Custom Solutions to Custom Problems

Leading into Thanksgiving Break 2017, I had the opportunity to work with students in Dianne McDonald’s AP Physics class to apply 3D modeling and printing to solve a unique problem in their classroom. Mrs. McDonald approached me earlier in the month to share a problem that she hoped her students would be able to help with- the new sensor-enabled cars she received via a GEF grant this past year required an extra USB Bluetooth accessory to communicate with our computers.

These USB accessories turned out to be very small and somewhat tricky to keep track of. As a result, Dianne was looking for a way to easily store and keep track of these accessories, and a 3D-printed solution seemed like it could do the trick while also offering students a new, unique experience!

Over the final two days leading up to Thanksgiving Break, I worked with Mrs. McDonald’s students to teach them some basics of TinkerCAD, an online, beginner-friendly 3D modeling software. Over those two days, each student worked to create her or his own unique design that would hold the USB accessories and offer Mrs. McDonald an easy way to quickly notice if any are missing. One student made sure to grab a pair of calipers, record precise measurements for the dimensions of the USB, and share the results with his classmates.

At the end of two days, students all submitted an image of their designs to a Media Album on Schoology, where all members of the class could view and share feedback on one another’s designs. Ultimately, the class voted as a whole for a final design and, with the help of one member of the class who is also part of our high school STAR program, printed out a custom USB holder, giving Mrs. McDonald’s USB accessories a permanent home!