Q3 I2 Project Benchmark

No changes were made to my current project. Per my last blog post, my initial plan of building a mini half-pipe was altered, and instead, I built a mini quarter.

According to my new timeline, I would be done with ramp construction in March. I am happy to say that there ramp is done and being used regularly by myself, my children and our neighbors.

Currently I am storing the ramp in our garage, and removing it on weekends or short school days for use. I have made a few alterations to the ramp, including new coping, and tightening a few screws. Below is a picture:

Below are reviews of there other scholar I2 project blogs: 

Freshman Class: Marc Wong 

Marc is attempting to 3D print a material that can withstand a large amount of pressure. I love Marc's project as it will require him to manipulate the "mesh" of a 3D printer to mirror the shapes and structures of other material, specifically that which is seen on a nano scale, to withstand a larger amount of pressure. Additionally, I love how tangible and accessible this project is. With a few weeks of practice using a 3D modeling software such as Fusion, Marc will be able to quickly print and test his design. I am also very curious about wether or not the structure or the material is more important. That is, can 3D filament, if ordered in a way that mirrors a weight resistant structure on a nano scale, withstand a large amount of weight? I encourage Mac to continue to think about how 3D modeling softwares, such as a Fusion can be leveraged to create such structures, and also encourage him to spend some time practicing and learning online, the intricacies of programs such s fusion. 

Sophomore Class: Izabella Doricko 

Izzy's goal is to make cochlear implants and hearing aids fun for kids. I really like Izzy's idea! First, when talking to Izzy about this idea, she seems so passionate and excited about this project, and this excitement is the central idea and goal of the I2 Program. Talking to Izzy about her project reminded me about why I love directing the I2 program. Moreover, like Marc's project described above, Izzy's project is very tangible and has great potential. I am confident she will be able to prototype and design a few models this year, and I think the project has the potential of moving in a direction of serious funding and even a business opportunity if she wants. Moving forward, I suggest that Izzy begin prototyping her ideas soon, as once she begins testing the designs, I foresee her wanting to make a lot of alterations in the hope of designing something she likes. Such iteration takes time and is not something that can be done in a week.

Junior Class: Nina Bridges 

Nina's goal is to continue to work doing a fashion and lifestyle blog. One thing I love about Nina's project is that, like Izzy, it is obvious that it is something she has a lot of passion about. Moreover, unlike Marc and Izzy's projects, she is not "making something" physical, rather, she is curating something digital, which makes the project something Nina can work on at home, from her phone, on a plane, on a bus, etc. Additionally, Nina's project mirrors blogs that, in our society, gain a lot of traction and represent career paths for many people. Keeping this in mind, Nina has many models she can follow, and advice she can gain. Conversely, given the accessible nature of Nina's project, and the simple act of making and posting to a blog, I suggest that Nina set reminders in her phone or her calendar to make weekly or monthly posts to her blog as well as research current trends in society that apply to her blog. I can see her falling behind given this fact. 

Q2 Benchmark

For this year's I2 Project I decided to make a half-pipe for the skateboarders in my neighborhood. After discussing the project with my wife and our neighbors, I decided that it would be wise to scale down the project from building a half-pipe, to a quarter pipe instead.

This change was sparked, primarily, by parent concern regarding skater skill on a half-pipe. Parents felt beginning with honing quarter pipe skills would be a good start for their young skaters, with transition to a half pipe perhaps the following year. Additionally, there was neighbor concern about the potential popularity of a half-pipe that would have to stay in one place, the inevitable "skate scene" that could distract from the peaceful nature of our culdsac.

By transitioning to a quarter pipe design, the ramp can be stored in my garage and moved out to the street when needed. Neighborhood parents will have access to the ramp and will share in the storage responsibilities. Below is a video of the quarter pipe design I will be using. Note, the video outlines how to build a half-pipe by uniting two quarter-pipes. I will end this project for the year with building one quarter pipe.

According to my project timeline, by the end of December I should have a 3D model of the ramp designed and printed, the model scaled to full size with respect to dimensions, material purchased and cut to size. I was able to successfully design a 3D model of the half-pipe (see image below). Given lack of filament, I was able to successfully accomplish all tasks. Below are images of the 3D model, printed model (I used red filament on my neighbors printer to do this), a material list with total cost, and images of cut transitions and the beginning of ramp construction (note: the below images and list are hypothetical. I wanted to provide you with a model to follow. Actual pictures will be uploaded by 12/14. Images taken from: http://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-ramp/ and, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7901/#files).

Below are reviews of there other scholar I2 project blogs: 

Freshman Class: Marc Wong 

Marc is attempting to 3D print a material that can withstand a large amount of pressure. I love Marc's project as it will require him to manipulate the "mesh" of a 3D printer to mirror the shapes and structures of other material, specifically that which is seen on a nano scale, to withstand a larger amount of pressure. Additionally, I love how tangible and accessible this project is. With a few weeks of practice using a 3D modeling software such as Fusion, Marc will be able to quickly print and test his design. I am also very curious about wether or not the structure or the material is more important. That is, can 3D filament, if ordered in a way that mirrors a weight resistant structure on a nano scale, withstand a large amount of weight? I encourage Mac to continue to think about how 3D modeling softwares, such as a Fusion can be leveraged to create such structures, and also encourage him to spend some time practicing and learning online, the intricacies of programs such s fusion. 

Sophomore Class: Izabella Doricko 

Izzy's goal is to make cochlear implants and hearing aids fun for kids. I really like Izzy's idea! First, when talking to Izzy about this idea, she seems so passionate and excited about this project, and this excitement is the central idea and goal of the I2 Program. Talking to Izzy about her project reminded me about why I love directing the I2 program. Moreover, like Marc's project described above, Izzy's project is very tangible and has great potential. I am confident she will be able to prototype and design a few models this year, and I think the project has the potential of moving in a direction of serious funding and even a business opportunity if she wants. Moving forward, I suggest that Izzy begin prototyping her ideas soon, as once she begins testing the designs, I foresee her wanting to make a lot of alterations in the hope of designing something she likes. Such iteration takes time and is not something that can be done in a week.

Junior Class: Nina Bridges 

Nina's goal is to continue to work doing a fashion and lifestyle blog. One thing I love about Nina's project is that, like Izzy, it is obvious that it is something she has a lot of passion about. Moreover, unlike Marc and Izzy's projects, she is not "making something" physical, rather, she is curating something digital, which makes the project something Nina can work on at home, from her phone, on a plane, on a bus, etc. Additionally, Nina's project mirrors blogs that, in our society, gain a lot of traction and represent career paths for many people. Keeping this in mind, Nina has many models she can follow, and advice she can gain. Conversely, given the accessible nature of Nina's project, and the simple act of making and posting to a blog, I suggest that Nina set reminders in her phone or her calendar to make weekly or monthly posts to her blog as well as research current trends in society that apply to her blog. I can see her falling behind given this fact. 

Q1 I2 Benchmark

For this year's I2 project I am choosing to "make" something. Although I will have to learn a few new "skills" along the way, the guiding project type is a physical creation. I live on a quiet street in suburban Petaluma. Both of the neighboring houses have young kids who are constantly skateboarding in our street. Petaluma does have a skateboard park, but given the age of the kids, and a myriad of other activities (alcohol, drugs, etc.) that occur at the local skatepark, the parents do not want their children going to the skate park.

It is clear to me that these kids LOVE skateboarding! And although they are all under 10 years old, they seem to be really getting good. From the moment I pull my car into the street each evening, I can hear the familiar sound of their boards smacking against the ground as they try over and over to master a certain trick, or land a particular jump. Watching these kids is truly a nostalgic experience for me. I was once one of those kids, and skateboarding was a huge part of my physical, emotion and artistic maturation.

In conversation with the parents of these kids a few weeks ago, it became clear to me that they could use a more consistent and safe place to practice their skills. Currently they creating make-shift ramps that they build and break down each day, moving them to and from the street each evening. Keeping this in mind, I have decided to lead a project to build a mini (3 ft) half-pipe in an open space between my house and the neighbor to the left of our house.

This will provide a contained space for the kids to practice that is not in the street, and an easy for parents to monitor as they skate. More importantly, the ramp offers a medium that will allow similar skill development to the skate park in Petaluma, without requiring the young skaters to visit the park themselves for the reasons stated above. I have a few models in mind, and have consulted a few videos on line to get started.

Although a foot higher than the ramp I plan on building, the below video is an example of similar project:

Another example  of a similar ramp construction can be seen below:

Although the above video only demonstrates the construction of a "quarter pipe" it provides nice information as one potential idea is to build two quarter pipes and unite them. I plan on consulting the above two, along with many other online resources that I will share in subsequent benchmark blog posts as the process continues. 

In conversation with their neighboring parents, below is a timeline we have agreed to follow: 

1. October: Design and print a 3D model of the ramp. 
2. November: Scale 3D model to size, and purchase/store necessary material. 
3. December: Cut material to size and shape ramp transitions. 
4. January: Build skeleton structure to ramp and purchase/secure weather covering tarp for ramp. 
5. February: Apply surface to ramp and test.
6. March: Re-evaluate and re-build portions if necessary. 
7. April: Skate ramp and develop safety and supervision contract and system with local parent.s 
8. May: Host informal skate competition at ramp with local kids.