Engineering

Construct a music machine. Hear the logic of Leonardo's mind at work as he invents the first modern robot, an automatic drummer whose rhythms can be reprogrammed flexibly and whose tempos adjust automatically. Invent your own cadences and rhythms.

The legacy of the Museum begins in 1798 When Eli Whitney first chose a site on the Mill River to build his Armory. Chosen for its access to a strong current of water, Whitney intended to use this as a power source for the machines he would use to produce the parts of his contract musket. Whitney, however, was not the first to see the potential of this site as a grist mill had been located on the grounds previously. Over time the site has taken on new residencies and has physically changed as well.

Along with learning the history of Connecticut’s part in the Industrial Revolution, discover and build the inner workings of a Mill model. Explore the connections and how this machinery helped energize generations to come. 
 

Build a windmill with adjustable vanes. You will discover that in order to make it work, the vanes have to be adjusted just right to turn fast enough to work. Then apply that wind power to make it work. How? By making it lift weight, you can observe just how much power output it can produce. You will discover the problem of scale and its limitations but the potential is there.

Understand the gearing needed to manage the lift. About the relationship between speed and power. It's not necessarily intuitive.

The bridge is one of humanity's greatest engineering achievements. Crossing obstacles to connect people and places, bridges are a natural laboratory for engineering. They test the strength and durability of materials. They lead to the natural use of geometry and load dispersion to stay standing and carry weight. Construct two model bridges that help you identify different solutions to the challenge of spanning a gap. 

In this lesson, students will construct two approaches to the same problem: a Keystone bridge, which can hold more weight than you'd imagine, and a puzzle bridge designed by Leonardo daVinci. Both are built without glue and still hold strong.

The English Scientist, Neil Downie, has written three volumes of Saturday Science Projects. His designs are remarkably original and thoughtful, explaining the math and science of every project. Sometimes you have to strip away all the non-essential parts to see an idea at work. Neil Downie proposes a clever study of the exchange of speed for force. A second array of pulleys float between input pulleys and the output pulley. An elegant display of force in motion. Counting on friends: what can your little acrobats tell you about the changes in speed or power (torque)? nspired by: Neil A. Downie Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly Princeton University Press.© 2001, p 121

Build a remarkable drawing machine from a 1913 design, adapted by our apprentices and staff. Since its first adaptation, it's been revised many more times. 

We will teach you some ways to program it. Then you will go on to invent your own programs. Can you decipher the code of a drawing?

Experiment with three variables. Observe the slight variations in your drawings by adjusting these variables. Postulate, play, and create beautiful works of algorithmic art!

With modular wooden pieces, wire and rubber bands, construct a hand with fingers. The parts will work in a dozen basic configurations.

Test your design: Retrieve a lifesaver, a penny, and a marble from a cup. Pick up a marker and draw. Pop a balloon. Propose your own challenge. Invent games that two hands can play.

Outcomes: Each task may require specific adjustments. Some hand configurations are more versatile than others. Discover the interplay between tasks and design.
 

Study motion by building a spiral track for a marble to follow. Understand gravity, friction, inertia. Do you build from the bottom up or the top down? Make discoveries while creating a fun game.