the

learning curve

Fall 2003

SolidWorks in Education

page 5 student design competition page 5 calendar of events

DESIGN that MATTERS

page 6

solid reference

Creativity, compassion, and SolidWorks help students solve Capstone design problems and serve humanity
The West African women sit at long tables in a bare, dark room lit only by kerosene lamps and the glow of a projection system high on the wall. The women, some with babies sleeping in slings by their sides, are tired after a long day in the fields. But they are a study in concentration as they focus on the projected image. In a village without electricity, the projection system is at the vanguard of an effort to fight poverty with the most potent weapons known to humankind: literacy and learning. Called Kinkajou for a South American mammal known for its big, reflective eyes, the projection system is one of dozens of projects developed by the nonprofit organization called Design that Matters (DtM). The nonprofit organization couples the creative energy of Capstone Project engineering students with the power of Solidworks software to design solutions that bring products and services of sustaining benefit and impact to underserved communities throughout the developing world.

Women from the village, along with their babies, participate in an evening literacy class

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Launched in the fall of 2000 by a team of graduate students at M.I.T.s Media Lab, DtM projects inspire students to act as change agents in parts of the world where change is sorely needed, including West Africa, the Far East and the Indian sub-continent region. But the projects are not just about engineering. They must be viable from a business point of view, and must skillfully harmonize with the indigenous culture, traditions and morals of the people they are intended to help. When I was a Peace Corps volunteer, I helped with a variety of projects, recalls Timothy Prestero, co-founder of the nonprofit and an M.I.T. graduate in mechanical engineering. But I often felt like we were increasing dependency instead of self-sufficiency, which is really what it takes to make a substantial and lasting difference. Thats a core element of our philosophy at Design that Matterscreating sustainable solutions.

Thats a core element of our philosophy at Design that Matters creating sustainable solutions.
Tim Prestero, Co-founder, Design that Matters

Dt
Practical Projects with Meaning
Engineering students at M.I.T. and at several other collaborating universities all struggle to meet the requirements of so-called Capstone design projects, which seek to combine advanced-level student design projects with practical considerations, such as cost and manufacturing viability. Prestero and DtM co-founder Neil Cantor decided to tie the Capstone requirements to projects that would expand the scope and would address pressing social and economic needs of communities in underserved parts of the world, including projects to forward literacy, health, and democracy. Thus DtM was born. Working with various M.I.T. professors who serve as project mentors, Cantor and Prestero solicit problems to solve, based on needs identified and validated by the communities themselves or by national and international aid groups, many of which Prestero knew from his Peace Corps days, such as Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross. Their challenge is not finding projects for students to tackle, but sorting through the variety of needs and then matching these needs to the students ability to solve the problem and make a meaningful contribution on a global scale. Another issue, albeit a good one, is scaling DtM projects to meet the demand of the number of students who want to be involved, Cantor says. The co-founders sort the projects based on several factors. They consider the number of people who could potentially be helped. They also look at the scope of the project to ensure it can be broken into portions students can complete during the school year. And finally, they weigh the ability of the project to be sustained at the local level once initial designs have been built, testThe Learning Curve

ed, and deployed. Funding came initially from M.I.T., but has grown to include philanthropic and other in-kind donations, as well as sponsorship from the Solidworks Education Program and Solidworks Corporation. The goal is to become self-sustaining in part through product sales and patent licensing. At any one time, there may be more than two dozen DtM projects in development, with the intent that some will emerge as viable commercial endeavors.

designthatmatters

TM

Outreach * Education * Innovation for Sustainable Development

Shedding Light on Illiteracy

The Kinkajou microfilm projector demonstrates how multiple student teams work with DtM to develop empowering, sustainable solutions that address pressing needs, while also addressing budget constraints and the realities of local environment. The Kinkajou project began in the spring of 2002 with a DtM team investigating low-cost alternatives to providing books in parts of the developing world where access and ownership of books is prohibitively expensive. In the fall of 2002, a second M.I.T. student team picked up the project as part of their studies in Professor Woodie Flowers Capstone design course in product engineering. A popular and well-known professor, Flowers also works with the FIRST Robotics Competition, where SolidWorks technology has been used by award-winning high school robotics teams. Partnering with a Boston-based nonprofit called World Education, the team narrowed its focus to the plight of most West African women, who are struggling to break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Women in countries like Mali have a fierce desire to learn, but are limited by a lack of books and often by a lack of electricity. As most village women work the fields by day, their learning time must take place in the hours after dark. With no books to read, and no light to read them by, the war on illiteracy in such places is a slow process. The DtM team, with mentoring from Professor Flowers and support from various M.I.T. programs and offices, worked to design and build a projection system for which textbook information could be economically loaded onto microfilm cassettes. This solved the book problem, but what about the lack of electricity? Using SolidWorks, the team quickly designed several 3D prototypes. The projector utilizes an innovative, highintensity white light LED that is a durable solution for projecting images. Students designed both alpha and beta versions of the Kinkajou system with SolidWorks.

tM
SolidWorks lets the students approach the design problem and explore creative solutions immediately, says Cantor. Its so easy and intuitive that students dont have to fight to learn the application. Instead, they can direct their energies toward actual design. The software has the ability to catch errors and mistakes before you know theyre there.

SolidWorks: Design Made Easy

The students who helped design the Kinkajou projection system also reflect another one of Cantors goals for DtM. One of 16 students, Kateri Garcia is now working as a manufacturing engineer for Medtronic in Minneapolis. Kateri likes the way SolidWorks easily allows team members to make and share design changes in a structured way. Even the vocabulary SolidWorks uses is more intuitive than other design programs Ive used, Garcia says. Its a smart program with easy to incorporate drag-and-drop features that make editing and updating models simple. Over the course of two semesters, the student team was able to develop, refine, and finalize the prototypes in SolidWorks.

While most villages do lack electrical power, the M.I.T. student team learned that in Mali there is a crude infrastructure for charging 12-volt car batteries, which are used for various things throughout the country, including cars, notes Prestero. So the students designed the Kinkajou system to run off a 12-volt power supply. The projector runs very economically so it wouldnt drain the battery and still projects a crisp and bright image for teaching the women how to read.

Garcia also was one of four MIT students who traveled to Mali to test the Kinkajou system in the field. The women of the village take part in a nine-month educational program that covers literacy, introductory math, maternity and infant health, and domestic skills. Most of the women have not had any previous or formal schooling.

The Learning Curve

Drawing a frugal 5 watts of power, the Kinkajou projector can run for several weeks from a single charge of the 12-volt car battery.
Easing the Pain of Cholera
Another exciting example of DtM students use of SolidWorks technology involves the fight against the ageold but persistent plague of cholera, still rampant in many underserved communities. Cholera can spread through a community very quickly, often resulting in death by dehydration. First-line defense treatment involves intravenous (IV) rehydrating, often undertaken by local caregivers to large numbers of sufferers. The IV drips must be set up quickly, and then calibrated to operate properly to dispense the right amount of saline solution according to the weight and condition of the patient. In a cholera epidemic, thousands of cases can develop in a matter of days, overwhelming the capacity of relief agencies like Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross. Sometimes it becomes necessary for local people to treat each other, but these local caregivers have no medical training, and dont know how to read. The IV flow-control devices are not intuitive enough for illiterate or semiliterate caregivers who need to use them. The DtM student team charged up the SolidWorks software in the M.I.T. College of Engineering. They immediately took advantage of the softwares ability to translate complex mathematical functions governing IV flow rates and calibration into useful 3D models. The prototypes developed directly from the SolidWorks designs have improved IV drip-flow monitoring at low cost by employing several creative advances, including the use of simple color coding to help caregivers. The DtM team now has three patents pending for its devices as well as licensing agreements with manufacturers to produce the devices. Students from other engineering schools around the country and the world will join the 300-plus MIT students who are already part of various DtM projects. This fall the nonprofit is working with a class at Cambridge University in London and is doing pilot tests at other U.S. universities such as Rochester Institute. Over the next five years, Prestero and Cantor hope to involve as many as 100 or more universities in projects that will improve the lives of some of the worlds most hardpressed people. And SolidWorks will serve as the unifying design tool for collaboration on these projects. The students experience will help them see the world differently, and this can have a lasting impact on their professional lives, says Cantor. This program appeals directly to their desire to help and do something positive in the world.

Light from the Kinkajou projector is the only illumination in the classroom

Drawing a frugal 5 watts of power, the Kinkajou projector can run for several weeks worth of classroom learning from a single charge of the 12-volt car battery. The projector also needed to be dustproof, because the village is adjacent to the Sahara Desert. Knowing that as many as 70 women can crowd into a single classroom, the the students in Professor Flowers class designed prototypes that would project high on the walls of the classroom so everyone could view the course materials. Each microfilm cassette stores up to 10,000 images of text-more than the entire course curriculum-all at a tiny fraction of the cost of providing books. At present, DtM is planning to scale the Kinkajou projection project to broader deployments throughout West Africa, and is seeking partners to help with local manufacture of the ingenious device.

The Learning Curve

Spring 2003 SolidWorks

Student Design Competition
SolidWorks received a number of excellent entries for the Spring 2003 Student Design Contest. These included submissions from middle schools, secondary schools, and college/universities. The following were judged to be the best from the entries: First prize Robert Wolcott School Oregon State University, Oregon, USA NINE-CYLINDER RADIAL AIRPLANE ENGINE DESIGN, complete with animation created using SolidWorks Animator, which demonstrates the complex mechanical operation of the engine. Second prize Ian Dixon San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA MINI-BAJA RACE CAR with detailed mechanical design. Third prize Alexandre Boucher Ecole Nationale d'Ingnieurs de Metz, Metz, France F1 RACING CAR with sophisticated body design.

1st 2nd 3rd

SolidWorks Education Calendar of Events:

ACTE Association for Career and Technical Education 2003 Convention and Career Exxpo December 11-13, 2003 Orlando, Florida http://www.acteonline.org ASEE American Society for Engineering Education 111th Annual Conference and Exposition June 20-23, 2004 Salt Lake City, Utah http://www.asee.org EDGD Engineering Design Graphics Division 58th Annual Mid-Year Meeting November 15-19, 2003 Scottsdale, Arizona http://www.east.asu.edu/edgd FIRST Robotics Competition - Kickoff Event January 10, 2004 - Regionals see website listings - Championship April 15 - 17, 2004 Georgia Dome, Atlanta http://www.usfirst.org ITEA International Technology Education Association 66nd Annual Conference March 18-20, 2004 Albuquerque, New Mexico http://www.itea.org MITES Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society 76th Annual Conference and Exposition May 2004 Battle Creek, Michigan http://www.sae.org/students/ collchap.htm SAE Collegiate Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate May 19-23, 2004 Pontiac, Michigan http://www.sae.org/students/student.htm SEFI European Society for Engineering Education 32nd Annual Conference September 8-10, 2004 Valencia, Spain www.ntb.ch/SEFI Skills USA 40th National Leadership and Skills Conference June 20-25, 2004 Kansas City, Missouri www.skillsusa.org TSA Technology Student Association National Conference June 20-24, 2004 Nashville, Tennessee www.tsawww.org

The Learning Curve

The SolidWorks Teacher Guide and Student Courseware SolidWorks Corporation 384 pages, paperback with companion CD $75.00 Available from authorized SolidWorks resellers. Written by educators for educators, the SolidWorks Teacher Guide and Student Courseware offers a competencybased approach to teaching 3D design concepts, and covers the following curriculum development areas: comprehensive eight-week lesson plans, syllabus, quizzes and homework assignments, assessment exercises, correlations to algebra and geometry curricula, reproducible handouts and study sheets. Available in English, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and German languages.

Learning to Use SolidWorks 2003 - A DVD Series By Doug Baxter 280 pages, paperback Delmar Publishing www.delmarlearning.com $630.00

NEW

This DVD has six hours of narrated video clips that teach the use of SolidWorks 2003 software. The DVD contains review questions, glossary, and ready-made SolidWorks files to use with the tutorials. The video content explains complex design concepts and offers step-by-step instructions. Recommended for individual learners or for classroom use. Call for school discount pricing.

Engineering Design With SolidWorks 2003 By Marie and David Planchard 500 pages with tutorial CD SDC Publications www.schroff.com $69.95

NEW

Solid

This book focuses on providing a solid foundation in SolidWorks along with a competency based project approach. Commands are introduced in a step-by-step manner. Each chapter addresses a progressive learning approach, lists desired outcomes and usage competencies, and identifies a project with reflective information on the previous project situation. The book complements the on-line tutorials within SolidWorks.

Inside SolidWorks 2003 By David Murray 858 pages, paperback Thomson-Delmar Learning www.delmar.com $69.00 Fully updated to incorporate all of the newest features and functions of SolidWorks 2003, this edition invites users to leverage a variety of manufacturing disciplines.

Introduction to SolidWorks By Youhe Liu & Jichang Zheng 334 pages, plus companion CD, paperback Tsinghua University Press www:tup.tsinghua.edu.cn/ CHN:38.00 This book gives a systematic introduction to Solidworks installation, sketching, 3D parts, assemblies and drawings, animation, as well as the Solidworks Web site and Gold Partners, accompanied with drills and a CD. Its intended specifically for Solidworks beginners, but can also serve as a foundation for future Mastering SolidWorks series.

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Graphics Concepts with SolidWorks By Richard Lueptow and Michael Minbiole 250 pages, paperback Prentice Hall www.prenhall.com/esource $22.00 estimated retail This book is part of Prentice Halls E-Source series for introductory engineering. The first part of the book provides an introduction to basic graphic concepts; the second part involves building and assembling the six parts of a pizza cutter, including sweeps, lofts, sheet metal, and other functions using the latest release of SolidWorks.

Learning SolidWorks By Richard Lueptow and Michael Minbiole 214 pages, paperback Prentice Hall www.prenhall.com $40.00 An expanded version of Graphics Concepts With SolidWorks, this book focuses on user aspects of functionality to facilitate easy, fast design techniques while encompassing basic design principles.

Engineering Graphics & Computer Aided Design Course Notes and Problems

Reference
play wmv files.

Douglas H. Baxter and Donald S. Bunk Prentice Hall Custom Series 204 pages, paperback http://vig.prenhall.com/ $50.00

An introductory course in solid modeling techniques using SolidWorks 2001 Plus. Lectures and course materials are provided on three CDs. The text contains theory and course problems. Requires a media player that can

Product Design and Development Second Edition By Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger 351 pages, hardbound McGraw Hill Higher Education www.mhhe.com $95.00 Product Design and Development contains a collection of methods that guide teams in developing new products. Each chapter focuses on a different method and employs a rich example drawn from industrial practice to illustrate each step. The book particularly focuses on tools and techniques that draw together members of cross-functional teams to make sound development decisions. The second edition includes two new chapters: Product Planning and Concept Testing. The book is supported by a companion Web site, www.ulrich-eppiner.net, which provides resources for practitioners, students, and instructors.

Disegno Tecnico Industriale By Emilio Chirone and Stefano Tornincasa 690 pages, paperback Edizione il capitello www.capitello.it Written and published in Italy by noted engineering professors Stefano Tornincasa and Emilio Chirone of the Polytechnic Institute of Turin, this book provides students with a comprehensive guide to visualization, design process, 3D modeling with SolidWorks, and standard practices in manufacturing. A CD-Rom containing tutorials and exercises is included with the book.

The Learning Curve

SolidWorks Certified Gold Products At A Glance

ATR SOFT OY www.atrsoft.com Utilities CAD / CAM Components www.cadcamcomponents.com Industrial design Cadalog, Inc. www.cadalog.com/solidmech Component Design/Libraries CAPVIDIA www.capvidia.com Mold Design Software & Data Translation CYCO Software BV www.cyco.com Mold Design Software & Data Translation DriveWorks Ltd. www.driveworks.co.uk Knowledge Based Engineering Eigner www.eigner.com PDM/ERP Fast Design Technologies www.fast-design.com Implementation Tools Forming Technologies, Inc. www.forming.com Sheet Metal Design Keytech Software GmbH www.keytech.de PDM/ERP Manusoft Technologies Pte, Ltd. www.manusoftcorp.com Mold Design Software Maxxsoft GmbH www.maxxsoft.com PDM/ERP MechSoft.com www.mechsoft.com Mechanical Engineering MechWorks www.mechworks.com PDM/ERP Modultek Inc. www.solidpdm.com PDM/ERP Moldflow Corporation www.moldflow.com Mold Design and Analysis OPTIS www.optis-world.com Optical Design Software R&B Ltd. www.RnBUSA.com Mold Design and Analysis RealityWave Inc. www.realitywave.com Viewing, Rendering, and Collaboration Revware, Inc. www.revworks.com Insp. Reverse Engineering SofTech, Inc. www.softech.com Manufacturing / CAM Software SolidCAM, Ltd. www.solidcam.com Manufacturing / CAM Software Solid Dynamics www.solid-dynamics.com Kinematics and Dynamics SolidPartners, Inc www.solidpartners.com PDM/ERP & Component Design Libraries SolidTeam GmbH www.pwnorm.de Component Design / Libraries TASys Tolerance Solutions www.tasysworld.com Tolerance Analysis TekSoft CAD / CAM System, Inc. www.teksoft.com Manufacturing Varatech www.varatech.com Tolerance Analysis Vision Numeric www.type3.com Design and Drafting tools Zeal Solutions www.circuitworks.co.uk Electronics

The Learning Curve SolidWorks Corporation 300 Baker Avenue Concord, MA 01742 email: tlc@solidworks.com

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The Learning Curve, a newsletter for SolidWorks users working in an educational/academic setting, is published by SolidWorks Corporation. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and ideas! Send us email at: tlc@solidworks.com

2003 by SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. company. All rights reserved. SolidWorks is a registered trademark and FeatureManager, PhotoWorks, and Feature Palette are trademarks of SolidWorks Corporation. All other brand names are recognized as trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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