Hands on learning = Playing with toys

Action learning classes are big at MIT.  I am not taking one this semester but I do get to do "hands on learning" in some of my other classes.

For my Manufacturing Processes (2.810) class, we are on teams and the final project is to build a remote controlled (RC) car using the manufacturing processes we learn during class. As practice for this we have to assemble an RC car from a kit as a team.  I was glad to be on an team with six other LGOs, which all but guaranteed we would be a "high functioning" team and not fall apart arguing about wheel color (apparently that happens to teams every year).

The hardest part about being on an LGO team, is finding time to meet.  The only time that we could find to meet was over dinner.  And if we were going to meet in the evening, we wanted to make the most of it.  So we met at the Muddy Charles (campus bar).  The awesome thing was the environment.  The downside, was bad lighting.  Who would have thought that a bar that sells beer for $1.50 would not have good lighting :).  Using our phones as flashlights and Chipotle as our energy source, we put together our RC Grasshopper car in about the amount of time we estimated. Estimating the time correctly was an unexpected surprise, but the real miracle was that we didn't lose a single part.



Now, if only the mid term was as easy as building a RC car I would be golden.

Mariam was very proud of her wheel assembly

The finished product

There are lots of YouTube videos of the final project race.  Here is an LGO edition from a few years back.