crazy idea - school program

obscurite Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The question is, how would Tommelise affect the
> project vs. Darwin? Does Tommelise differ
> significantly in electronics and software? Would
> we be diverging from the Darwin project
> completely?
>
The two projects differ profoundly in hardware, software and electronics. You want to make a Darwin, I think.

Thanks Forrest. My main concern is in having good mentorship and community to get the project moving.

For example, for the next week or so I will be going through the reprap host software and firmware code looking for learning opportunities and it would be helpful to have a connection to someone who works on this software to jumpstart this process. I'll keep posting here and try to make some connections. Any suggestions are welcome.

-Daniel


Forrest Higgs Wrote:
> The two projects differ profoundly in hardware,
> software and electronics. You want to make a
> Darwin, I think.

I've created a page on the new wiki for RepRap in Education. Edit away:

[objects.reprap.org]

SebastienBailard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've created a page on the new wiki for RepRap in
> Education. Edit away:
>
> [objects.reprap.org]

Sebastien you are the man!

-Daniel

Hey this is really progressing!

Thank you for the wiki Sebastien!

I've been absent from the forum for a while as I had a lot of work to do.

Is there someone here who's good with grant proposals? I don't know if it would be possible to fund a project by grant the first time, but if it is a success then we could repeat the project at other schools, hopefully in other countries, using public funding.

Also, I'm concerned about what the students should be provided.

If the project goes with Darwin:
Regarding the structural components: the cheapest way to get the reprapped parts is to have fellow reprappers donate them. I think it's important to provide these parts since they cannot be purchased. Another option is to mass-order laser cut parts, but that would complicate the project and add a lot of unnecessary learning material.
The other structural hardware can all be purchased in bulk. We can cut rods and screws to size in class.
As for the Electronics: Here's a question for developing a curriculum. Do we teach students how to make PCBs from raw silicon boards (cheapest material, but involves using acid, etc) or skip that process and give them prepared PCBs from the RRRF? Either way, students can solder the components on themselves.
And the software: >>obscurite Oh I'm happy a CS major is interested in this! Another curriculum question: Do we teach students how to compile the software from scratch (highschool or college level students) or skip that process as well and use binaries or the LiveCD?

If the project goes with Tommelise or another RepStrap:
i have no idea

---

David

About making PCB's in class vs. buying them from rrrf, I'd defenetly go with letting them make their own. have the schematics ready, and let them draw up the curcuits on the board, but depending on their age, its probably best if you do the dipping in acid yourself.

Just a quick update.

David thanks for the reply. Hopefully we can all collaborate on how to get interdepartmental college projects funded, though it is likely very school-specific. I'm not even sure who's going to fund our project yet - perhaps the clubs and departments themselves.

I will go to the wiki in the next couple of days and add some more educational notes. Thanks again Sebastien.

Oh, and we still need a project mentor for this. I expect this project will mature over the next 12-18 months so that's the commitment required - communication by email is fine if it's regular.

-Daniel

Hello! Sorry to vanish on everyone; I had some big things to deal with the last few months (basically I just started my life over again).
I still want to see this project materialize!

Needed:
FUNDING (educational grants are the first thing that comes to mind, so i'll put my English lit degree to some use there, but anyone with experince in such things would be a big help; next would be funding provided by the school or donations) It would help to have an NPO to organize this under and get credibility for grants or donations. That could be done under the umbrella of the RepRap community or independently, but under the RepRap.org banner would be best to get attention both for this project and RepRap development.
EDUCATORS (strictly volunteer work here. If we're lucky there might be money for transportation costs but don't expect to make any profit out of this, especially on the first run I imagine everyone involved will need a good deal of personal time and savings to expend. It looks like we have some interested and qualified members here so start thinking seriously about how much time you could devote to the project and how you'll support yourself while working on it. What I have in mind at the moment is at minimum cost, considering the class could be anywhere in the world, we rent out a single room in a hostel or super cheap apartment for six months and rotate experts as needed while a few generalists and whoever's in charge stay the whole time. It'll be like camp!)
MATERIALS (separate from funding, as much material as can be must be gathered through donation. In particular this forum could be used to start a drive for donating reprapped parts. We'd need enough to make three or four machines at the least)
LOCATION (things to consider: somewhere accessible to the worlwide reprap community, somewhere in need, somewhere safe, etc. i'd love to do this in a developing nation, but it's going to be tough to did somewhere our more knowledgable members and specialists can all get to at a reasonable cost and be able to spend at least a week or a few weeks)
COMMITMENT (I have to work on this as well, but this really could become more than a pipe dream. This is going to require support from the RepRap core team as well as several experienced members. If the class gets four RepRaps up and running, as well as producing something useful on them, in six months while educating a class full of kids in industrial, mechanical, electrical and software engineering; we must work HARD and it will take a year or so's prep time.)

PS: I'm back! Now living in Oita, Japan and working as a self employed English teacher.

---

David