This year’s Open House for the Vg100 (Introduction to Engineering) was held on July 21st and 22nd, showcasing JI freshmen’s 39 invention projects aiming to improve the quality of life, which can be categorized into three themes, i.e., “Greater Good,” “Entrepreneurship,” and DIY(Do It Yourself). The students had been randomly assigned to teams by the instructor Prof. Jason Daida from the University of Michigan. From deciding topics, planning, dividing labor, purchasing material, experimenting, adjusting, to completing the projects, the students had done it all by teamwork. In the symposium, eachteam gave a presentation with a prototype demonstration and then answered questions from the audience.
The opening project was presented by Team ARMS, which is a home-use water recycling system designed to solve the drought problem in the Tianshui area in Gansu Province. The design took into consideration the local people’s economic condition, weather, and the degree of environmental pollution. The device can test the ph value and chemical components in the water to reach the national standard of safe drinking water. The other 38 projects include:
Greater Good:
· A redesigned cycling power generator for M-Heal
· A trolley for farmers to use on field paths in China
· A smart crutch for the elderly
· An inexpensive ultra-high speed medical centrifuge
Entrepreneurship:
· A device that can safely cut book spines
· A cleaning system for footballs and basketballs
· A self-standing portfolio for drawing and sketching
· An improved handcart for food shopping
· A detachable cable spooler for head phones and ear buds
· Dust prevention for forced-air laptop cooling
· A rain-and-snow-proof chimney cap for a wood carbonizer in Harbin, China
· An automatic liquid changing machine for contact lenses
· A combined contact lenses & glasses container
· A water absorbing cover for folding umbrellas
· An indoor clothes hanger for use in SJTU dorms
· A pedal-driven broom cleaner to remove long hair
· An extension aid to change light bulbs
DIY:
· An automatic paper separator
· An online-checking system for securing the dorm room
· Opening a dorm room door with a secret knock
· Turning any smart card into a dorm room key
· An automatic feeder that tracks how much a pet has eaten
· A fast system for restaurants that use disposable tablecloths
· A portable heater for bottled water
· An improved chopstick dispenser
· A leg-muscle rehabilitator for use in dorms
· An automatic book finding system
· A cooking alarm system
· An emoticon generator
· A portable cooling system to wear outdoors
· An automatic music stand
· A non-headed drum
· An automatic page-turner for piano scores
· WiFi intensity demonstration with LED lights on a bicycle
· A smart clothes hanger that texts when clothes are dry
· An air-conditioner wind adjuster for JI dorm rooms
· An automatic bicycle kickstand
· An automatic window closer for JI dorm rooms
The projects reflect the students’ ingenuity in solving problems concerning their daily lives, hobbies, and the communities. Most inventions are practical while some are humorous and caused some chuckles.
Prof. Daida praised the students’ creativity, hands-on capabilities, oral communication skills, and team spirit. He remarked that the course evaluation includes written reports as well as oral presentations. In early August, the students have to turn in 60-page summary reports, a challenge to their writing skills. Many students commented that they have learned a great deal during the project process. They also realized the importance of teamwork and the strict demands to be good engineers.
The symposium attracted many visitors, including not only the proud parents of the presenting freshmen but also parents of some incoming freshmen, who already look forward to their children’s performance next summer.
Course Description: Vg100 is a JI featured course for freshmen. It introduces students to the professional skills required of engineers and provides them with an overview of engineering at the beginning of their program. An important component of the course is the real-world engineering project. As an innovative course, Vg100 was first introduced from the University of Michigan. After six years of improvement, the course has matured to the same level as similar courses in the US and has developed its own characteristics. In 2010, it was awarded as a “SJTU Model Course”.
For more pictures of the event please click 2012Vg100 Summer Symposium
