For assignments, lectures, etc. you need to log on to BlackBoard

Course Handouts:

• Syllabus for Fall 2008
• The correct version of the textbook's programming chapter (the version in the book is incomplete and riddled with problems introduced by well-intentioned editors)
• Sensors & controls presentation
• Units and unit conversions important for ENES 100 , by Prof. Sheryl Ehrman
• Brief tutorial on Gantt charts , modified from W. Durfee and T. Chase, 2003
• Other course docs for Fall 2008
• Other course docs for Spring 2008

Recommended Reading:

• "Why the Mars Probe went off course" (IEEE Spectrum)
• "What if it's all been a big fat lie?" (New York Times)
• "A primeval tide of toxins" (LA Times on-line)
• "Environmental effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide" (Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons)
• Paul Graham: Hackers & Painters ... essays in the book can be found at his website (www.paulgraham.com). Table of contents of the book:
  • Why nerds are unpopular
  • Hackers and painters
  • What you can't say
  • Good bad attitude
  • The other road ahead
  • How to make wealth
  • Mind the gap
  • A plan for spam
  • Taste for makers
  • Programming languages explained
  • The hundred-year language
  • Beating the averages
  • Revenge of the nerds
  • The dream language
  • Design and research

• Anything at www.ted.com

Videos from past classes:

• "Waddling" hovercraft built of two separate hovercrafts, each operating separately. Only one is turned on at a time, causing the thing to rotate back & forth. Won second place at the Spring 2007 competition.

• The controversial hovercraft which is, indeed, a hovercraft (as determined by impartial judges and verified by anyone with eyes) ... it just drags a couple of wheels (on hinges, so they do not support the weight of the craft) that allow it to steer. Kinda neat. Won first place at the Spring 2007 competition.

• Two videos of "Team Sabotage" from Spring 2007, the day of the competition: Sabotage 1 and Sabotage 2. These guys dragged a wheel for stability and also (last-minute code revision) did the "hopping" trick. FInished the course in about 4 minutes, if memory serves.

• Another take on the waddling hovercraft ... from Fall 2007 ... this uses a completely unique mechanism that hefts a big weight at the end of a cantilever back & forth to intentionally cause the thing to go off-balance and rotate (and thus "waddle"). Called "Team Waddling Snowflake" ... thus the music. On the day of competition, their servo, which had been throwing this weight back & forth for a week or so, died. They did not realize this was the problem until much later. Bummer, because as you see in the previous video, it worked like a charm: very reliable design. Here's the competition video.