With Sean Burke, Zane Walas, and Nico Hadiaris
Evidence of Work
In this project, we were assigned the task of solving a world problem, or at least make progress towards solving it. I, along with my group members, chose to try and find a better way of managing wildfires. We did a bunch of research on wildfires, what causes them, and how they affect the environment. Using the knowledge we gained from the research we did, we came up with a list of 20 or so possible (though improbable) solutions. Then we narrowed the list down to a few ideas: make fire retardant 'bombs' placed in forests that explode when exposed to excessive heat, drones that carry fire retardant grenades and drop them over fires, and drones that fly over wildfire-prone forests to scout out fires and alert fire departments.
We went forward with the idea of setting up a drone system that scouts out fires and informs fire departments of them so they can monitor and manage the fires. We chose to set up the drone system over the Shasta-Trinity National Forest as an example because in California, most wildfires in National Forests occur there. Each 11 drones will cover an area of 8 square miles. Each drone will be equipped with a thermal camera that is programmed to send a signal to local fire departments if it detects temperatures of over 400 degrees. The fire departments will get the footage from the drone and monitor the fire.
In this project, we were assigned the task of solving a world problem, or at least make progress towards solving it. I, along with my group members, chose to try and find a better way of managing wildfires. We did a bunch of research on wildfires, what causes them, and how they affect the environment. Using the knowledge we gained from the research we did, we came up with a list of 20 or so possible (though improbable) solutions. Then we narrowed the list down to a few ideas: make fire retardant 'bombs' placed in forests that explode when exposed to excessive heat, drones that carry fire retardant grenades and drop them over fires, and drones that fly over wildfire-prone forests to scout out fires and alert fire departments.
We went forward with the idea of setting up a drone system that scouts out fires and informs fire departments of them so they can monitor and manage the fires. We chose to set up the drone system over the Shasta-Trinity National Forest as an example because in California, most wildfires in National Forests occur there. Each 11 drones will cover an area of 8 square miles. Each drone will be equipped with a thermal camera that is programmed to send a signal to local fire departments if it detects temperatures of over 400 degrees. The fire departments will get the footage from the drone and monitor the fire.
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ContentEngineering Design Cycle:
1) Identify Need: We decided to try to solve the problem of wildfires, which have been a major issue in California as of late. 2)Research Problem: We then did background research about wildfires including the effects of them on the environment and how to best control them. 3) Brainstorm Possible Solutions: After the research, we brainstormed as many possible solutions as we could in 5 minutes. 4)Select Most Promising Solution: We decided to come up with a drone surveillance system. 5)Construct Prototype: We designed a drone system covering the Shasta-Trinity Forest. 6)Test and Evaluate: We came up with a total price and realized the feasibility of this idea was slim. 7)Communicate Design: We created a presentation and explained our ideas to the class. 8)Redesign: We did not have time to, but if we could, we would try to reduce the cost of this plan as much as possible. 9)Repeat: If asked to repeat, my group and I would probably design our own drone to make it fly farther on one charge. |
Reflection
I believe my group and I worked quite well together on this project, although there were a few issues. Some things I feel I could have done better is managing time. We started off relatively slow, so we had to rush the presentation a bit in the end. if we managed our time better we could have made a much more detailed, more professional looking presentation. I also feel like I could have had a much better attitude about working on this project. I do not know why, but it felt kind of boring, even though I was doing something I loved. I need to try to approach challenges lie this with a much better attitude in the future.
With that being said, over the course of the project I did improve on several aspects of teamwork. I believe I contributed a lot to this group and I feel that I communicated well with my group members throughout the project. Also, I feel that I did much better at presenting our idea to the class on this project in comparison to previous presentations. I was much more confidant with what I had to say and I don't think I talked too fast this time.
Overall, this was a fun project with a fantastic group to work with. I learned a lot during this and I am sure my teammates did as well.
With that being said, over the course of the project I did improve on several aspects of teamwork. I believe I contributed a lot to this group and I feel that I communicated well with my group members throughout the project. Also, I feel that I did much better at presenting our idea to the class on this project in comparison to previous presentations. I was much more confidant with what I had to say and I don't think I talked too fast this time.
Overall, this was a fun project with a fantastic group to work with. I learned a lot during this and I am sure my teammates did as well.