Engineering Object: Computers

How would had been our life if there were no laptops or computers? Would I have been writing this blog post? Would you be reading it? Would you be sitting on the chair/couch you are sitting on (Probably, if it were handmade)

The point I am making is that mostly all the things that we use today have indirect connection to computers in some of the other way. Like the chair you are sitting on, if its not a handmade one then there is a pretty good chance that it was carved out by machine which was programmed using a computer. May be the chair was designed using a computer software. With computer our communication has become so easy. I have heard stories of my grandmother waiting for hours to get in contact with my grandfather who used to live across seven oceans for quite a while, but now we have Skype to chat within seconds.

We never think of a life without computers, because with the dependence that we have on them today it would simply be impossible to live. We take them for granted. Engineers have made it so cheap that almost everyone has it now. About couple years ago they were luxury only for the rich, but now everyone has it. Even if there is someone who doesnt has it can go to library and use it.

Laptops and computers are highly complicated on the inside, but we dont have to care about it because engineers have been successful in hiding the complex part by masking it with easy softwares so that even a two year old can use it.

Integrating ENG198 Lecture class with Lab class

The best wat I think can mdel almost all the missing basic is by adding certain component in the lab class it self.

For the steam car project we should be given all the materials, without the instruction guide. Then we should be told to design a steam car and in that we should be told to use the missing basics to design the car. We should be told to use labeling to label our plan. We should be told to use the presentation missing basics to make a presentation to make a presentation for our project. We should also be told to use the minimum number of parts, and thereby build a sellable design.

For the arduino project we should be encouraged to ask questions a lot of them about the working of the project and how it works.

Other ways we can integrate missing basics is by having workshops that can be helpful not only in teaching the missing basics, but also in practicing missing basics. Like in some workshops we should be told to design projects and then to label or present the projects.