Bell Weekly Blog- Week 5

In the previous week, our group started to actually get some hands-on experience with our bridge materials that we will be using for the competition. We didn't actually start working on our final design, or any design for that matter. We were just getting to know the pieces and how they could be oriented for a bridge. During the coming week, the group will start putting our ideas into an actual bridge. By now, we probably have a good idea as to what kind of bridge we want to build. A major accomplishment that the group has completed this week was truly starting to come on a consensus on what we want to construct. On that note, we might also disagree on what we want to do as well. There is really no way to tell what everyone will want to do during the process. For example; someone might come up with an idea that the other(s) might not like. However, I am confident that our group will not run into too many of these arguments.

The similarities and differences between K'nex and WPBD favor in the differences. The main similarity between these two are the fact that the orientation is pretty much the same. There are joints and different length members. As for the differences, for one, the lengths of the members and angle of the members connecting to the joints can be anything in WPBD. In K'nex, there are only four or so set joint/member pieces. The other difference between the two is the breaking point. In WPBD, the breaking point was due to the overpowering tension/compression on the members. For this competition with the K'nex, I am almost positive that the members will not be the first to go. It will almost always be the connection of the joints to the members. That being said, I feel that our main focus should differ than WPBD. We should have more focus on the connection points between the joints and the members.