Kidstuff
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If you've any teenagers around over the holidays, try pitting their wits in the challenge posed to mechanical engineering students at Loughborough University.
The task is to design a working model "of a powered and self controlled surface vehicle ... required to negotiate once a course approximating a figure 8 on a smooth, horizontal surface 2 sq m." Here's the list of materials.
I. Not more than 700 sq crn of 1.5 mm-thick balsa wood or cardboard I mm thick may be used.
2. Not more than 25cm of cotton thread.
3. Not more than one small tube of balsa cement.
4 Not more than four wire paper clips. 5. Power and controls to be provided by not more than three elastic bands.
Professor G. R. Wray, who described this project at a recent conference on "Resources, Technology and People" arranged by the Institute of Work Study Practitioners, said his students had utilized at least a dozen engineering principles in their ingenious designs. Loughborough gives credits as follows: ' Completing the course requirements 8 Appearance 3 Economy of material 4 Total 15 credits Of course, any clot could make a model to do a fixed turn but the figure 8 draws out all your low cunning. Best of luck . . .