College students learn to design and build their own scientific instruments.
The ability to fashion custom contraptions is an essential part of any applied scientist’s tool kit. This fall 16 UChicago students got to sharpen that skill in Creative Machines and Innovative Instrumentation, a first-of-its-kind College course that faculty members in physics and astronomy had been planning for years. “Making an instrument is both incredibly rewarding and incredibly frustrating at times, and this gives students a way to experience both firsthand,” coteacher Scott Wakely, AB’93, a professor of physics, told UChicago News.
Lectures covered the basics of topics including computer-aided design, programming, prototyping, and circuitry; laboratory sessions let students unleash what they’d learned. During the first week of the quarter, they designed, 3D-printed, and raced rubber band–powered cars (shown above)—then souped them up, adding motors and sensors that allowed the vehicles to avoid walls and other obstacles. For their final project, students had to design and fabricate their own scientific instruments. Many enrollees found Creative Machines a welcome departure from the norm: “In a lot of other UChicago courses, you’re learning theory,” second-year Todd Tan told UChicago News, “but then in this class, we make it real.”
Wanafunzi wa chuo kikuu hujifunza kubuni na kutengeneza vyombo vyao vya kisayansi. Uwezo wa kutengeneza vifaa vya kawaida ni sehemu muhimu ya vifaa vya mwanasayansi yeyote wa matumizi. Katika mwaka huu, wanafunzi 16 wa Chuo Kikuu cha Chicago walipata kuimarisha ujuzi huo katika Mashine za Ubunifu na Vifaa vya Ubunifu, kozi ya kwanza ya aina yake ambayo washiriki wa kitivo katika fizikia na elimu ya nyota walikuwa wakipanga kwa miaka. "Kufanya chombo ni wote incredibly kuridhisha na incredibly frustrating wakati mwingine, na hii inatoa wanafunzi njia ya uzoefu wote wa kwanza mkono, ""mshirika mwalimu Scott Wakely, AB 93,"" profesa wa fizikia, aliiambia UChicago News." Hotuba zilifunika misingi ya mada ikiwa ni pamoja na kubuni kwa msaada wa kompyuta, programu, prototyping, na mzunguko; vikao vya maabara viliruhusu wanafunzi kutoa kile walichojifunza. Katika wiki ya kwanza ya robo, walibuni, kuchapisha 3D, na mbio mpira band-powered magari (kuonyeshwa hapo juu) kisha souped yao juu, kuongeza motors na sensorer kwamba kuruhusiwa magari kuepuka kuta na vikwazo vingine. Kwa ajili ya mradi wao wa mwisho, wanafunzi walipaswa kubuni na kutengeneza vyombo vyao vya kisayansi. Wanafunzi wengi walipata Mashine za Ubunifu kuwa tofauti ya kupendeza na kawaida: <unk> Katika kozi nyingine nyingi za UChicago, unajifunza nadharia, <unk> mwaka wa pili Todd Tan aliiambia UChicago News, <unk>lakini katika darasa hili, tunaifanya kuwa halisi. <unk>