also has an attached machine shop where grips and specimens are made and students will get an introduction to lathe and mill operations. Students will test provided specimens as an introduction and then make material specimens from stock and extract materials from products, something mechanical engineers are called upon to do. Some students may be interested in testing particular materials, such as carabineers, 3D printed parts, ropes, chains, etc; this course can generally accommodate such special testing projects. Routine procedures for handling materials, such as heat treatment, for hardening and strengthening of steels and aluminums are part of the course. Bluing and tempering of strengthened steels is presented, along wth hardness as an indicator of presumptive material strength. Comparisons are made among tensile, compression and bending results for determining material properties. After class time each morning, students may work on their own. They are free to do so during the remainder of IAP and into the spring term. 

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Pierce Hayward, 1-307, 617-253-3841, phayward@mit.edu


Software Radio

Thomas Royster, Devin Kelly, James Streitman, Mike McLarney, Dwight Hutchenson, Fred Block, John Chang

Jan/12 Tue 10:00AM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor, 1 hr. break for lunch
Jan/14 Thu 10:00AM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor, 1 hr. break for lunch
Jan/19 Tue 10:00AM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor, 1 hr. break for lunch
Jan/21 Thu 10:00AM-04:00PM NE45 2nd floor, 1 hr. break for lunch

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/18
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Engineering Background or Interest

Software radio technology is having a tremendous impact not only in consumer devices but also in the areas of rapid prototyping and research and development.  MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course to introduce students to software radio fundamentals and applications.  Students will gain hands-on experience with the USRP software radio platform while learning theory and practice of digital signal processing and digital communications.  The course will consist of several projects, such as FM radio receivers, digital video transmission and reception, and spectrum sensing, highlighting the flexibility of software radios. 

* This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Thomas Royster, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, troyster@ll.mit.edu


Software Reverse Engineering

Tim Leek, Jeremy Blackthorne, Patrick Hulin

Jan/04 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/05 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/06 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/07 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM NE 45 2nd floor
Jan/08 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM NE 45 2nd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: see description.

Software reverse engineering (RE) is the process of discovering undocumented internals in computer programs. RE is a critical activity in cyber operations not just in the government sector, but also in industry, finance, and anywhere that computer programs and information need to be protected. It is also fun and challenging! This course will provide a brief, hands-on, immersive introduction to RE. The course will driven by hands-on labs with theory and visual aids as needed. On days one through four, students will cover static and dynamic analysis of programs. The class will then culminate on the fifth day, with students tackling a single large RE challenge.

Prereq: Students are expected to have a familiarity with programming, assembly, and enjoy problem solving. We will not be programming assembly but we will be looking at programs and their disassembly. No previous reverse engineering experience is expected.

* This work is sponsored by the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Tim Leek, tleek@ll.mit.edu


Team Challenge: Ceramics Coat of Arms

Jason Pastorello, Technical Instructor, Student Art Association

Jan/06 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM W20-431, Come in comfortable clothes that can get dirty.
Jan/13 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM W20-431, Come in comfortable clothes that can get dirty.
Jan/20 Wed 09:00AM-12:00PM W20-431, Come in comfortable clothes that can get dirty.

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Limited to 18 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Week one: Students will be issued a design challenge to create a coat of arms that represents their college experience, whether they are MIT students or SUTD students.  The groups will have to agree on a design and then assign construction tasks.  A basic demonstration of hand building techniques will be presented at the beginning of the first class, as well as a discussion of the general nature and physical properties of clay. 

Week two: Discussion of the the chemistry of glazing, underglazing and chemical washes  and the way that each react with cone 6 clay bodies in the kiln.  Groups will have to agree on and divide up glazing responsibilities.  At the end of week two, if time permits, the instructor will give a   wheelthrowing demonstration and students will be allowed to experiment on the potters wheels. .

Week three: Finished pieces are out of the kilns and ready for group critique, after which they can be taken home.  If time permits, students will be allowed to continue to experiment on the wheel and with handbuilding on the tables. 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Student Art Association
Contact: Stacy DeBartolo, E15-205A, stacyp@mit.edu


The Art (and Engineering) of Bicycle Mechanics

Lennon Rodgers, Research Scientist

Jan/19 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/20 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM N52 3rd floor
Jan/21 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM N52 3rd floor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 15 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Ability to ride a bicycle

Students will completely disassemble and reassemble a bicycle to learn about bicycle components, tools and mechanics. Related engineering concepts such as torque, speed, power, sprockets and mechanical advantage will be discussed and experienced.

For more information and to register: www.making-learning.org

 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, MIT-SUTD International Design Center
Contact: Lennon Rodgers, N52 3rd floor, rodgers@mit.edu