The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS at UCSD) is a four-week residential summer program open to current 8th-12th motivated high school students with demonstrated interest and achievement in math and science. In this cluster, students get an introduction to the analysis, design, construction and control of moving mechanical systems using state of the art facilities at the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
During the 4 weeks residential COSMOS program at UCSD, our cluster on Engineering Design and Control of Kinetic Sculptures teaches students the best use of engineering tools and mathematical disciplines to complete a challenging design project and includes:
Design Space: Use of the MAE Design Studio for engineering design and manufacturing.
Rapid Prototyping: Development of parts on a 2D LASERcamm and 3D Printer Rapid Prototyping machines in the MAE Design Studio.
Software Tools: Advanced computer laboratories for creating computer drawings with AutoCAD, Inventor (or Fusion 360) and running dynamic simulations with Working Model 2D.
Mathematics and Physics: Study motion of objects in a pendulum clock and kinetic sculpture using energy conversion and dynamic analysis.
Control Algorithms: Optical sensors, servo motors and embedded programming for processing sensor information to control motors in Kinetic Sculpture.
This specific COSMOS cluster provides a wonderful program to engage students in physics, engineering, design, control systems. In particular, students learn how to build and analyze the dynamics of an operating pendulum clock and work in teams to build, analyze and control the kinetic energy of marbles in a three dimensional sculpture (aka, "Kinetic Sculpture"). For control implementation we use standard Lego NXT hardware and sensors but also our UCSD Optical Ball-Speed Sensor to measure velocity of balls in our Kinetic Sculptures and students learn how to program in (Robot)C to implement control algorithms on a Lego NXT or an Arduino to control the kinetic energy of balls.
An example of controlled (mini) Kinetic Sculpture developed by students that is designed to capture marbles with different initial velocities in a basket can be seen in the video below. The video shows the use of UCSD Optical Ball-Speed Sensor to measure velocity of balls wired to a Lego NXT that controls the basket via a Lego NXT servo motor.
Next to the design, build and analysis of kinetic sculptures, this cluster also focus on the simulation of dynamic behavior using 2D simulation software that can be used to predict the motion of a kinetic sculpture.
Learn more about our instructors and curriculum, or find out more about our past student teams that attended this cluster. You can also browse through the overview of the resources that will be used during this cluster and specifically look at the CAD, WM2D or RobotC software with the specific hardware components (Motion Robot and Speed Sensor) we use.
Also check out the article on our COSMOS cluster in the SERVO magazine of January 2010 (reprinted with permission from T&L Publications, Inc.). We hope you find this information useful and looking forward to see you participate in our COSMOS Cluster on Engineering Design and Control of Kinetic Sculptures at UCSD!