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KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAREER ADVANCEMENT

THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS

July/August 2017 Vol. 36 No. 4

THEME: GEEK LIFE 8 The geeks have inherited the earth Craig Causer

11 Putting magic into a hat Craig Causer

15 These are the droids you’re looking for Michael G. Karp and Keith H. Nelson ON THE COVER: No longer simply about entertainment, geek culture has become a way of life.

Sci Chic: Combining art, engineering, BACKGROUND IMAGES COURTESY OF SCI CHIC, 19 A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE, RYAN ANDERSON, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE. and fashion KIDS IMAGE COURTESY OF CRAIG CAUSER. Erin Winick

24 Superheroes and scientists as agents for societal and technological advancement DEPARTMENTS Suveen N. Mathaudhu & COLUMNS

Building young minds brick by brick 3 editorial 30 5 the way ahead Lee Clontz 6 gamesman solutions 48 gamesman problems 36 Leveling up: Using e-waste to build a gaming console Afaq Ahmad

Getting a leg up MISSION STATEMENT: IEEE Potentials 39 is the magazine dedicated to undergraduate and graduate students and young profes- Craig Causer sionals. IEEE Potentials explores career strategies, the latest in research, and important technical developments. Through its articles, it also relates theories to prac- 44 Setting cosplay in motion tical applications, highlights technology’s global impact, and generates international Christine Marchese forums that foster the sharing of diverse ideas about the profession.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2678580 IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 1

IEEE POTENTIALS—THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS

Karen S. Pedersen, President, IEEE-USA Magdalena Salazar Palma, Elizabeth Johnston, Region 6 EDITORIAL BOARD Forrest D. Wright, President, Standards Member-at-Large [email protected]______Editor-in-Chief Assoc. Jacek Zurada, Member-at-Large Lori Hogan, Region 7 Sachin Seth, Mary Ellen Randall, Member & Region Directors [email protected] Texas Instruments Geographic Activities Efthymia Arvaniti, Region 8 Marina Ruggieri, Technical Activities Ronald A. Tabroff, Region 1 Student Editor Katherine J. Duncan, Region 2 [email protected] Cristian Quintero, Universidad Division Directors James M. Conrad, Region 3 Jimmy Túllume Salazar Region 9 Distrital Fracisco José de Caldas Maciej Ogorzalek (I) Bernard T. Sander, Region 4 [email protected] F. Don Tan (II) Rajesh Ingle, Region 10 Associate Editors Francis B. Grosz, Jr., Region 5 Celia L. Desmond (III) [email protected] Lyle Feisel, IEEE Fellow Kathleen A. Kramer, Region 6 ______Jennifer T. Bernhard (IV) Witold M. Kinsner, Region 7 Raymond E. Floyd, Regional Student Harold Javid (V) Margaretha Eriksson, Region 8 IEEE Life Senior Member John Y. Hung (VI) Representatives Antonio C. Ferreira, Region 9 Zhijia Huang, Bank of America Alan C. Rotz (VII) Kayla Ho, Region 1 Kukjin Chun, Region 10 Athanasios Kakarountas, Dejan S. Milojicic (VIII) [email protected] University of Thessaly Ray Liu (IX) Jacob Culleny, Region 2 ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jay Merja, MUVR Technology Toshio Fukuda (X) [email protected] Sharad Sinha, Nanyang Technological Sachin Seth, Chair (Potentials EIC) Oceane Boulais, Region 3 Region Directors Mary Ellen Randall (MGA Chair) University, Singapore Ronald A. Tabroff, Region 1 [email protected]______J. Patrick Donohoe (SAC Chair) Ankit Gupta, Region 4 Corresponding Editors Katherine J. Duncan, Region 2 Cecelia Jankowski (MGA Managing James M. Conrad, Region 3 [email protected]______Vaughan Clarkson, Director) University of Queensland Bernard T. Sander, Region 4 Jie’an (Joanna) Lou, Region 5 Davis George Moye, General Capacitor Francis B. Grosz, Jr., Region 5 [email protected]______Kathleen A. Kramer, Region 6 MGA STUDENT ACTIVITIES Sri Niwas Singh, Indian Institute Russell Perry, Region 6 Witold M. Kinsner, Region 7 COMMITTEE of Technology Kanpur [email protected] Margaretha Eriksson, Region 8 J. Patrick Donohoe, Chair Stephanie Zeidan, Region 7 Erin Winick, Sci Chic Antonio C. Ferreira, Region 9 [email protected][email protected]______Kukjin Chun, Region 10 Catherine Jenkins, Vice Chair IEEE PERIODICALS Ana Inacio, Region 8 [email protected][email protected]______MAGAZINES DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS STAFF Pablo Herrero, Past Chair Deborah Bravo, Region 9 445 Hoes Lane, E. James Prendergast, Executive Director [email protected][email protected] Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA Michael Forster, Publications Preeti Bajaj, Branch Chapter Pasan Pethiyagode, Region 10 Craig Causer, Managing Editor Jamie Moesch, Educational Representative, [email protected][email protected]______Geraldine Krolin-Taylor, Senior Activities Abir Chermiti, Branch Chapter Student Managing Editor Konstantinos Karachalios, Standards Representative, MEMBER & GEOGRAPHIC Janet Dudar, Senior Art Director Activities [email protected]______Gail A. Schnitzer, Associate Art Cecelia Jankowski, Member & Dinko Jakovljevic, Young Professionals ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT Director Geographic Activities Representative, Cecelia Jankowski, Managing Director John Day, Director, Member Products Theresa L. Smith, Production Cherif Amirat, Chief Information [email protected] Coordinator Officer Sachin Seth Potentials EIC and Programs Lisa Delventhal, Manager, Young Mark David, Director, Business Donna Hourican, Staff Executive, [email protected]______Professionals Development—Media & Advertising Corporate Activities Davis George Moye, Potentials Parshva Bavishi, Student Product +1 732 465 6473 Thomas Siegert, Business Student Editor, davisgeorge.moye.______Administration & Chief Financial Specialist Felicia Spagnoli, Advertising [email protected]______Officer Christine Eldridge, Administrative Production Manager Youmna El-Bitar, MGA/SAC/SPAA Chair Karen Hawkins, Chief Marketing Assistant, Student Services Peter M. Tuohy, Production Director [email protected] Officer Shareyna (Scott) Paradise, Dawn M. Melley, Editorial Director Robert Vice, IEEE USA SPAC Chair Mary Ward-Callan, Technical Activities Student Branch Development Fran Zappulla, Staff Director, [email protected]______Chris Brantley, IEEE-USA Specialist Publishing Operations Bob Scully, TAB Representative, [email protected]______IEEE MEMBER & GEOGRAPHIC Prasanth Mohan, IEEEXtreme Project IEEE HKN REPRESENTATIVE ACTIVITIES BOARD Lead, [email protected] Michael Benson Mary Ellen Randall, Chair IEEE BOARD OF [email protected]______Martin Bastiaans, Chair-Elect REGIONAL STUDENT DIRECTORS Wai-Choong (Lawrence) Wong, Past INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES Karen Bartleson, President and CEO Chair ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE CHAIRS R. Barnett Adler James A. Jefferies, President-Elect Deborah Cooper, Treasurer Charles Rubenstein, Region 1 [email protected] Barry L. Shoop, Past President Cecelia Jankowski, Secretary [email protected] Peter T. Mauzey William P. Walsh, Secretary Costas Stasopoulos, Geographic Unit John Golzy, Region 2 [email protected][email protected]______John W. Walz, Treasurer Operations Victor Basantes, Region 3 Prijoe Philips Komattu Theodore W. Hissey, Director Emeritus Stefano Zanero, Information Management [email protected][email protected]______Vice Presidents Eduardo Palacio, Member Nevrus Kaja, Region 4 Gowtham Prasad S.K. Ramesh, Educational Activities Development [email protected] [email protected]______Samir M. El-Ghazaly, Pub. Murty Polavarapu, Strategic Dominic Lebron, Region 5 Robert Vice Services & Prod. Management and Analysis [email protected][email protected]______

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IEEE Potentials (ISSN 0278-6648) (IEPTDF) is published bimonthly by The Institute of by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Subscrip- Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Headquarters address: 3 Park Avenue, 17th tions, orders, address changes: IEEE Operations Center, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, Floor, New York, NY 10016-5997. Phone: +1 212 705 7900. Change of address must be NJ 08854, Phone: +1 732 981 0060. Other publications: IEEE also publishes more than 30 received by the first of a month to be effective for the following issue. Please send to IEEE specialized publications. Advertising Representative: IEEE Potentials, 445 Hoes Lane, Operations Center, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Annual Subscription, for IEEE Piscataway, NJ 08854, Phone: +1 732 562 3946. IEEE Departments: IEEE Operations Student members, first subscription US$5 included in dues for U.S. and Canadian Student Center (for orders, subscriptions, address changes, and Educational/Technical/ Standards/ members (optional for other Student members). Prices for members, nonmembers, and Publishing/Regional/Section/Branch Services) 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, additional member subscriptions are available upon request. Editorial correspondence USA. Operations Center +1 732 981 0060; Washington Office/Professional Services +1 202 should be addressed to IEEE Potentials, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Respon- 785 0017. Headquarters: Telecopier +1 212 752 4929, Telex 236-411. sibility for contents of papers published rests upon authors, and not the IEEE or its mem- Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: bers. Unless otherwise specified, the IEEE neither endorses or sanctions any positions Send address changes to IEEE Potentials, IEEE, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, or actions espoused in IEEE Potentials. All republication rights including translations are USA. Canadian Publications Agreement Number 40030962. Return Undeliverable Cana- reserved by the IEEE. Copyright and Reprint Permissions: Abstracting is permitted with dian Addresses to: Fort Erie, ON L2A 6C7 Canada. Canadian GTS #125634188. credit to the source. Libraries are permitted to photocopy beyond the limits of U.S. copyright PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. law, for private use of patrons, articles that carry a code at the bottom of the first page, provided the per-copy fee indicated in the code is paid through the Copyright Clearance Cen- ter, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923. For other copying, reprint, or republication permission, write to IEEE Potentials at Piscataway, NJ. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2017 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2678581

2 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

EDITORIAL

The geekiest cities in Latin America

by Cristian Quintero

he Urban Dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) São Paulo, Brazil, was the top-ranked Latin American defines geeks as “the people you picked on in high city, followed by Santiago, Chile. Both were listed in the school and wind up working for as an adult.” Of top-20 worldwide rankings. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mexi- T course, there are plenty of software and hard- co City, Mexico; and Buenos Aires, Argentina rounded out ware developers who don’t fit the typical geek profile. the top five cities in Latin America. Here is an overview of Most are quite comfortable talking about a wide range of each of these geek-magnet cities. topics from pop culture to hard science. However, you 1) São Paulo, Brazil: One of the biggest cities in the can’t deny that some folks are quite geekier than others. world, São Paulo is considered the financial capital of The Big Bang Theory television sitcom is one of the best Brazil as it is the location of the headquarters of major examples of how cool it is to be a geek. Sheldon Cooper corporations and of banks and financial institutions. and his mates live in Pasadena, California, near the Cali- It is also home to research and development facilities fornia Institute of Technology, which is painted as a funky and attracts companies due to the presence of region- place to live and a hotbed of brainy types. But what if Shel- ally renowned universities, such as the University of don or another geek was interested in moving to a differ- São Paulo, considered by many to be the best univer- ent city that would suit his or her needs both in the pres- sity in Latin America. Science, technology, and innova- ent and during the next decade? Say Sheldon’s girlfriend, tion are leveraged by the allocation of funds from the Amy Farrah Fowler, wants to learn how to tango and con- state government, which is mainly carried out by the vinces Sheldon to explore Latin America. Let’s take a look São Paulo Research Foundation. at some options we’ve found for these love-struck geeks. 2) Santiago, Chile: Santiago is the industrial and finan- For years, much has been said about which Latin Ameri- cial center of Chile, and it generates approximately 45% can cities could be considered a branch, or version, of Sili- of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Some con Valley (the Californian cradle of Apple, Facebook, and international institutions, such as the Economic Com- other outstanding companies, which many consider to be mission for Latin America and the Caribbean, have the greatest technological pole of the West). “The Global their offices in Santiago. The strong economy and low Startup Ecosystem Index,” a report assembled by the Start- government debt is attracting migrants from Europe up Genome in partnership with Telefónica Digital and re- and the United States. The city is home to numerous searchers from Stanford University and the University of universities, colleges, research institutions, and librar- California, ranked cities with the best and most prepared ies. The largest university, and one of the oldest in the ecosystems for technological development around the world. Americas, is Universidad de Chile. The research took into account the possibilities of develop- 3) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Rio de Janeiro has the sec- ment, the quality of university careers associated with the ond-largest GDP of any city in Brazil, surpassed only technological area, the number of entrepreneurs linked to by São Paulo. The city has several universities and the subject, and the speed of adoption of new technologies. research institutes. The Ministry of Education has Tel Aviv, Israel; Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washing- certified approximately 99 upper-learning institutions ton; New York City; and Boston, Massachusetts, were, in in Rio. The most prestigious university is the Federal addition to Silicon Valley, the top-ranked cities in the world. University of Rio de Janeiro, the fifth best in Latin But what about Latin America? America, and the second best in Brazil, second only to the University of São Paulo. 4) Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico City is one of the most Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2696178 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 important economic hubs in Latin America. The city

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 3

South American cities host some of the world’s top geek hotbeds including (a) São Paulo, Brazil; (b) Santiago, Chile; (c) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (d) Mexico City, Mexico; and (e) Buenos Aires, Argentina.

proper (the Federal District) produces 15.8% of the economy in the city proper alone, measured by gross country’s GDP. According to a study conducted by geographic product (GGP) (adjusted for purchasing PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mexico City recently re- power), totaled US$84.7 billion (US$34,200 per capita) ported a GDP of US$390 billion, ranking it as the in 2011 and amounts to nearly a quarter of Argenti- eighth-richest city in the world. The National Autono- na’s GGP as a whole. Buenos Aires constitutes one of mous University of Mexico (UNAM), located in Mexico the largest economies among the world’s cities. There City, is the largest university on the continent, with are many public universities in Argentina as well as a more than 300,000 students from all backgrounds. number of private universities. The University of Three Nobel laureates, several Mexican entrepre- Buenos Aires, one of the top learning institutions in neurs, and most of Mexico’s modern-day presidents South America, has produced five Nobel Prize winners are among its former students. UNAM conducts 50% and provides taxpayer-funded education for students of Mexico’s scientific research and possesses a pres- from across the globe. ence across the country with satellite campuses, So, as you can see, there are are plenty of options avail- observatories, and research centers. UNAM ranked able for geeks of all persuasions (including those who are second in the Top Latin America University Rankings fictional), with huge opportunities to work or develop a published by Times Higher Education (then called startup company. Which city would you choose if you Times Higher Education Supplement), making it the were to move from your current home? highest-ranked Spanish-speaking university in the world. The sprawling main campus of the university, About the author

known as Ciudad Universitaria, was named a World Cristian Quintero ([email protected])______is the stu- Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007. dent editor of IEEE Potentials. 5) Buenos Aires, Argentina: Buenos Aires is the financial, industrial, and commercial hub of Argentina. The

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THE WAY AHEAD

IEEE Young Professionals … Who are they?

by J. Patrick Donohoe

s a Student Member of the IEEE, you may have gies, organizing community engagement workshops heard the term IEEE Young Professionals (YP ) to build social and technological awareness, providing and wondered, “Who are these YPs, and how do professional skill workshops for IEEE Student Members, A they fit into the IEEE organization?” Any IEEE and mentoring high school students. Member who has received his/her first professional One YP activity of particular interest to IEEE Student degree within the last 15 years is considered a YP and Members is the IEEE Student Transition and Elevation part of the IEEE YP group. Before describing the organi- Program (STEP). STEP events are designed to connect zational details of YP in IEEE, let’s consider what they members of IEEE Student Branches with local YP mem- do. IEEE YP is an international bers through special events such community of innovative members Currently, there are as lectures, interactive workshops, and volunteers. YP members are or networking sessions. The goal interested in elevating their profes- approximately 120,000 of the STEP event is to inform stu- sional image, ex panding their IEEE YP members dents about the transition from global network, connecting with worldwide, which Student Member to YP by introduc- peers locally, and giving back to ing the opportunities and benefits the community. The IEEE YP pro- provides a tremendous of IEEE membership from the per- gram provides a tool for empower- opportunity for members spective of the YP. The connection ing early-career development for to develop and nurture of Student Branches to YP members its members. in the IEEE brings us to the discus- Currently, there are approxi- working relationships sion of how those who are YP fit into mately 120,000 IEEE YP members with other young the IEEE organization. worldwide, which provides a tre- professionals on a IEEE YP is designated as an IEEE mendous opportunity for members affinity group, like IEEE Women in to develop and nurture working global scale. Engineering and IEEE Life Members. relationships with other young An affinity group is a nontechnical professionals on a global scale. To connect locally, IEEE subunit of one or more IEEE Sections or Councils. A YP YP organizes “meet-up” events to engage members and group is formed in a Section through the same petition pro- volunteers living in the same geographic area (typically cess that is used to form a Student Branch. Contact your in the same IEEE Section) or from the same technical local IEEE Section to see if there is a YP group in your area. area. The primary focus of the meet-up is to provide net- If not, encourage your local Section to pursue the formation working opportunities where members can expand their of a local YP group. For more information on the IEEE YP

personal and professional networks. YP members give program, visit ______http://yp.ieee.org/. back to the community in a variety of ways, including the development and promotion of humanitarian technolo- About the author

J. Patrick Donohoe ([email protected])______is the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities chair–Student Activities. Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2696198 Date of publication: 13 July 2017

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 5

GAMESMAN SOLUTIONS

by Athanasios Kakarountas

Solution #1: Dishes Crazy! Solution #4: A Weighty Proposition You should choose to start the game and Consider that 27 is the cube of three. place a dish in the center of the table. As a result, separate the coins Then, each time the other server plac- into three groups of nine coins (A, es a dish on the table, you should put B, C). Weigh group A against B another one symmetrical to the cen- and then A against C. Take the tered plate. As a result, you will group with the different weight always have one place to put the (note whether it is lighter or next dish, until there is no room heavier) and break it into three left for the other server to put a other groups of three coins (D, new dish. E, F). Weigh group D against E. If D and E are found equal, Solution #2: Life Is a Highway then F is the odd group. If D and E Since a half hour with a steady velocity of differ, the lighter or heavier (based

40 mi/h is required to reach city B from NUMBERS—© CAN STOCK PHOTO/123DARTIST, on the A, B, C comparison) is the city A, the distance is 20 mi. Compared to ANDROID—© CAN STOCK PHOTO/KIRSTYPARGETER odd group. You now have three coins the 31.4 mi of the national road, there is a (G, H, I). Weigh G and H. If G = H, ratio of 31.4/2. The simplest answer is that the road has then I is the odd one and is lighter or heavier (based on the shape of a semicircle. Other shapes may be a triangle the A, B, C comparison). If G and H are not equal, then or a trapezoid. In the case of the semicircle, since the the lighter or heavier (based on the A, B, C comparison) diameter is 20 mi long, then the radius (r) is calculated to is the odd coin. So, the minimum number of compari- be 10 mi. Thus, half the circumference is pi * r = 31.4, as sons is 3 + 1. described by the problem. The triangle may be calculated considering that the base is 20 mi, and the height may Solution #5: Hack Attack be calculated considering that the two sides are 31.4 mi. The hacker switches on two of the switches (for our Finally, there are numerous trapezoids with the bottom problem, S1 and S2) for 10 min and then switches off length equal to 20 mi and the rest of the sides adding up one of them (assume S1). Considering that each bulb to a length of 31.4 mi. emits temperature during operation (state on), then reading the two sensor sets results to the following cases: Solution #3: It’s in the Cards 1) If T1 and T2 have the same temperature, then S1 and Remove the first 13 cards from the deck and place them S2 correspond to rooms A and B and S3 to room C. turned in, so the “bottom-up” cards will become “upside We can associate S1 to room A or room B by checking down” and vice versa. The two groups now consist of the which bulb (via L1 and L2) is set to off. same number of upside-down cards. For example, if 2) If T1 and T2 have a different temperature, then we there are three upside-down cards out of the 13, then, in can assume that switch S3 controls the bulb in room the first group, there will be ten upside-down cards, and, A or room B. Comparing the two temperature values, in the second group, the ten remaining bottom-up cards we can associate S3 to the room with the lower tem- will be turned in and they will now be upside down. perature. Excluding this set of sensors, we can now check the value of the light sensor of the remaining set and associate the rest of the switches to the remaining rooms. Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2696299 Date of publication: 13 July 2017

6 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

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Geek Life

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE The geeks have inherited the earth

Craig Causer

t’s great to be a geek in 2017. Geeks have Hollywood wrapped around their fingers as science fiction, fantasy, and superhero Iadventures regularly top the global box-office charts. Some of the most buzzed-about annual events are “by geeks, for geeks” including the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada; San Diego Comic Con in California; and the South by Southwest confer- ences and festivals, to name only a few. And to top it all off, there has been an amazing influx of people of various genders and ethnicities who are making waves in the various fief- doms of Nerdville. Being immersed in geek culture wasn’t always a badge of honor, however. When I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, my fanboy generation didn’t have the state-of-the-art computer-generated films and video games of today. My brother and I flocked to the local arcades, where we pumped quarters into Space Invad- ers, Pac-Man, Joust, Robotron, and Dragon’s Lair until our trigger fingers were sore (or until Mom and Dad cut

off our primary—and only—source of GEEK FIGURE —©ISTOCKPHOTO/KINNEREAN PHOTO/SDECORET, IN PAPER—©CANSTOCK PHOTO PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMURA, TORN funding). Without resources at our dis- posal, we retreated home to our Atari 2600 or held epic marathon adven- papers in the wee hours of the morn- My brother and I would rush home, tures of Dungeons & Dragons. As we ing. We saved up our paper-route spread the books out on the floor, con- grew older, we could no longer rely on money and home chore allowance for sume every word and colorful panel, our parents to fund our ever-growing weekly trips to the local five and dime and then carefully place each book in mania, so we got a job delivering news- or stationary stores to pluck the latest a Mylar bag with cardboard. Marvel or DC comic book adventures When there were no more com- of Spider-Man, the X-Men, or Batman ics to be read, we would nag our fa- Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2700702 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 from the rusted, metal spinner racks. ther to take us to opening weekend

showings of “must-see” movies such Other than Star Wars, which was universally as A Christmas Story, which was widely ignored by the masses. (The beloved in my neck of the woods, comic books, rest of the world would eventually get board games, LEGOs (once you were beyond a clue regarding the sheer awesome- elementary school), and science fiction books ness of Master Ralphie Parker.) It was worlds of fun, but it wasn’t were regularly mocked, often savagely, without its challenges. Other than not only by boys but girls as well. Star Wars, which was universally beloved in my neck of the woods, comic books, board games, LEGOs (once floating ideas and theories and build- each other. We are a creative commu- you were beyond elementary school), ing technology and memories with nity of dreamers and doers. and science fiction books were regu- people who share your interests; it’s Despite the “burden” of comics, vid- larly mocked, often savagely, not only getting to meet diverse people from eo games, and movies, I am currently by boys but girls as well. If you want- all walks of life and learning from married with children (and I never ed a girlfriend, you kept your long boxes of comics stored deep in your closet and the Atari under the bed. But something along the way changed. The 1980s geeks grew up and had kids, and technology advanced and became “cool,” making guys like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk household names and icons. Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa May- er, and Susan Wojcicki crashed the party and proved that women could proudly and ably fly the geek banner. Video gaming roared to a billion-dollar industry; Marvel, Robert Downey, Jr., and computer-generated imag- ery showed superheroes actually The Causer boys were ecstatic after Santa Claus delivered a gift of E.T. for the performing otherworldly deeds; and Atari 2600 (prior to discovering that the gameplay consisted of falling down holes Harry Potter became a worldwide ad nauseam). phenomenon through books, films, and theme parks. As the culture’s popularity sky- rocketed, the media increased its coverage of geek news, and women including Olivia Munn (actress and former cohost of Attack of the Show) proved that you didn’t need a Y chro- mosome to join in on the fun. It was no longer taboo for anyone—young boys and girls or adults—to profess their love for anything on the nerd spectrum. Geek became chic. The world has finally come around to learning what many of us had known for years. Geeks may be celebrated and revered in today’s society, but it’s not the technology, the medium, or the story that makes geek culture so great—it’s the ca- maraderie. It’s exploring the leading edge of technology with friends and No trip to Ohio to visit my best friend (and First Energy senior nuclear engineer), Werner colleagues at CES or cosplaying at Seitz (right), is complete without a pilgrimage to the Christmas Story House to revel in a local pop culture convention; it’s the glory of Red Ryder’s peacemaker.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 9

The yoke’s on her. When your 9-year-old expresses an interest in aeronautics, a good IEEE Potentials has received the geek geek dad obviously puts her at the controls of a Grumman American AA-5A while flying stamp of approval from the legendary over the Atlantic Ocean and the New Jersey barrier islands. (Not pictured, seated in the Stan Lee. rear: a father with his eyes closed, praying).

ing my kids spend time and geek out with some of the celebrities that they normally only get to see on television. It was then that it hit me—we geeks are now the “cool kids.” The geeks have truly inherited the earth. We’ve assembled an interesting array of articles in this “Geek Life” theme issue of IEEE Potentials. While the common thread among the articles is engineering, the underlying message is one of community, collaboration, and bringing dreams closer to reality. Whether your love is for droids, jewelry, Harry Potter, LEGOs, or another Geeking it in the family: the Causers muscle up with the cast of Arrow. walk of geek life, the message is clear: go for it! You may be able to turn your in- did hide my geek passions). I made a Experimental Aircraft Association’s terest into a lifelong love (and possibly statement years ago to anyone who Young Eagles Program, and explor- a career). would listen that I was going to raise ing chemistry projects. It’s been excit- our two girls as geeks. This parenting ing to see that their geekiness is not About the author

philosophy was met with many an eye only widely accepted—it’s celebrated. Craig Causer ([email protected])______roll and a sigh. Some of my interests are In July 2016, my wife and I took is the managing editor of IEEE now shared by my children, but they’ve the kids to a fan festival that included Potentials. In his spare time, he also forged new nerdy directions such actors from their favorite television enjoys spending time with his wife as assembling robot kits, building shows (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, while raising their two mythically roller coasters, tinkering with circuit and Legends of Tomorrow). One of the nerdy daughters. boards, flying small aircraft in the highlights of the event was watch-

10 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE Geek Life 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE magic wands and hats on,” recalls on,” hats and recalls wands magic with around running and books the reading time, at that Potter ry mous chapeau? most fa- ofwizarding’s version own But what you if could create your California). Angeles, Los and da, Flori- Orlando, in Potter of Harry World Wizarding Studios’ versal at Uni- experiences amazing the (or films and books Potter Harry the onemust revisit as difficult, is person in Hat’s wisdom Sorting by J.K. Rowling.of the many Experiencing enchantments crafted the Gryffindor? in crew geous therin rather than with the coura- ofSly- house sinister more the into sorted been Potter Harry had been have lived” who boy of“the story the would different How idation. Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Object IdentifierDigital 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2681210 put to you?” where But yourself. prove to athirst And oh yes. either. There’smind, talent, Not abad Isee. ofcourage, Plenty “Hmmm, difficult. “My kids were really into Har- “My were kids really one is hat chatty withered, The parts excitement and trep- and excitement parts equal with Hat Sorting approached the Wizardry School of Witchcraft and atHogwarts students ew from Previous Previous the Sorcerer’sthe Stone —The Sorting Hat —The Sorting Harry Potter and Potter Harry Very | Page | Page difficult. s | Contents s | Contents Ryan Anderson, architect in resi- in architect Anderson, Ryan have the Sorting Hat, where the where Hat, Sorting the have they movies, the orseen books the you’ve read “If California. Francisco, San Watson West atIBM’s in dence n | in Zoom n | in Zoom Saraju P. Mohanty, Duotong Yang, and Anim Amarsingh Zoom Zoom | out | out Putting magic Front Front IEEE POTENTIALS | Cover | Cover Search Search and bold; and if you’re Hufflepuff, you’re Hufflepuff, if and bold; and you’re noble you’re Gryffindor, if you’re abaddie; you’re Slytherin, if a Ravenclaw, you’re asmartypants; you’re if and Hogwarts, to come kids into ahat | Issue | Issue Next Next July/August 2017 Page Page Craig Causer Call For Articles Call Student Resources ■ 11

“Here’s this thing with a ground truth written by an adjective applies in the other column. The process is easy to grasp, as evi- eight-year-old domain expert in about an hour, and denced by Lucy writing most of the it’s a very sophisticated classification algorithm.” ground truth (Table 1) by herself in about an hour, Anderson says. The ground truth was approxi- you’re nice and noble but sort of Following the Hogwarts tutorial mately 200 rows deep and, once middling. I was like, ‘Wow! This is provided by Lucy, Anderson began written, was put to Watson for a a natural language classifier (NLC) designing the hat, which runs on test. The results were encouraging, for organizing and sorting things IBM Watson’s NLC, which is adept at so Anderson began throwing more out.’ I work from home sometimes, interpreting the intent behind a set of curveballs at it. He visited Wiki- and my kids were buzzing around, text. Deciding what words are associ- pedia and grabbed the first few so I started talking to my daugh- ated with a specific Hogwarts house paragraphs from Stephen Hawk- ter Lucy, who was eight at the time, is called “setting a ground truth.” Set- ing’s entry and served it up to the about this and began learning from ting such truths is a matter of plac- NLC. It returned a really high per- her about the different houses ing adjectives in one column and the centage and worked really well— of Hogwarts.” corresponding house to which the Hawking was sorted into Ravenclaw (a house that prizes wit and wisdom). The ground truth did not touch any- TABLE 1. An excerpt from the Harry Potter Sorting Hat thing focusing on physics, and it was ground truth. not familiar with Stephen Hawking. Because of Watson and the knowl- 1 I am brave Gryffindor edge graph, it worked. 2 I have courage Gryffindor “Here’s this thing with a ground truth written by an eight-year-old do- 3 The founder of my house was Godric Gryffindor Gryffindor main expert in about an hour, and it’s 4 House element is fire Gryffindor a very sophisticated classification al- ffi ffi 5Gryndor values courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry Gry ndor gorithm,” Anderson adds. “It’s a great 6 Colors = scarlet and gold Gryffindor talking point when I’m interacting 7 Lion Gryffindor with customers who are not data sci- 8 I am bold and good Gryffindor entists. It’s also a great teaching tool and it’s fun.” 9 Bold and good Gryffindor But running on the NLC language 10 Brave and bold ffi Gry ndor alone would have forced users to de- 11 Chivalry Gryffindor scribe themselves over written text 12 Honor Gryffindor (and we all know that’s not how the 13 Bravery and courage Gryffindor real sorting hat works), so Anderson added Watson’s speech-to-text feature 14 I am loyal Hufflepuff so the user can speak to the hat. The 15 I am a good friend Hufflepuff Sorting Hat also uses deep learning, a ffl ff ffl ff 16 The founder of my house was Helga Hu epu Hu epu branch of artificial intelligence where 17 House element is earth Hufflepuff machines learn to complete tasks on 18 Hufflepuffs value hard work, patience, justice, and loyalty Hufflepuff their own to expand the number of 19 Yellow and black Hufflepuff ground truths. It understands what types of qualities fit each house and 20 Badger Hufflepuff adds more adjectives and characteris- 21 Loyal friend and helpful Hufflepuff tics on its own to Lucy’s initial ground ffl ff 22 Friendship Hu epu truth list. Anderson said the hat 23 Loyalty Hufflepuff learns over time from scanning the 24 Hard work and patience Hufflepuff web and that you can always go in and 25 I am very clever Ravenclaw correct or tweak a ground truth if the hat is wrong, although in the books, 26 Smarts Ravenclaw the Sorting Hat would never admit to 27 I have a big brain Ravenclaw such inaccuracies. 28 The founder of my house was Rowena Ravenclaw Ravenclaw 29 House element is air Ravenclaw By Godric, it’s alive! 30 Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit Ravenclaw While Lucy handled the software and programming side, Anderson’s younger

12 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

daughter, Julia, who was five years The Sorting Hat also uses deep learning, a branch old at the time, was focusing on the hardware division. To build the of artificial intelligence where machines learn hat’s structure, Anderson started to complete tasks on their own to expand off with an old bicycle helmet and the number of ground truths. asked Julia what she wanted to do. She approached a whiteboard and began writing down the bill of mate- It’s this bike helmet with plywood the “brains” of it—the Raspberry Pi rials including some structure, and this tomato cage. There’s enough and the Arduino. which was a tomato cage. space in there where you can fit the Once complete, Anderson looked “It was nice to work on the hard- Raspberry Pi, the Arduinos, and the to perform some upgrades. He en- ware side of things with Julia,” An- animatronics, and then we just got listed the help of a team during Sci- derson recalls. “But the thing is ugly. an old black t-shirt and some fab- ence Hack Day, which is a two-day, ric from the store. So, if you look at it all-night event “where anyone excited from about 10 ft away, it looks pretty about making weird, silly, or serious cool, but if you get up close, it’s re- things with science comes together in ally ugly.” the same physical space to see what It took nearly two days to build the they can prototype within 24 consec- bones of the hat, although Anderson utive hours.” Eight people contribut- says that someone could erect the ed to the hack and breathed further entire structure in a few hours. It be- life into the Sorting Hat by enhancing gan with a bike helmet with a chin the animatronics. strap, which was effective in holding The total cost of the build came in the 12-lb final product atop a person’s at under US$100. “The Raspberry Pi head. Anderson cut out a disk of ply- is in the [US]$30–40 range now,” An- wood as well as some smaller disks derson explains. “You need the Wi- and combined epoxy, a few screws, Fi to hit the cloud. Servos are like and the tomato cage to create the hat. [US]$3 each, depending on how He also advises that there are other many you want for the eyebrows or options, including a lightweight ver- the mouth. For the mouth, we actually Anderson may describe it as being “a hacky, duct-tapey, build-with-your-kids sion made out of cardboard. Regard- used an old computer that had a CD thing,” but the Sorting Hat has some seri- less of the materials, it is essential drive. CD drives have little worm ous Watson wisdom behind it. that you plan for enough space to fit gear motors on them. We just pulled

Sporting a Gryffindor robe may provide The Sorting Hat is one of the ways that Anderson has fostered a sense of love for some insight into which house Lucy science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects among was sorted. his children.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 13

Sometimes you need to think more creatively and a trust involved where we want to make sure that we’re doing the because there’s almost always a way to weave right thing by the company. There kids’ interests into STEM. are some areas where we’ve exploit- ed that were starting to veer into the political arena, which is tricky, so that thing out and used it. If you trick-or-treaters, where it would go we self-regulate to keep ourselves in don’t want to go all-out on the servos, through its spiel and everyone would that safe space between the rails.” you could use LEDs, and they’re like get sorted. a dollar each.” There was also a developer confer- That’s not all, Fawkes Anderson has both showcased ence that it visited. “It’s not robust— Sparking kids’ enthusiasm is all about the hat at home and taken it on the it’s a hacky, duct-tapey, build-with- finding their passions—it could be road to IBM events. During Hallow- your-kids thing,” Anderson explains. Harry Potter, dinosaurs, LEGOs, or een when trick-or-treaters came by, “So you have to be careful with it. Minecraft. Sometimes you need to the family placed it on the heads of But people are starting to build their think more creatively because there’s almost always a way to weave kids’ interests into STEM, Anderson says. If mom and dad are not working in the technical fields, how can STEM be introduced into the house? Anderson believes the challenge is a tough nut to crack, but it’s not impossible. He advises to start with bite-sized pieces, where parents can sit down and explore topics together with their children. It’s okay for parents to learn along with their kids

SMEETA MAHANTI and to be a little crazy in the process, Anderson admits. “We have a home lab, and I ordered some gal- Anderson assembled a strong project team, including his daughters (from left) Lucy and Julia, who lium, which is a metal that handled software and hardware, respectively. has a melt temperature of that of the human body. own. The ground truth is public and I made dentures with [the kids] out available, so other groups can take it of gallium and using Play-Doh. [My and build on it. You can also reskin kids] know I’m a goof, and that’s okay. it and build a naughty or nice Santa Dad’s a geek, and Dad’s a goof, and hat if you wanted to.” that’s cool.” “IBM is really supportive of this sort of stuff,” Anderson continues. Read more about it “There’s a concept in IBM called ‘wild tFor detailed information on ducks.’ In a tale from the philosopher building your own sorting hat, visit Kierkegaard, he basically said that https://dreamtolearn.com/ryan/r_

you can take a wild duck and make ______journey_to_watson/49. it tame, but you can never take a tame duck and make it wild again. About the author It’s this culture of embracing differ- Craig Causer ([email protected])______is ent ways of thinking and of coach- the managing editor of IEEE Poten- ing the world—IBM really lives by tials. His research interests include Anderson is proud that IBM embraces the culture of promoting different ways of those values. It’s been an organiza- magizoology, muggle studies, and thinking and coaching, which results in tion that supports these sort-of out- the effects of Butterbeer brain freeze “out-there” ideas. there ideas. There’s an expectation on the middle-aged body.

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Geek Life

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE NarrowbandThese are powerthe droids line communications:you’re looking for

Enabling theMichael smart G. Karp and Keith grid H. Nelson

Saraju P. Mohanty, Duotong Yang, and Anim Amarsingh ven to the casual observer, the real hero of Star Wars can be a matter of debate. While Luke Skywalker’s heroics in Ehis X-wing starfighter sealed the Rebellion’s victory, he would not have a target to destroy were it not for a certain short, round, sassy astromech droid who faithfully carried the plans from Princess Leia…well, you know the story. The point being, R2-D2 is a fan favorite for many reasons, which is why many people feel inspired to build their own little buddy. This is where practical application meets good clean fun. You may have some skills that will come in handy— many types of engineering are helpful in solving the problems of a top-heavy, remote-controlled, gadget-happy robot sidekick. Fire up your favorite computer-aided design (CAD) software, dust off the welding helmet, pull out the old bin of components, and warm up the soldering iron—here’s a quick look at the process.

Where do I start? The place to begin building your

own R2 is http://astromech.net,______the online home of the R2 Builder’s Club. Here is where you register and begin the journey to creating your TORN PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMURA, ALL R2 IMAGES COURTESY OF THE R2 BUILDER’S CLUB THE R2 BUILDER’S OF COURTESY ALL R2 IMAGES PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMURA, TORN own astromech. The club is a trea- sure trove of information. museum exhibits—even from mem- the saying goes, those who do not There are designs and blueprints bers granted access to the Lucasfilm study history are doomed to repeat that you can download to use for your archives. You will not find more accu- it—so learn from other builders and build. The designs are based on data rate data available to the public. avoid their mistakes! collected over the years from films, The biggest gems in this mine of information are the build logs, Do your research where builders document how they Plan the build, then build the plan. Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2675719 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 constructed their astromechs. As Research is the most critical step of

(a) (b)

(a) Michael G. Karp and (b) Keith H. Nelson are members of the R2 Builder’s Club, a An NPC foot drive used to get an R2 on nonprofit organization of Star Wars fans who enjoy building robots. its feet.

R2 building. Every new member Wood priciest option, it is also the most who joins the forum hears this mes- Using saws, routers, and high-qual- appealing option to the purists. sage. The right planning will help ity birch plywood, you can build Builders can use computer numeric you accomplish your build faster and your frame, legs, and feet. Add a control equipment in local shops or save money. So what do you need plastic or aluminum dome and skins through Internet services to make to research? for the finishing touch. parts for their builds. Some builders like to add aluminum parts to their Budget accordingly Aluminum styrene or wood builds, but as “alu- Astromechs can be built for as little This is the material used by former minum fever” takes hold, those as US$1,500—or as much as you aerospace engineers and machinists builders often switch over to totally care to spend. The more high tech to create the original R2-D2 in Star aluminum builds. the materials and the more gadgets Wars: A New Hope. While it is the you have, the higher the price goes. Three-dimensional printing Making parts yourself is a great A few years ago, the three dimension- way to save money for expenses al (3-D) printing options for R2 builds like electronics. were limited to small detail parts. Now, builders can print an entire Materials and construction droid (in pieces) and assemble it. The Some of the primary materials used community supports open-source in building an R2 unit are listed sharing and the revising of 3-D files. here. While some builders select a Rest assured this is no mere LEGO single material for exclusive use, kit—there is still a fair amount of do- most use a blend of materials. it-yourself work involved, and the A peek inside the inner workings of the cost of that many filament spools is a droid’s dome. Plastic (polystyrene) significant budget item. With commercially available sheets of plastic, a razor, and a router, you can The electronics cut out parts for assembly much like Once you have the physical droid a model kit. There are plans to build constructed, breathing life into it the entire astromech out of styrene requires technology. R2’s soul comes (except for the dome). The dome can from his characteristic beeps and be vacuum-formed from plastic. flashing lights as much as from his Some builders opt instead for an alu- blue and white design. Fully autono- minum dome. Detail parts can be mous droids are not safe—consider made of styrene or molded resin, or setting a 200-lb motorized movie three-dimensionally printed from Foot drives such as these allow R2 to prop with a balance problem loose freely available files on the forum. move and whirl about. on an unsuspecting convention floor

16 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

and you’ll understand—so you need some way to control your droid’s behavior. Here are some options.

Traditional remote control You can control your R2 unit like a high-end radio-controlled (R/C) car or airplane. This is considered old school but it is also highly reliable. Because the R/C community is so robust, troubleshooting and instal- lations are easy, with plenty of online support.

Arduino Using Bluetooth or XBee-based com- munication, builders control their A selection of polystyrene parts that will become legs and ankles for the droid. droids and trigger behaviors such as sound and light cues or music play- back. Arduino allows builders to code One of the most common drive sys- The most recent development uses their system to do what needs to be tems uses a single-drive wheel con- brushless hub motors coupled with done specific to their build. Raise and nected to an electric scooter motor, omnidirectional wheels. This de- lower a periscope, extend a computer such as the type used in popular sign was inspired by the drives used interface arm, activate a fire extin- Razor scooters. These drive trains in the R2-D2 from Star Wars: The guisher, or serve drinks on the sail are easy to make, speedy, and inex- Force Awakens—from droids that barge of a crime lord—there is no limit pensive, but they don’t always gener- were built by U.K. members of the to the gadgetry. The club has some ate sufficient torque to start a heavy R2 Builder’s Club. Brushless motors already-designed systems that are aluminum droid quickly. can generate lots of torque for rela- freely shared, even an app for your In response to the torque chal- tively little power draw, but their con- smart phone, all of which are great lenge, builders developed multi- trollers are expensive, and the drive starting points if you want to venture wheel drive trains using powered train is complicated. into an Arduino-based control system. wheelchair motors. Similar to those used in battle bots, NPC motors pro- 3-2-3? Motors and drive train vide power and torque aplenty but Remember the scene from Episode IV, Getting your droid moving is an essen- cost more and need a more complex right after Princess Leia gives R2 tial part of bringing it to life. You will drive train. the stolen plans? R2-D2 turns to still have to rescue your droid from time to time from the arch enemy—a flight of stairs!—but in the mean time, you need some form of drive system to get it from place to place.

A wood frame for an R2 unit. A comparison of an R2 unit built from aluminum (left) and one from wood (right).

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 17

what demonstrating a practical skill might gain you in an effort to stand out from the rest of the pack.

The power of droids Once you create an amazing astromech droid, what do you do with it? Some people build them and put them on display at home for their own enjoyment. Others attend conventions, Star Wars movie premieres, and charity events like hospital visits. Fortunately, there are resources in many communities across the country and around the world that can help you find these opportunities. Connect with local branches of the 501st Legion (the fan group for costume enthusiasts of the Imperial Empire) or the Rebel Legion (for the good guys) to find out what events Thanks to the R2 Builder’s Club, R2-D2 makes a visit to brighten the lives of the patients are happening in your area. These at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan at the Detroit Medical Center. groups typically welcome droids to their events. For more information, actor Kenny Baker. Your research visit http://www.501st.com and and budget will help you to decide http://www.rebellegion.com. which mode you want to build. So get out there and make someone’s day, and rediscover the joy of a But I don’t know anything galaxy far, far away! about robotics! While there are engineers, robotics About the authors

experts, and NASA technicians on Michael G. Karp (ripcode66@yahoo______the forums, most of the members .com) is an AS/400 programmer and are just everyday people willing to a retired paid-on-call firefighter/med- read and learn. Thanks to a sup- ical first responder. He is a member portive builder community, new of the 501st and Rebel Legions (fan- builds start almost every day. This based organizations dedicated to the is not necessarily going to be easy, construction and wearing of screen- but if you want to build a droid, you accurate replicas of Star Wars cos- can make it happen. tumes) and the R2 Builders Club and A droid built by the R2 Builder’s Club for And you are reading an engi- the MSE Builders Club, as well as a the Make-A-Wish Foundation. neering magazine—you have an forum moderator on Astromech.net. advantage! Building R2-D2 is the His love of Star Wars began when he the camera and extends a third leg ultimate exercise in applied engineer- saw the film in theaters as a kid. to begin rolling forward. This trans- ing. Structural analysis, electronics That love has not died, and now he formation is called 2-3-2, or 3-2-3, engineering, CAD/computer-aided participates in fun hobbies where he referring to the change in the num- manufacuring, materials science, can share that love with others.

ber of supporting legs. It is one of programming, welding, machin- Keith H. Nelson (ob1gynob@______the holy grails of R2 building to cre- ing—all of these skills and more can hotmail.com) is an associate profes- ate a unit that can go from three be incredibly useful, but they are sor at East Carolina University, legs to two legs and back to three not mandatory. Brody School of Medicine. His is a legs—easily the most complicated The community is alive with member of the R2 Builder’s Club and version to build. people helping each other overcome the BB-8 Builder’s Club. He saw Most builders stick with a stable their gaps in training or knowledge Star Wars as a child and grew up three-legged mode. A few have creat- and teaching each other new skills. dreaming of buying his own robot. ed a fixed two-legged mode to mimic Some of the forum members have When he discovered a community of the appearance and behavior of the even used their R2 builds as part people who could help, he decided to droid that was manned by Star Wars of a job interview—you never know build one instead.

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Geek Life

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE Sci Chic: Combining art, engineering, and fashion

Erin Winick

n the spring of 2015, my junior year as a mechanical engineering major, I was serving as the president of the University of IFlorida (UF) chapter of the Soci- ety of Women Engineers (SWE). That semester, we had organized a brand-new event for our SWE chap-

ter, Three-Dimensional (3-D) Print- OF SCI CHIC A, NECKLACE—COURTESY ing Outreach Day. In partnership with our campus science library, more than 100 students were brought to UF’s campus to learn about 3-D modeling, 3-D printing, and engineering. This day served as a moment of personal and entrepreneurial inspiration for me that led to the creation of my company. Of the group of students that came to campus, approximately 80 were girls. While at the event, I ob- served the impact that learning to 3-D model and seeing a 3-D printer for the first time had on them. While working on the computers, they were engrossed in the design process. When observing the 3-D printers, they could not pull their eyes away from the machines. I realized that many of these young girls were seeing engineering as artistic and creative for the first time. Studies show that girls lose interest in math and science during middle school, even if they have a love for problem solving and cre- PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMUR WANDER,TORN WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/FOREST OF DRAGONFLY—COURTESY OF NASA, 11—COURTESY APOLLO AND TELESCOPE ativity. According to the 2012 Gen- eration STEM Research Report published by the Girl Scouts Research how things work, solve problems, do Institute, girls interested in science, hands-on activities, and ask ques- technology, engineering, and math- tions. However, engineering is often Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2680248 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 ematics (STEM) like to understand perceived by the public as something

I wanted to create company that would show girls years, I was also working on Sci Chic at home. After I finished designing that science and engineering can be fun, creative, new parts for tractors during the and even fashionable to give them a new gateway day, I came home and designed jew- into the STEM fields. elry with my engineering software. I pulled inspiration from my field as well as other areas of science. Using the money I earned from my intern- ship that summer, along with some help from my parents, I purchased my first 3-D printer, a Lulzbot Mini. After a few more months of product design, test 3-D prints, website design, and social media prep, Sci Chic launched in October 2015 at Art in Engineering Night at the Harn Mu- seum of Art in Gainesville, Florida.

3-D printing and Sci Chic All our jewelry is created using 3-D printing. We use 3-D printing for a couple of reasons. First, it allows us to custom make all the jewelry piec- Two students modeling their names on keychains at 3-D Printing Outreach Day in 2015. es for the customer. Second, it gives exposure to this new technology and serves as a teaching tool only for those people who have a pas- to create science and engineering in- about manufacturing. sion for hard math and science, not spired jewelry. We offer our designs in a vari- as an imaginative activity. ety of colors, materials, and sizes Creativity is an essential tool for Starting Sci Chic because, with 3-D printing, all you engineers, and artistic ability is a It was not a stretch for me to com- need to do is change out the color of fantastic asset for design engineers bine STEM and fashion. Since I was plastic or resize the 3-D model. This working in computer-aided design a kid, I always had mixed interests gives flexibility to our customers to (CAD) programs. I decided that I not defined by gender stereotypes. I make a piece that perfectly fits their wanted to scale what these girls had loved sewing and building LEGO style. All of the plastic jewelry is experienced to a larger level. I wanted towers and playing dress up and printed on desktop 3-D printers by to create company that would show renting stacks of Bill Nye DVDs girls that science and engineering from the library. I think my mixed can be fun, creative, and even fash- interests came from the fact that I ionable to give them a new gateway was an only child, and my dad want- into the STEM fields. ed to have someone to play Hot The final product of this was Sci Wheels and K’NEX with, and my

Chic (______scichic.com), a company that mom wanted to teach someone to uses plastic and metal 3-D printing sew and bake. When I was considering how to encourage young girls in engineering, I just thought back to when I was kid and what I wish I had as a child. I wished someone had showed me that my interests in science, sewing, writing, and math did not have to be separate and that they were all centered around creativity, making, and discovery. While I was at John Deere, serv- One of the first Sci Chic necklace models ing as a current product design en- created in SolidWorks and inspired by a gineering intern during the sum- As a child, Winick enjoyed building LEGO circuit board. mer between my junior and senior towers in her living room.

20 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

melting down the plastic at a tem- I still encounter people all the time who are perature of approximately 220 °C. Then the machine moves per the shocked that metal can be 3-D printed and are code created by software that cor- not sure about how the plastic 3-D printing responds with the model that was process works. designed in CAD software. All Sci Chic metal jewelry is mod- eled on the computer in the same way steel to silver. The steel-based jewelry The second main motivation for and then 3-D printed through a ser- is directly printed and then polished, using 3-D printing is to get 3-D- vice called Shapeways. From Shape- while precious metals like silver and printed items into the hands of ways, we can get our jewelry 3-D gold are melted and then poured into consumers. I still encounter peo- printed in everything from stainless a 3-D-printed wax mold. ple all the time who are shocked

The Sci Chic Apollo 11 Trajectory Necklace model in SolidWorks CAD software.

The Trajectory Necklace, which was inspired by the path of the Apollo 11 mission from the Earth to the moon. It is 3-D printed in stainless steel. (Dress by The Sci Chic Moon Phase Necklace 3-D printed in stainless steel. Shenova Fashion.)

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 21

While science experiments are often a one-use sparks kids’ and adults’ interest in learning about this aspect of learning experience, a child who learns about the space program. Then when insects could wear a Dragonfly Wing Necklace they wear the necklace, they are for the next month to reinforce her learning excited to share the science that they learned. experience about bugs. Additionally, the jewelry provides a permanent tangible connection to what kids are learning. that metal can be 3-D printed and behind the pieces. One of our While science experiments are of- are not sure about how the plastic most popular necklaces is the ten a one-use learning experience, 3-D printing process works. I hope Apollo 11 Trajectory Necklace. It a child who learns about insects that by creating behind-the-scenes depicts the Earth and moon, sized could wear a Dragonfly Wing Neck- videos showing the 3-D printing to scale, and the path that the lace for the next month to reinforce of our jewelry, as well as getting first astronauts to set their feet on her learning experience about bugs. 3-D-printed jewelry in the hands of the moon took. This necklace Sci Chic jewelry is a way for girls to more people, we are mak- show that they are proud ing people more aware of of their love of science. this technology and getting them to think about how Running a company the things in their lives were in college made. It is making people Starting a company is just the realize that manufacturing beginning. As a result of and design engineers have launching Sci Chic during my an influence on almost ev- fourth year in college, I was erything in their lives. balancing senior-level engineering classes and student Teaching through jewelry organization involvement Sci Chic’s goal is to spark with running my business. learning through the jew- For any college students elry it creates. Therefore, looking at starting a com- we are designing jewelry pany, I highly recommend inspired by a large variety of taking as light of a load of areas of STEM. Our hope is classes as you can and seri- that our jewelry will be fash- ously looking at your time ionable in addition to being allotment. You can make time inspired by science and for your company, but you that it will provoke conver- must make choices about sations about the science A sample of 3-D-printed Dragonfly Wing Necklaces. what comes first in your life. I did sacrifice some traditional college experiences to put my efforts into my company and mechanical engineering degree. Most of the time, I put school first but, on occasion, I had to realign my priorities. The weekend before finals week in spring 2016, I flew to New York to attend the Women’s Entrepreneurship Festival after winning a pitch competition, took a train directly to Washington, D.C., for the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and then hopped on a bus back Winick (left) exhibiting at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. to Florida in time for finals. I

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was never more tired in my life. How- There is no better way to force yourself to learn ever, I did not regret it for a second. I continued to grow Sci Chic when I business and entrepreneurship principles was in school. We expanded to our than starting your own company. own e-commerce store, began selling in retail locations, and introduced new products. Sci Chic started collaborating with other women in STEM to create designs from their field of study and donating a por- tion of the proceeds to the charity of their choice. We moved into a new office space. As an engineer, I had no previous business experience. However, Sci Chic has been my way to learn. There is no better way to force yourself to learn business and entrepreneurship principles than starting your own company. If you are coming from an engineering background, you may feel like you do not have the business skills you need to start your business. There are numerous reasons for you not to start your own business. Yet, if you really believe in your idea and know there is a market need, do it. The only person who The Sci Chic Monthly subscription box for February contained lunar-inspired fashions. can stop you is yourself. Now that I have graduated with my mechanical engineering degree, I process is recorded and edited into can pursue their dreams and make am putting all my efforts into taking a video that is paired with the sub- a difference, and I am grateful to the Sci Chic to the next level. Along scription box so kids can see how girls at SWE Outreach Day for help- with our jewelry sales, Sci Chic has their jewelry was created. These ing take me down this path. launched its own subscription boxes, boxes are giving Sci Chic a chance to one for kids and another for adults. build a community around science Read more about it In addition to 3-D-printed jewelry, fashion and learning, bring women t Girl Scout Research Institute. the boxes contain additional science in STEM together, and provide kids (2012). Generation STEM [Online]. fashions ranging from nail art to tote with a chance to dive into a new area Available: http://www.girlscouts bags and educational materials. As of STEM each month. .org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/

all the 3-D printed items for the Sci For me, the greatest reward for ______forms-and-documents/about-girl-

Chic Kids box are being made, the starting my company in college was ______scouts/research/generation_stem_ the feeling of the worldwide impact I full_report.pdf______was creating and the difference I was making. Starting a company and in- About the Author

teracting with customers broke me Erin Winick (erin.winick@gmail______out of the bubble that college can .com) is the founder and chief exec- create. Seeing someone I’ve never utive officer of Sci Chic and works met wearing my jewelry at an engi- as a freelance science communica- neering conference (or hearing about tor and technical article writer. She an 11-year-old girl who has worn her graduated from the University of Sci Chic jewelry to school every day Florida in December 2016 with a since receiving it as a gift and talk- B.S. degree in mechanical engineering about it to her friends) is the best ing. She is a corresponding editor of SARA GONZALEZ reward for the hard work and time IEEE Potentials. You can find her that goes into creating something online at www.erinwinick.com and from the ground up. Making Sci Chic on Twitter at @erinwinick. Kids wearing Sci Chic jewelry. has shown me that everyone truly

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Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page Student Resources THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS THE MAGAZINEFORHIGH-TECHINNOVATORS THE MAGAZINE FORHIGH-TECH INNOVATORS Geek Life W ©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE in the the in alive Wolverine keeping of quarters mated Series watching mornings book reader andfondly remember by nostalgia. driven development is To this some, I grew up down. slowing be to not appear does as a comic- way, trend the unprecedented and an old—in decades ofthem many connected with these characters— has public the that obvious quite it is films, blockbuster and games, video shows, television hit comics, us. With around world the in of life 24 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Object IdentifierDigital 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2694298 be.” could we wish we what and are we usofwho ing remind- patiently return, they still and them, mock them, ban them, kill out ofexistence, them analyze they refuse to give up on us. We can because superheroes “We our love Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, What Supergods: Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God God aSun Mutants, and Miraculous from Smallville Can Teach Can Us About Smallville from ■ X-Men July/August 2017 technological advancement and going through gobs gobs through going and arcade game. game. arcade villains) in every sphere sphere every in villains) avoid superheroes (and (and avoid superheroes near impossible to impossible near to prominence, it is ith their current rise rise current their ith Previous Being Human Human Being Previous —Grant Morrison, —Grant Morrison, X-Men: TheAni- X-Men: | Page | Page (2012) IEEE POTENTIALS s | Contents s | Contents scientists as agents scientists asagents n | in Zoom n | in Zoom Superheroes and and Superheroes Zoom Zoom for societal and | out | out Front Front | Cover | Cover Search Search | Issue | Issue Suveen N. Mathaudhu Next Next Page Page 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE Call For Articles Call Student Resources

To me, the modern visions on the There is absolutely no question that big screen are computer-generated- image (CGI)-assisted replays of the the technologies traditionally supported by the battles that occurred with my action IEEE have resulted in the innovations (e.g., CGI figures on my living room floor (even and motion-capture) that enable superhero though, on the silver screen, I will likely never see a battle royale of He-Man films to be made according to the original versus Megatron versus Snake-Eyes visions of the creators. versus a capeless Darth Vader). To older fans, the tales of Captain Amer- ica, Iron Man, the Hulk, and others ger chooses to bring an underaged Magneto: The patron “saint” tell the stories of the times in which youth dressed in bright, primary col- of the IEEE? they were created, from World War ors on deadly night missions while “I have long held an opinion, almost II to the space race and the nuclear he is clad in black and gray; this amounting to conviction, in com- age (Fig. 1). These details may be lost is just not very responsible super- mon I believe with many other lov- to newer fans who likely have never hero mentoring. ers of natural knowledge, that the have picked up a comic or graphic various forms under which the forc- novel, but it’s clear that the superhe- es of matter are made manifest have roes still strongly resonate with them one common origin; or, in other and, decades after their creation, are words, are so directly related and more widespread than ever. mutually dependent, that they are Historically, the stories of super- convertible, as it were, one into anoth- heroes have been intimately inter- er, and possess equivalents of power woven with science and technology, in their action.” and the scientific background —Michael Faraday, has extended to the newer televi- “On the Magnetization of Light sion shows and movies. There is ab- and the Illumination of Magnetic solutely no question that the tech- Lines of Force,” Series 19, in nologies traditionally supported by Experimental Researches in the IEEE have resulted in the inno- Electricity (1855), vol. 3, no. 1 vations (e.g., CGI and motion-capture) that enable superhero films to At times a hero, an antihero, and a be made according to the original villain, the nemesis of the X-Men, visions of the creators. In the Mar- Magneto, is perhaps the comic book vel Cinematic Universe (MCU), character that most embodies the Stark Industries has played an un- scientific underpinning of the IEEE. derpinning role in designing Cap- Magneto is a mutant who has the tain America’s iconic shield, Iron power to manipulate magnetism. Man’s high-energy density arc-reac- While at the surface, this may appear

tor power source, and S.H.I.E.L.D. STUDIOS OF MARVEL COURTESY IMAGE to the uninitiated to be limited to FIG1 For old-school comic book fans, vehicles and gadgets. Similarly, the the tales of classic heroes like Captain bending and shaping magnetic met- role of the fictional, rare element vi- America present stories of the times in als, as Faraday points out, the forc- branium that makes up Cap’s shield which they were created. es of matter have a common origin, has also been interlaced throughout MCU storylines. In the D.C. universe, billionaire Bruce Wayne is enabled in his secret mission as Batman by technology developed by Wayne Industries; in the films directed by Christopher Nolan, this included devices such as an electromagnetic pulse gun, sonic mapping via big-data analysis of cel- lular phone data (Fig. 2), and fusion reactors for clean energy. Clearly the Dark Knight has come a long way ©WARNER BROS. PICTURES BROS. ©WARNER from carrying shark repellent on FIG2 In The Dark Knight film, Batman foils the Joker’s plot through the use of Wayne his utility belt and, gladly, no lon- Industries technology used to create a mobile-phone-based surveillance system.

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and electromagnetic force plays a role Society, from the IEEE Aerospace was going to teach society a lesson. in nearly all physical interactions and Electronic Systems Society all He was a danger of course… but I between matter and energy (outside the way to the IEEE Vehicular Tech- never thought of him as a villain.” of st rong/wea k nuclear forces and nology Society. Beyond his tremen- On the other side of the coin is gravity), and as such, perhaps he is the dous powers, he is experienced in a Professor X, another brilliant scien- most powerful mutant on the planet. vast swath of advanced science and tist with powerful telepathic abili- As the term electromagnetism im- engineering, once stating, “My dis- ties who stood on the side of peace- plies, electricity and magnetism are coveries during the last week alone ful resistance. While close friends, intertwined, Magneto has the power have revolutionized particle physics. Magneto and Professor X frequently to control machines and electronics. Any one of them would be enough to rema in at odds based on their philo- At a more fundamental level, elec- earn me the Nobel Prize and a place sophical differences (Fig. 3). Unsur- tromagnetism controls bonding in among the giants of scientific his- prisingly, many such philosophical atoms (negatively charged electrons tory, if I cared to claim it” (Classic issues are still under debate today, around a positively charged core), X-Men #19). but for the moment, we will focus on which literally gives Magneto the Magneto is clearly powerful and the positive changes that are taking power to manipulate all matter at complex, and his motivations stem place to embody the IEEE’s Code of the atomic scale. Even the neuronal from his fictional history as a Holo- Conduct, which states in the most interactions in our brains are con- caust survivor who seeks to protect simple and profound terms, “treat trolled by electrochemical signals, mutants from the same fate and people fairly.” gifting him the power of controlling persecution that his family suffered. thought to some extent. In 2008’s Marvel Spotlight: Uncanny The changing face of Understanding that Magneto con- X-Men 500 Issues Celebration Stan superheroes as scientists trols Maxwell’s Rainbow informs Lee, chair emeritus of Marvel, said and engineers us that he can control anything on he “…did not think of Magneto as “The media needs superheroes in the electromagnetic spectrum, in- a bad guy. He just wanted to strike science just as in every sphere of cluding radio waves, visible light, back at the people who were so life.” X-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet rays, bigoted and racist… he was trying to —Stephen W. Hawking and others. To some extent, Mag- defend the mutants, and because so- (Interview with Deborah Solomon, neto’s powers overlap every IEEE ciety was not treating them fairly, he “The Science of Second-Guessing,” New York Times Magazine (12 Dec. 2004)

Far less emphasized in these stories is that the heroes don’t just use the technology, they are the scientists and engineers. Reed Richards is a physicist who became Mr. Fantastic when exposed to cosmic rays; Bruce Banner is a nuclear physicist who was transformed into the Hulk; Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spiderman, is a chemistry student who engineered his own synthetic webs and web- shooters; Tony Stark is a versatile engineer who builds the technologies that enable his Iron Man suits; Hen- ry Pym created the “Pym particles” that allowed him to transform into Ant-Man or Giant-Man. Even though D.C. comics characters have largely been based on mythological, god-like heroes, they have Barry Allen, who was a forensic police scientist before

©MARVEL he became the Flash. Of course, the science isn’t re- stricted to the superheroes, and FIG3 Although Magneto has historically straddled the fence between good and evil, as the master of magnetism, he most embodies the scientific underpinning of more often than not, villains are the IEEE. portrayed as “mad scientists,” e.g.,

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Dr. Doom, Dr. Octopus, Eobard Thawne (the Reverse-Flash), and many others who have never shown us their diplomas as proof (perhaps there’s a University of Latveria?). But orders of magnitude more dis- appointing than villains without proof-of-degrees is a historical aspect of these stories that has been the portrayal of scientists and engineers as strong, handsome, Anglo- Saxon American males, with females more often than not serving the tired trope of being damsels in distress. This, however, has been progres- sively changing in modern comic books. Recently, Marvel has introduced a new batch of diverse scientific geniuses into their monthly comics, including fourth-grader Lunella Lafayette, a.k.a. Moon Girl, who proved her “smartest hero in the universe” status by solving an “unsolv- able” puzzle created by Bruce Banner. In her monthly series, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, she is shown to be a skilled inventor, engineer, programmer, and hacker. But Moon Girl is not alone. Basic coding and binary counting were prominently on display in Unbeat- able Squirrel Girl #11, where our hero dissects the boasts of Dr. Octopus into coding syntax (IF(I leave you alone){No_fight();} ELSE{fight();}), and later teaches Count Nefaria (and the readers) how to count in binary using one hand (Fig. 4). Amadeus Cho, a Korean-American teenager who is the new Hulk in The Totally Awesome

Hulk, is also a genius-level hero who ©MARVEL has the “natural ability to identify the variables and quantum possibilities FIG4 Who says comic book heroes default to fisticuffs? Here, Squirrel Girl schools Count Nefaria on binary counting (from The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #11). in any situation.” Another example is Riri Williams, a 16-year-old African-American woman who attends the Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology (MIT) and reverse- engineered her own Iron Man suit. The real MIT recently released a student-made fan film that featured Riri preparing a suit and taking off to deliver notices of admission to new students (Fig. 5). T’Challa, best known as the Black Panther, is a Ph.D. physicist (Oxford University) who rules the sov- IMAGE COURTESY OF MIT COURTESY IMAGE ereign, technologically advanced na- FIG5 The MIT short film Not All Heroes Wear Capes—But Some Carry Tubes brought tion of Wakanda. Riri Williams to life.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 27

(a) (b) ALL IMAGES ©MARVEL

FIG6 Marvel has been at the forefront of introducing new, diverse icons into the pantheon of heroes including (a) Riri Williams (Iron- heart), (b) Amadeus Cho (Hulk), (c) Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), (d) T’Challa (Black Panther), and (e) Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl).

When including other nonscien- (Fig. 6). This is clearly a model that So how do we strive to create the tific superheroes (such as Pakistani- real-world scientists and engineers next generation of Moon Girls, American teen Kamala Khan, who can strive to pursue. Ms. Marvels, T’Challas, and Amade- moonlights as Ms. Marvel), it is clear us Chos? The first step is to realize that Marvel is making a strong effort Every superhero needs that kids need to see scientists and to change the perception of what a a sidekick engineers that look like them that superhero is to extend beyond gen- “You’re much stronger than you are “cool.” Role models are impor- der, culture, age, or disability to think you are. Trust me.” tant, and the next generation of what they represent and what they —Superman (All-Star Superman innovators need to have a breadth can positively contribute to society #10, 2006) of sustained mentors who will guide them along the path to achieving their technical career goals. A common trope in superhero stories is the concept of a hero and a “sidekick,” with some famous icons being Batman and Robin(s)/Batgirl, Flash and Kid Flash (Fig. 7), Su- perman and Jimmy Olson, Won- der Woman and Donna Troy, and Captain America and Bucky (in the comics … not the movies). In all cases, the sidekicks are there to ex- perientially learn and often eventually take the mantle of the superhero

©WARNER BROS. TELEVISION who mentors them. The key to enabling the next generation of scientific superheroes is the same. At every level, we need to provide engagement and mentoring to those who need that extra boost. This fact often gets lost in FIG7 The CW television show The Flash brought Barry Allen’s traditional sidekick Wally West (Kid Flash) to Central City. Deviating from its comic book source material, the hype of science demonstrations— the show offers additional diversity by featuring an African-American version of the pursing science, technology, engi- West family. neering, and mathematics (STEM)

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degrees, like being a superhero, is As scientists and engineers, our identities are more hard, especially for those who have had not guidance or examples. There often than not “secret,” however, the roles we play are plenty of opportunities to turn behind the scenes offer intangible measures of around when things get tough, and satisfaction as we see our discoveries and the next generation will need com- mitted, experienced superheroes to creations being used for the greater good. guide them through.

Scientists and engineers would not be won without the aid and global cultures as pervasively as as agents of change of innovative technology enabled superheroes. But in reality, these tales and innovation by their own scientific aptitude or are not new and have existed from “If there is nothing but what we by a cast of supporting characters. the dawn of human history—Hercu- make in this world brothers, let us From this perspective, our “powers” les, Beowulf, Thor, Robin Hood, and make it good.” as scientists and engineers may be Zorro were all “superheroes.” Comic —Beta Ray Bill, more essential than theirs to keep book and film superhero sagas are Secret Invasion Aftermath: our world safe. Like superheroes, we our modern mythologies, and like Beta Ray Bill–The Green work better in teams where we can the yarns of the past, they teach us of Eden #1, 2009 maximize and fully exploit the in- lessons about ourselves and the clusive, diverse talents and thought- world we live in but, more than any- As budding professional scientists processes of our coworkers. thing, how to aspire to be more than and engineers, there is a strong As a final analogy, I’ll point to the we are. drive toward using our powers to fact that superheroes often have “se- The fact that science, engineer- protect the public and make the cret” identities, where the world may ing, and technology are inseparable world a better place. When we are recognize their deeds and accom- from epic superhero stories (Fig. 8) not diligent and responsible in our plishments, but their true identifies unerringly points to the critical duties, tragedy may ensue. The are unknown. As scientists and en- role we must play in technologi- IEEE Code of Conduct also obligates gineers, our identities are more often cally advancing humanity to great- its Members to “…commit ourselves than not “secret.” However, the roles er heights. Essentially, we have to the highest standards of integrity, we play behind the scenes offer in- the ability to change the narrative responsible behavior, and ethical tangible measures of satisfaction as of these stories through the real- and professional conduct.” This view we see our discoveries and creations world actions we take and perhaps makes us not so different from many being used for the greater good. inspire the next diverse generation superheroes, who are also driven to of STEM superheroes to explore the humanitarian service and are inspired Excelsior, heroes! peaks of scientific and technologi- by a moral code. It can be claimed with fairly strong cal innovation. Superheroes have extraordinary conviction that there are no other powers and abilities, but it could social phenomena that crosses ages, About the author be argued that most of their battles gender/sexual identity, social classes, Suveen N. Mathaudhu (smath_____

[email protected]) is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at the Univer-

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MINERAL, METALS, AND MATERIALS SOCIETY sity of California, River- side. He concurrently has a joint appointment in the Energy and Environment Directorate of the Depart- ment of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Labo- ratory. In his fleeting spare time, he still enjoys reading comic books and con- sulting on the science of superheroes for radio, tele- FIG8 Prof. Mathaudhu interacts with students at The Mineral, Metals, and Materials Society-sponsored vision, and film. “Comic-Talnium: The Super Materials of the Superheroes” exhibit that he curated.

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©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE Geek Life 30 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Identifier Object 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2697698Digital them- find selected whoare Students rious—and seriously fun—business. se- is team the joining clear: loud and heard is onemessage team, Robotics LEGO school’s three-year-old on the slots coveted ten forapply oneofthe Georgia, Decatur, in School mentary Ele- Ridge at students Laurel When Working together namics and workplace motivation. workplace and namics accidental dy- into laboratory team an and week ofmy it’s highlight the though, Often, times. at maddening even exhausting, be can perience ex- coach, the programming unteer vol- team’s the as and aparent, As high-fives.wiping tears, and giving arguments, mediating programs, ing and breakthroughs, hours of tweak- frustrations downs, ups and be to going are there that knowledge the with daunting, always is season ics subject:peculiar coaching. LEGO an with appearing oftime blocks December, and September between weeks the in notice, apt to are dar calen- ofmy observers Careful works. colorful more Mondrian’s one ofPiet like look calendar Outlook my making projects from unfinished the week, pare for, and meetings pile up from The kickoff of the LEGO Robot- LEGO ofthe kickoff The ■ due, kids have tests to pre- to tests have due, kids whelming. Status reports are that can border on the over- intensity to Thursdaysan there’s parents, or working July/August 2017 Previous Previous | Page | Page IEEE POTENTIALS s | Contents s | Contents

Building young minds all while learning to design and pro- and design to learning while all small, and big problems to societal practical creative, form to solutions together working team, organizing ofselves a self-governing, part self- n | in Zoom n | in Zoom Zoom Zoom | out | out Front Front brick by brick | Cover | Cover Search Search articulating and expressing aset expressing and articulating while pressure under work to quired re- are students the enough, ing weren’t factors challeng- ofthose all if As robot. asemi-autonomous gram | Issue | Issue Next Next Page Page 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE Lee Clontz Call For Articles Call Student Resources

of “core values” designed to year, for example, students had teach them to be the engineers, to move a fish tank from from teachers, programmers, and one part of the board to anoth- problem solvers of tomorrow. er, making sure that it ends up For nine- and ten-year-olds, it can precisely in a predefined space. be a lot. Many missions have multiple “Often one of the great chal- parameters for success, with lenges for these kids is just greater complexity usually add- learning to work together,” says ing up to more points—and Tracy Hammer, Laurel Ridge’s more risk. gifted and science, technology, “The kids always start by engineering, and mathematics wanting to go for the big points, (STEM)-focused teacher and going after the flashiest or the LEGO Robotics coach. “Some- funniest or the most complicat- times they join LEGO Robot- ed missions,” Hammer explains. From left: Lee Clontz, Laurel Ridge Gifted Program ics just because they think it teacher Tracy Hammer, and Riley Clontz celebrate the “One of the outcomes we try to sounds fun to play with LEGO, team’s success. guide them toward is that big- but the experience demands ger rewards are often found by maturity and patience that they putting LEGO together, and we have chipping away at the more straight- may be finding in themselves for to really make everyone stop and forward missions rather than going the first time.” take a step back and look at the for higher risk.” The school’s LEGO Robotics team broader challenge. The project is There are always more missions is part of FIRST LEGO League, an actually the most challenging part than any team can credibly achieve elementary- and middle-school- for our students.” within the time limit. So the students focused program that is an example The Robot Game consists of a have to work through the process of of a continuum of worldwide ro- standardized game board provided to designing their robot; then creating, botics competitions that span from every participating team with about testing, and refining the programs kindergarten to high school. FIRST 20 different challenges or “missions,” themselves; and, ultimately, making was created by inventor Dean Ka- ranging from the straightforward the final choices about which missions men to expose young people to the and simple to the extremely difficult. they feel confident they can execute in kinds of real-life problems that sci- Students build and program a robot front of the judges. In the end, though, entists and engineers of all types try using LEGO’s Mindstorms platform as with most aspects of the LEGO Ro- to solve every day. Approximately to autonomously complete as many botics team, the students themselves 32,000 teams, consisting of more of the missions as possible within a make those hard decisions. than a quarter-million children from 150-s time limit. The missions are “As mentors and coaches, we across the world, compete in nearly designed to mimic real-life situa- don’t dictate a president or a leader 1,000 tournaments throughout the tions in a LEGO-fied way. This past or any particular way of organizing fall every year. The FIRST LEGO League season begins with a broadly themed challenge. In 2016, it was “Animal Allies.” Participating teams are given three separate and distinct areas in which to compete: first, they must find a related problem and then create and present a novel solution; the teams have to articulate their core values as a team and demonstrate them under pressure; and they have to succeed at the Robot Game.

The Robot Game “The first thing that everyone sees, that all the kids get excited about, is the Robot Game,” says Brian McKinley, Laurel Ridge staff member and coach. “Everyone wants to come in and start building, start The community around Laurel Ridge celebrated the team’s win at the regional competition.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 31

teer coach. My background is in Web development, so it seemed appropriate that my responsibility would be to help turn our students’ collective enthusiasm into action by exposing them to the world of motors, sensors, and attachments that make a LEGO Mindstorms robot work. The Mindstorms platform is de- ceptively simple, and the FIRST rules are fairly accommodating about the parts, methods, and techniques that are allowed in the creation of the robot. A typical LEGO Robotics robot starts with the “brick,” a Bluetooth- enabled, battery-powered brain into which the robot’s various motors and sensors are plugged. Students The robot, named Jason, has a series of specialized attachments that can be swapped typically build a chassis around the during the competition. brick from LEGO bricks and Tech- nic parts to hold a set of motors and the team,” McKinley adds. “We make from a Mad Max movie. The breadth wheels that enable the robot to move them figure that out. The students of ingenuity, creativity, and excite- and maneuver, as well as sensors are more successful when they make ment was thrilling, and I wanted my that allow the robot to react to its the connection early in the process sons and I to be a part of it. environment with reactions to touch that leadership and delegation and Fortunately, Mrs. Hammer was or changes in light or color. decision making are critical to suc- already in the process of charter- The programming environment cess, but I think it’s much more im- ing Laurel Ridge’s LEGO Robotics for Mindstorms uses a graphical user portant that they figure that out as program, and I signed on as a volun- interface called ROBOLAB, developed part of the process rather by Tufts University in Mas- than have us dictate it sachusetts. Programs are to them as coaches. We built from a series of action are pretty straightfor- blocks with a surprisingly ward with them about robust set of outputs and in- being hands-off. They puts available to students. are responsible for the The game boards, which structure and delegation change every year, provide of the tasks; we are just students with opportuni- there to guide them.” ties to use the sensors in creative ways if they desire. Creating Boards will typically have programmers colored lines and touch points My involvement in Laurel that students can program Ridge’s LEGO Robotics their robots to detect and re- team stems from a time act against, and the input about six years ago when from those sensors can be I took my older son, now easily directed into action in a teenager, to a local the Mindstorms software. FIRST regional competi- The toughest part as a tion. Seeing the scope of coach is not taking over for the student work was them. Good teachers have inspiring, ranging from the training and tempera- young elementary school- ment to lead students gently ers and their LEGO cre- through thought processes ations to high schoolers and pattens that help them creating basketball- discover solutions on their shooting robots that Two teammates, (from left) Hampton Gilleland and Brody Clontz, own, which helps not only looked like something prepare for their robot run during the regional competition. to reinforce what they’ve

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learned but also gives them a frame- Seeing the scope of the student work was inspiring, work to discover their own solutions in the future. Programming is rife ranging from young elementary schoolers and their with opportunities to tweak one’s LEGO creations to high schoolers creating way to success, and the combina- basketball-shooting robots that looked like tion of the stark ones-and-zeroes of the program combined with the vari- something from a Mad Max movie. ances of a machine maneuvering in a physical space requires vast amounts of patience on the parts of the students. Intense frustration is, more often than not, the last step before a breakthrough. It’s a lesson I take back to work after almost every session. Adults are, after all, just children with the advantage of time, and there’s a clar- ity in a clear and unambiguous challenge that can bring out the best in a team, whether the participants are nine years old or any given multiple. “You can do this.” “How?” “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out.” Approaching these kinds of new challenges can all be overwhelming for students at the beginning, though, The team celebrates the end of a long, successful season. which is why I always start our programming season with an exercise I call the “Banana Game.” ably, the experiment ends in failure, it’s up to you to make them smart by with the taller or shorter student run- telling them very precisely what you The Banana Game ning into desks, missing the target want them to do and documenting The idea behind the Banana Game is altogether, overturning, underturn- what the robot is doing and why. straightforward: make a simple maze ing, and students hopefully laughing with classroom desks and designate and feeling engaged. The project and core values one “target” student at one end of the Then comes the outcome: why Students joining the LEGO Robotics maze. Find two students, preferably did our program fail? The conversa- team tend to fixate on the robot and of differing heights, and blindfold tion invariably turns to the need for them so that they can’t depend on standards: we can’t just say “take a memory to navigate the maze. The step forward,” we need to define, in blindfolded student—the “robot”— very specific terms, what distance has a number of commands that he constitutes a step. We need to find or she can follow: take a step for- a way to measure how a blindfolded ward, turn 90° to the left, turn 90° to person—or blind robot—can turn the right, extend your right arm, or precisely. As programmers, we need open and close your right hand. The standards, and we need to agree on “target” student has a simpler job: them early. If, for example, we build stand at the end of the maze with a our programs anticipating a cer- banana in his or her hand. The tain diameter wheel and then substi- objective for the remaining students tute a wheel of a different size, there’s is simple: guide the “robot” student a good chance that our program will through the maze to acquire the no longer work reliably. If we don’t banana and log the steps. start our robot from exactly the same Where the game becomes more start state every time, it’s not going to interesting is when we substitute execute even the best-written program another “robot” student and try to reliably. Robots, I like to tell them, are The team agreed on this phrase as one run the same steps again. Invari- incredibly dumb out of the box, and of its core values.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 33

Good teachers have the training and temperament tions and opinions float close to the surface, and observing and to lead students gently through thought processes coaching them helps me see similar and pattens that help them discover solutions on subtle reactions, expressions, and their own, which helps not only to reinforce what needs in the behaviors of my professional colleagues. they’ve learned but also gives them a frame-work Just as important for the team to discover their own solutions in the future. is the articulation of its core values, which are what they sound like: the beliefs, behaviors, and practices that the team will live by. FIRST has a the game board, but the real, connect with. We would rather them few guiding principles, including “co- STEMmy meat of the competition is come up with something original and opertition,” which drives home the centered around a project devised authentic than something that they notion of respectful and agreeable ri- and managed by the team itself. For just copied from somewhere else.” valry among the teams at the compe- 2016’s “Animal Allies” theme, the Managing a project is what, at tition as well as “gracious profession- team decided, after considerable work, I find myself struggling with alism,” which encourages them to debate, to create a solution designed every day, and there’s a purity to the work together and with other teams to protect outdoor cats from the LEGO Robotics team that is powerful as colleagues. menace of neighborhood coyotes. to experience. The students articu- In some years, emphasizing core The students interviewed experts in late problems, choose one, articulate values requires as much attention as the field, including a doctor from the solutions, choose one, document, the project itself. “We get reminded San Diego Zoo, and worked through and execute. Everyone looks to the every year that, no matter how ma- various permutations and combina- best within themselves and what tal- ture the kids on the team are, they’re tions of inventions that would pro- ents they can manifest for the greater still nine or ten years old, and it can tect cats by scaring off predators good. As a team, they learn how to be hard to for them to focus, to deal without being a nuisance for human work in sync, how to disagree agree- with frustration, to be good winners, neighbors. The team created a short ably, and, hopefully, how to trust each and to keep their chins up when skit for the competition as well as a other when things get tough. dealing with adversity,” McKinley project trifold board to explain its What better lab can there be explains. “Some years, you learn to research and solution. for learning about human behavior build a robot; other years, you just “The project is really the focus and team dynamics than by coach - learn to work in a team.” of the whole competition,” Hammer ing children who have not yet It’s a lesson that I do well to re- says, “and the teams work really learned how to fake their way member with my own team at work. hard on finding a topic that’s im- through a boring meeting or how Adults generally are never called portant to them and that they can to simulate consensus? Their emo- upon to articulate their “core values,” at least outside of the context of a training session that can sometimes feel eye-rollingly inadequate to solve any real-world problems. What’s great about the LEGO Robot- ics core values process is that the values are articulated and then have to be demonstrated. They’re not a mission statement as much as they are a set of guiding principles for a working group, where everyone won’t always get along and everyone won’t see problems in the same way, so how do we make the best of everyone’s contributions without taking our frustrations out on each other? What do we, as a team, care about?

The competition FIRST competitions have a special intensity, with the mental intensity Programming Coach Lee Clontz helps the team think through its programming strategy. of a science fair crossed with the

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withering fatigue of a track meet. For so many reasons, I look forward to each fall Students arrive shortly after dawn, setting up their boards in cramped with a mix of excitement and anxiety about meeting lunchrooms, sign up for practice the season’s new batch of young engineers and time on the official practice boards future thought leaders, knowing that we have a and … wait. And snack. Students from each school check out each long journey ahead, rich with growth, discovery, others’ display boards, sizing up the and fingers sore from prying LEGO pieces. competition while fighting to main- tain a cool and collected exterior. Some teams go on a public relations offensive, giving out themed treats or rote trial and error with which every forward-looking facility with a num- pamphlets about their projects, while programmer and engineer is famil- ber of new initiatives including an others draw their focus more inward iar. Touching the robot outside of aquaponics facility, a Science Olym- with games of chess or cards. Elec- its start zone comes with a signifi- piad team, and a science club. tronic distractions are strongly dis- cant penalty, so keeping a cool head “Every year I’m in awe of what couraged, if not outright banned. is paramount. these kids put together,” says Lau- As the day goes on, each team The end of the day is the awards rel Ridge Principal Beth Kyle. “I’m so appears before a panel of judges to ceremony, which feels more like a proud of the work they put in every show off its robot design, perform graduation or celebration than a year and seeing them grow and suc- its project skit, and to do a core val- sense of having won or lost. Sure, a ceed is incredibly gratifying.” ues presentation and exercise that few teams go home with trophies, but As a volunteer, I’ve learned so remains shrouded in mystery. Judg- there is a bittersweet quality to the much from these teams about group es are looking for invention and in- proceedings. The months of work are dynamics, reward, values, and com- novation, but also for teamwork, to over, and, unless they’re successful munication. I like to think that it’s see where the chinks are in a team’s enough to move to a further round of helped me at work to develop deeper armor and, hopefully, the ways in competition, it’s the end of the road empathy, the ability to deliver con- which they have overcome them. for coaches and students alike, at structive feedback with kindness, to “We work hard to not overcoach least until the next season. know when to push and when to step them about how to carry themselves Work life rarely affords such a back. For so many reasons, I look in front of the judges because we stark assessment. People are promot- forward to each fall with a mix of ex- really believe that their accounts of ed or they’re not; projects are more or citement and anxiety about meeting the experiences they’ve had as part less successful than they could have the season’s new batch of young en- of the process are going to be much been; great plans result in productive gineers and future thought leaders, more authentic if they come from outcomes, or they wither and fall to knowing that we have a long journey them, in their words,” Hammer says. ruin. Once you’re an adult, success ahead, rich with growth, discovery, And there are always stories to tell. is rarely as clear as bringing home and fingers sore from prying LEGO “We encourage the kids to own a trophy; nor is failure as black and pieces. I always walk away feeling their adversity,” McKinley adds, “and white as a numeric score that didn’t like I have taken more from them to be honest about it. The employers quite hit the mark. Still, falling short than I have given. who are lucky enough to hire these is no more fun as an adult, and ev- kids one day are going to be looking eryone needs acknowledgment when About the author

for them to be able to solve problems, he/she has done his/her best. Lee Clontz ([email protected])______lives in whether that’s something technical Atlanta, Georgia, where he manages or something interpersonal, so we The outcome a team of academic technologists at don’t want them to sugarcoat.” In four years, Laurel Ridge Elemen- Emory University. He has degrees in The afternoon of a competition tary School has had considerable journalism from the University of is where all of the robot work comes success at the regional level, with South Carolina and Columbia Uni- to fruition, with each team getting two first-place overall wins and Core versity, and he previously worked in three “runs” for their robot to execute Values and Innovation awards in Web and content development at as many of the programmed mis- regional competitions. The impact Turner and The New York Times. sions as they can in the 150-s time on the school has been greater than His hobbies include distance run- limit. The board is identical to the the awards themselves, as the LEGO ning, movies, reading, gaming, and practice boards that each team has Robotics initiative has been instru- seeking adventure with his wife back at its school, so it all comes mental in helping to establish the and two boys. Follow him on Twitter down to execution and the sheer, 60-year-old school as a STEM-focused, at @clontz.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 35

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE Geek Life 36 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2678578 tion of electronic gadgets. But rapid But rapid gadgets. ofelectronic tion decomposi- proper the and duction pro- ofthe balance the maintaining in helpful was which adecade, than for more devices other and sion sets household televi- their tokeep used andrepair. resale, ing reuse, includ- withthehelpofefforts degree tosome Both issuescanbecontrolled wastematerial. amount ofdiscarded tion ofgadgetsand2)asurgeinthe the materialsneededforproduc- for in miningandtheprocurement 1)asignificantincrease jor problems: gadgetsleadstotwoma- of electronics inthedemand that therapidincrease states E-waste ManagementNetwork, nizations, suchastheInternational for the not optimal is environment. which oflandfills, use the require eventually efforts these as limits, helpful but have their are which ers, consumption, contain- reusing and e-waste reducing such recycling, as for handling techniques various Theretons are currently annually. ducing e-waste exceeded 93.5 million 2014 to 2016, the rate of pro- from Market, Global E-Waste Management There was a time when people when atime was There byecofriendlyorga- Data provided ■ July/August 2017 ronment. tothe According envi- our and humanity on impact adeep has which ofe-waste, problem ing ur world is facing an alarm- Previous Previous | Page | Page IEEE POTENTIALS s | Contents s | Contents Using e-waste to build these goods, for example, according according for example, goods, these for demand the in a spike in resulted have technology in advancements n | in Zoom n | in Zoom a gamingconsole Zoom Zoom | out | out Front Front | Cover | Cover Leveling up: Search Search to 29 own a smartphone and use it it use and asmartphone own 29 to of18 ages the between ofpeople 89% Center, nearly Research Pew the to | Issue | Issue Next Next Page Page 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE Afaq Ahmad Call For Articles Call Student Resources

for no longer than one year, before The AmanTron Gaming Console–1 is an electronic buying a new one. device that consists of some components Gaming goes green including capacitors, resistors, integrated The AmanTron Gaming Console-1 circuits, and keys that all are extracted from (Fig. 1) is an approach to serving nature along with advancing tech- discarded e-waste materials. nology by minimizing the rate of pro- ducing e-waste and other discarded materials including plastic and rub- ber. In today’s world, we see the various gaming companies introduce their latest product to the market on a near-weekly basis. These products include the latest hardware along with more magnificent and sleek designs that attract gamers. It’s an example of the adage, “out with the old and in with the new.” These old gadgets are then dis- mantled and useful parts (such as some hardware) get separated, but a lot of plastic is left out of the reus- able equation. United Nations Uni- versity reported that, in 2014, approximately 41.8 million tons of plastic were produced, and that figure is increasing fast. There are different techniques that offer a suitable way to deal with FIG1 A look at the entire system of the AmanTron Gaming Console-1. e-waste under current waste-management systems, but they are not en- tirely effective, as a significant part of to connect all of the peripheral parts (Fig. 3), which are used to enable the this waste is handled by people who of the console to the interface and get boost feature to speed up the car rap- don’t follow the recommendations the input to generate the value that idly in the game. that best serve our environment. will further implement in the game. To introduce the acceleration and The AmanTron Gaming Con- braking of the car into the game, From waste to want sole-1 is inspired by control systems a transmission shifter (Fig. 4) was The AmanTron Gaming Console–1 is used in sports cars, such as having introduced, which is responsible for an electronic device that consists of a gear shifter behind the steering driving the car in both forward and some components including capaci- wheel for manipulating the gears reverse directions. The transmis- tors, resistors, integrated circuits, up and down. There are also nitro sion shifter is constructed to slide and keys that all are extracted from buttons built on the steering wheel in the front and back directions by discarded e-waste materials. The the use of a two-way switch that en- console needs to interface with a ables the selection between two dif- computer that works on ASCII values ferent ASCII values that define the for which it requires a circuit. Such a forward and the reverse motions. circuit is easily found in old comput- The user simply needs to slide the er mice and keyboards. transmission shifter to choose the Particular values are assigned for veicle’s direction prior to hitting different features of the console, ac- the accelerator. cording to how it will be implemented Unlike the well-known systems on into the game. It comprises an inter- the market, the heating effect that face (Fig. 2), which is responsible for often occurs during long hours of establishing the connection between gaming is not produced by the Aman- the computer and the console. This FIG2 The interface is responsible for Tron console, and it requires very low interface consists of several univer- establishes the connection between amounts of power since there is very sal serial bus ports, which are used computer and the console. little load on the computer.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 37

Unlike the well-known systems on the market, the tion by using devices such as smart- phones, computers, and tablets as heating effect that often occurs during long hours our pen and paper. These gadgets of gaming is not produced by the AmanTron put somewhat of a hold on the cut- console, and also it requires very low amounts ting of trees and the manfacturing of paper. Is it possible to think that power since there is very little load on a computer. soon use of paper will become a thing of our past? If paper goes the way of the dinosaur, we would still we have a significant issue to tackle—plastic, which is significantly harmful to the environment. Instead of eliminating plastic waste, we are adding more of it to our landfills (as well as to a variety of new product releases). It seems like each year there is a gaming device company that launches a new product to the market that features plastic in its new, “cool” design and/or ground- breaking functions. The AmanTron Gaming Con- sole-1 counters the designs of these large gaming corporations in that it is completely made up of e-waste, including the system’s hardware. This makes it the world’s first recycled gaming device and also the world’s cheapest gaming FIG3 A close-up view of the steering wheel, which includes nitro buttons to speed up the car during game play. console, with a cost of approximately US$3. The AmanTron console is proof that the future of gaming can be fun, efficient, and environmentally friendly. So grab that steering wheel and go for a drive. I think you’ll find that gaming systems born from recycled parts are anything but a waste of time.

Acknowledgment A special thanks to the IEEE Makers Project for selecting the AmanTron Gaming Console-1 as its 2016 grand- prize winner out of 180 submissions from all over the world. The console was recognized for its originality, innovation, and potential benefits to humanity.

About the author FIG4 The transmission shifter allows the car to travel in either a forward or backward Afaq Ahmad (amantech005@______direction. gmail.com) is a third-year computer science engineering student at the (Figuratively) putting environment. There was a time University of Engineering and Man- plastic out to pasture when millions of trees were cut down agement, Jaipur, India. As we step into the future, we are just to make paper. Through tech- making progress toward saving the nology, we eventually found a solu-

38 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE Geek Life Geek Life 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Identifier Object 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2678238Digital crate with the word crate withtheword adeliveryoflargewooden received Thenoneday,Jones been grounded. has thathisdream the realization him, anddisappointmentsetinfrom thatthrilled ligence wasnotacareer an intelligenceofficer. Beinginintel- toapositionas hand, wasreassigned in Jones, withhisengineeringdegree forpilots,so Navy’s strictstandards him. Hiseyesightdidnotmeetthe sight. in were clearly dreams childhood His ing his graduation from high school. follow- aerospace engineering study academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the enter to Jones led toexploration and for adventure potential the and Academy U.S. Naval ofthe pull U.S. Navy. the The in time spending with both his father and grandfather own leg lamp, Jones hatched a plan: aplan: Jones hatched lamp, leg own gettheir could they where quired nia thatwouldfollow. not haveenvisionedtheleglampma- of cheeringuptheirson.Theycould leglampinhopes their ownreplica hadconstructed ite. Jones’parents and itquicklybecameafamilyfavor- the filmyearsagooncabletelevision, mas Story theclassicfilm, lamp from a life-sizedversionoftheiconicleg on it.Afteropeningit,hepulledout And thenJones’eyesbetrayed As his friends increasingly in- increasingly friends his As in a family of servicemen, up grew Jones astronaut. an and ajet pilot of becoming Jones dreamed Brian child, a he was that time the rom . Hehadoriginallyfound Previous Previous FRAGILE | Page | Page A Christ- marked marked s | Contents s | Contents fered to build me a website and that that and meawebsite build to fered of- college in major science puter acom- was who Afriend lamps!’ leg just sell ‘I’ll Ijust thought, “So mits. job,” ad- Jones acorporate getting imagine Icouldn’t Navy, and of the self. “I was actually him- lamps the sell and trying produce to to get out n | in Zoom n | in Zoom Saraju P. Mohanty, Duotong Yang, and Anim Amarsingh Zoom Zoom Getting alegup | out | out Front Front IEEE POTENTIALS | Cover | Cover Search Search made more, I would’ve sold more. All All more. sold I would’ve more, made Icould’ve if year, first That off. took oneBay, it just and website and the on online them selling Iwas garage. and condo my in lamps leg the gether put to- and business, ofthe parts the a company, started figuring out all Istarted Ineeded. all basically was | Issue | Issue Next Next July/August 2017 Page Page Craig Causer Call For Articles Call Student Resources ■ 39

A CHRISTMAS STORY FILM IMAGES—©TURNER ENTERTAINMENT, A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE—COURTESY OF CRAIG CAUSER, LEG LAMP—COURTESY OF A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE AND MUSEUM, TORN PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMURA Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page Call For Articles THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS

of my spare time was taken up by starting their own business. It took and we have the items shipped to making leg lamps. The manufactur- approximately three years before the our warehouse.” ing was moved to China, and we re- business was making money, and ceived three shipping containers of the couple was essentially relying on The lore of Cleveland Street leg lamps—I figured it was a three- Jones’ wife’s salary to survive. Those The iconography of A Christmas year supply—and we quickly sold out initial challenges included hiring em- Story knows no bounds. While some of them. I didn’t expect that kind of ployees and getting a warehouse. people may first cite the “official demand for them.” “Our first location was my 900-ft2 Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot Jones, whose wife was also in the condo in San Diego, California, range model air rifle with a compass Navy, was in the midst of a six-year where we kind of set up a leg lamp in the stock and this thing which run as a full-time intelligence officer assembly line in my living room and tells time,” there’s also Aunt Clara’s while running his leg lamp business stored stuff in my garage as well as a bunny suit, the frozen flagpole, and on the side. While the pace was ex- storage unit,” Jones says. “Then the Little Orphan Annie’s decoder pin. tremely challenging, he highly recom- second year, we got an actual ware- But the hub of Americana presented mends that people moonlight before house. Everything is made in China, in the film was the Parker family home. If building leg lamps for a living was not outrageous enough, purchasing the home in Cleveland, Ohio—sight unseen—where the ex - teriors of the Parker home were JASON MILLER/AP IMAGES FOR A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE AND MUSEUM filmed, was well beyond the chutz- pah of a triple-dog-dare. “The captain of my wife’s ship found the house up for sale on eBay,” Jones recounts. “The executive officer knew that I sold leg lamps from A Christmas Story but the captain originally had no idea. At first he thought it was lava lamps. So, he tells my wife, and it took about five days before she e-mailed me about it because she was in the Middle East. Museum owner Brian Jones holds one of the Red Rider BB Guns used in the movie at It was just a matter-of-fact type A Christmas Story House and Museum in Cleveland. The museum acquired the movie thing, where she didn’t think I’d real- prop and added it to its collection in 2015. ly do anything, but I went straight ©TURNER ENTERTAINMENT

(a) (b) A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE AND MUSEUM HOUSE STORY A CHRISTMAS (a) A shot of the Parker’s family home from the final scene in A Christmas Story. (b) The renovated A Christmas Story House as it stands today.

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over to eBay. I emailed the buyer, An additional US$240,000 was invested in the who hoped to get [US]$115,000 for the house, and told him that I’d pay renovations, which included all of the mechanical [US]$150,000 if he took down the work, the siding on the outside, and the columns. eBay listing. After I bought it, I e-mailed my wife to tell her, and I received a one-line message back: ‘I don’t know from which Ralphie descends in his located exactly where it was in the whether to laugh or cry.’ I thought it bunny suit. film, but a hole was cut in the ceiling was a diamond in the rough and an Jones renovated the interior by and the stairs were constructed. An opportunity of a lifetime, which it providing the contractor with near- additional US$240,000 was invested turned out to be.” ly 30 screen captures of the house in the renovations, which included Simply restoring what was a beat- from the original film. Due to space all of the mechanical work, the sid- down rental property at 3159 W 11th restrictions, every room could not be ing on the outside, and the columns. Street in the Tremont section of Cleve- land was not enough. Jones needed a plan. He used all of the money that he made in selling leg lamps to purchase the house, so he was searching for an idea that would both see a return on his investment and best serve the fans of the film. His first inclination was to go with a bed and breakfast, but that limited visits to one family per day. His first trip to the house would light the fire of an idea that has taken off. “It was two days after Christmas in 2004 when I got to see the house for the first time,” Jones explains. “Even thought it had vinyl siding and the windows were new, you could kind of see the magic—the original shed was still in the back. I thought, ‘Wow, I’m on the set of A A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE AND MUSEUM HOUSE STORY A CHRISTMAS Christmas Story!’ I went running The original cast members from A Christmas Story gather by the leg lamp in the house’s around, stomping through the living room. From left: Zack Ward, Yano Anaya (with his son), Tedde Moore, Ian Patrella, snow, and checking out the back- Scott Schwartz, Patty Johnson, and Drew Hocevar. yard, and that’s when I really got the idea. Originally, the plan was to renovate the outside and make the inside a museum where you could learn all about the movie. But then I thought it would be great to go inside and have the whole movie experience. Even though they filmed the movie’s interior shots on a sound stage in Canada, what if I could renovate the interior of the house to look like those sound- stage sets?” It was a significant problem to tackle, since movie sets are generally constructed on sound stages that are thousands of square feet, and Jones had aproximately 1,700 ft2 of space in the house. The structure was also a duplex unlike the Parker house, A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE AND MUSEUM HOUSE STORY A CHRISTMAS which featured the famous stairwell Ian Patrella revisits Randy Parker’s old stomping ground beneath the sink.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 41

The structure was basically com- business, don’t expect to completely mas hero, the Black-Bart-blasting pletely redone inside and out to know it out of the park right when Raphie Parker? restore the magic from the film. you open. There’s growth and new “I met Peter Billingsley twice, and Jones then discovered that the ideas and expansion that is going to he’s an interesting character,” Jones house across the street was also for occur. When we opened the place, I recalls. “He’s very quiet and reserved. sale, and he decided to purchase it was out of money.” He’s been in Hollywood for a long and use it for the museum and gift But Jones has never been out time and probably gets a lot of people shop instead. His original idea would of ideas. In the past few years, he’s coming at him all the time for stuff. morph as new thoughts and oppor- secured one of the handful of Red He’s done a lot of big-time stuff, pro- tunities arose. Ryder BB guns used in the film for ducing Iron Man and working with “We initially saw about 35,000– display at the museum and invited Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughan. So, 40,000 people that first year and we numerous cast members to par- he doesn’t need to come to my little got about 80,000 people in 2016,” ticipate in autograph sessions and convention or house. I think he likes Jones says. “When we first opened, fundraising efforts. Cast members to keep a little distance from the you got to see the house and there who have visited the house include character of Ralphie because people was a little bit of this and a little bit Scott Schwartz (Flick), Ian Patrella are going to associate him with that of that, and that was about it. Now (Randy), Zack Ward (Scut Farkus), role. He’s working on a lot of other we have the costumes and a fire Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), and Tedde stuff rather than being focused on truck from the movie and a new gift Moore (Miss Shields), among others. just being associated with his role in shop. For anyone looking to start a But what of our quintessential Christ- A Christmas Story.”

He looks like a deranged Easter bunny Following the house’s renovation and the throngs of fans that flocked to experience the Parker family’s abode, Jones turned his sights to the downtrodden neighborhood. The plan was to help out local neighbors with providing their properties much-needed facelifts, since the street was littered with homes in need of repair. The seed for setting up a nonprofit organization to help local homeowners began with a call Jones received about five years ago. “We got a call from a woman who wanted to do a themed run and a fundraiser for the museum,” Jones explains. “I said that the museum was actually doing pretty well and that it was a for-profit business and not a nonprofit. But the neighborhood could use some help, so I thought, ‘What if we set up a nonprofit to help fix-up houses in the neighborhood?’ I thought we would maybe get a couple hundred people who would want to run from Hig- bees (the now-defunct department store that appeared in the film) to the house and that we would make

CRAIG CAUSER a few hundred dollars to put some paint on some houses.” Approximately 6,000 people The museum contains various props and wardrobe pieces from the film including signed up that first year, and it was Randy’s “I can’t put my arms down!” snowsuit. a sight to behold—a sea of people

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running while dressed in bunny Christmas morning fully immersed So, it was going to be rough if it suits and elf costumes. It’s like in the film’s glory, with the soft glow wasn’t a success.” throwing A Christmas Story party, of a leg lamp illuminating the living While Jones admits that he hasn’t and the run is the excuse. room as they unwrap their gifts. The really used his engineering degree “This Christmas will be our fifth winners experience numerous other since graduating from the Naval year doing it and, so far, we’ve perks including over US$800 in gifts Academy, “[studying engineering] raised about [US]$300,000 and from A Christmas Story House Gift helps you figure out things that have completed a lot of projects in the Shop, a leg lamp of their own, and multiple moving parts. Running a neighborhood,” Jones adds. “We’ve a day in Cleveland, where they get business is not really that hard once done painting, work on porches, to visit the Great Lakes Science Cen- you develop a knack for it. A lot of it and a lot of new windows. We try to ter, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, comes down to determination and the keep it around [US]$10,000 per and Jack Casino and spend an ad- willingness not to give up until you house. The neighborhood still has a ditional night at the Renaissance figure out how to solve a problem.” way to go but it’s looking a lot better. Cleveland Hotel. One of the lessons of A Christmas You can kind of feel the vibe in the Story is that, “Sometimes, at the neighborhood changing.” Honors and benefits height of our revelries, when our joy A Christmas Story House Foun- Where the eyes may have initially is at its zenith, when all is most right dation also raises money by holding failed Jones, the legs have more than with the world, the most unthinkable an annual “Spend Christmas in A made up for it. A Christmas Story disasters descend upon us.” While Christmas Story House” charity House and Museum is his full-time, Ralphie’s world doesn’t always go ac- auction. The winning bid in 2016 year-round job. There’s the gift cording to his plan, A Christmas Sto- came in at US$4,000, and 100% of shop, which operates through- ry ends happily, with him dreaming the proceeds benefit the nonprofit. out the year, prepping for special of “pranging ducks on the wing and This experience allows the win- events, and coordinating the upkeep getting off spectacular hip shots.” ner to spend two nights in A Christ- of the physical structure of the The same can be said for Jones. mas Story House, waking up on house. It’s been quite the wild ride “Most of the people I know who for a guy who has exer- were pilots ended up in business,” he cised vision beyond what explains. “Did I miss out on being a the Navy could measure. pilot? Probably not, because I was in “Of course I knew that the Navy and got a chance to fly this was all going to blow around in all sorts of planes. I’m defi- up and be as successful nitely happy with the way things as it has become—I’m turned out. As a kid, did I say I want an engineer, so I’m obvi- to grow up to be a leg lamp sales- ously that smart,” Jones man? No, but this is kind of how says, tongue in cheek. things worked out. It’s been an ad - “But I went about it the venture. We’ve made things work, it’s right way. I started out been a lot of fun, and I hope we’ve moonlighting, built the made a lot of people happy along leg lamps and sold them the way.” myself, the leg lamps were successful, and based on About the author

that, I figured that the Craig Causer ([email protected])______is house would be successful. the managing editor of IEEE Poten- There have been other tials. He has more than 40 years of opportunities that have solid geek credibility. He has visited A come up that I’ve turned Christmas Story House and Museum down. The house from twice, where he willingly donned Aunt Home Alone came up for Clara’s bunny suit and hid under-

©TURNER ENTERTAINMENT sale but it wasn’t a good neath the Parker’s kitchen sink. He fit. While building up to all resides in New Jersey with his wife of this, there comes a point and two daughters as well as an where you have to make official Red Ryder carbine-action that leap and decide that 200-shot, range-model air rifle (with a Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker outside of the you’re going to do it full compass in the stock and this thing home in Cleveland, Ohio, during the filming of A time. We coasted into open- that tells time). He continues to lobby Christmas Story. ing the house on fumes. his wife for a leg lamp.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 43

Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page Student Resources THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS THE MAGAZINEFORHIGH-TECHINNOVATORS THE MAGAZINE FORHIGH-TECH INNOVATORS Geek Life A became essential life skills. life essential became more my hobby. and more became job, costuming Sewing and gluing my was engineering While industry. career in the vertical transportation a begin went onto and engineering with a B.Eng. degree in mechanical have my firstconventionincostumeand play ered my childhoodloveofeffectively mechanical engineering,Irediscov- Hoboken, NewJersey.Whilestudying inStevens InstituteofTechnology future. my be to was (engineering) sideofscience practical the that clear it was school, high by and school, throughout latter the at reliable interesting.I and excelled was science for inspiration, wait to have Iwould art with Whereas ences. sci- the and arts the both ate about aspect is cosplay. for methat and engineering, and art continued into many aspects of both for relationship buildings. This has boxes square not simply and tecture archi- have we It why is colors. and shapes all in come that appliances and cars have we all, After at. look to 44 Date of publication: 13 July 2017 Object IdentifierDigital 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2684246 ©ISTOCKPHOTO/RICHVINTAGE I graduated from Stevens in 2006 2006 in Stevens from I graduated I pursuedthisgoalbyattending passion- Iwas achild, Iwas When ing dress up. In 2002, I attended ing dressup.In2002,Iattended ■ been hookedeversince. rt and engineering have engineering and rt July/August 2017 always gone hand. handin That whichThat is purely func- tional is largely displeas- largely is tional ing—if not also delightful— Previous Previous | Page | Page IEEE POTENTIALS s | Contents s | Contents had become a household term, and and ahousehold term, become had Nowthat well. as did people themed conventions, the more other nerd- various attend up and dress to Icontinued world’s, as the and did n | in Zoom n | in Zoom As my interest grew in cosplay, so cosplay, so in grew interest my As Zoom Zoom Setting cosplay | out | out Front Front cosplay | Cover | Cover Search Search a halloween prop that I found—a Ifound—a that prop a halloween from came actually Inspiration ers. massesfrom of the growing cosplay- apart myself set to something ed Iwant- books, orcomic ofanime ers lov- by about chatted not something in motion | Issue | Issue Next Next Christine MarcheseChristine Page Page 0278-6648/17©2017IEEE Call For Articles Call Student Resources

HARLEY QUINN COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CHRISTOPHER BROWN, BLACK WIDOW COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/GREYLOCH, ROCKETEER COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/PAT LOIKA, WITCH COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/SERGEY GALYONKIN, TORN PAPER—©ISTOCKPHOTO/T_KIMURA Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page Call For Articles THE MAGAZINE FOR HIGH-TECH INNOVATORS

simple set of wings on a string pulley system. I incorporated it into a costume and was delighted at people’s reaction that I had added motion to what was generally a static art. It was my “light bulb” moment. I had studied mechanical engineering and had a job that was literally about moving things up and down. Now it was time to fly.

Taking to the air Some research resulted in learning about linear actuators. The concept was to remake the wings of the previous costume but use a linear actuator on a switch instead of the pull- string. This was accomplished by creating a sort of “scissor lift.” Using computer-aided design software, I St. Celestine from Warhammer 40,000 takes the stage during Dragon Con 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. The costume included animatronic wings and an illuminated sword was able to draw out the main wings and collar. in their open and closed positions. Keeping a narrow profile was essential, as navigating congested conven- From this basic design I have gone from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer tion halls is difficult at best. The on to build other costumes including Night’s Dream. concept is similar to a laundry dry- adding feathers to create angel wings. Starting with the base costume, I ing rack, being able to expand to Later, I built a set with a remote con- wanted the skirt to light up like the significant proportions and fold up trol from a robotics supply website night sky. Lights have become a staple to a manageable size. to shed the wiring harness. With the in many cosplay designs, and this was To supply real movement, my re- current ease of access to materials no exception. Fortunately, prewired, search landed on linear actuators, and tutorials, it has become easier preprogrammed, light-emitting diode which are easily available and pro- to incorporate engineering into cos- string lights that run off of batteries vide portable motion. Since many tumes or hobbies in general. are readily available. I found a set that are designed to work in a motor ve- had a twinkle pattern and hot-glued hicle, they are set up to work off of a Into the night strings of 100 lights into the skirt. A 12-V battery. For my biggest challenge, I decided small pocket was sewn into the back Once I had the theory worked out, to add as many engineering ele- of the skirt to hold the batteries. I was able to collect my materials ments into a costume as possible. As had become my staple, I needed and assemble. It started with a back- This took the form of an original wings for my outfit. Instead of using plate of 1/8-in PVC sheeting. This creation based on Queen Titania the scissor configuration, I opted for was cut to size, and nylon strapping was used to make it wearable. I re- lied on a track actuator to save space and attached it as a “spine” to the backplate. The skeleton of the wings was made from PEX pipe and 1/4-in acrylic strips, which were cut out, and hinges were created by drilling holes and using 1/4-in hardware. The top of the wing “scissor” was attached to the backplate and the bottom to the track actuator. A three-way switch was wired to the actuator and a 12-V battery pack (made with AA batteries). The wiring harness was long enough to hold in my hand. A little paint later, and the end result was a seamless blend- Marchese as Bleez from the Red Lantern Corps during New York Comic Con 2013. ing of engineering into a costume. Animatronic wings and a concealed harness were aspects of the costume.

IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 45

tubing were allocated to create mounting points for two linear actuators on either side of the walker. The existing cross-bracing worked well as a mounting point to steady the actuators. From there it was a matter of learning how to splice rope and attach it to the frame, run it over the pulleys, and affix it to the platform. Finding the correct mounting points for both the actuators and the rope (a) (b) on the platform took several attempts, as the center of gravity would change (a) Marchese’s original creation of Queen Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream based on where on the platform I at Gen Con 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The costume was complete with remote was standing, not that there was controlled wings, an illuminated skirt, and a concealed platform lift that allowed Titania that much room. to “fly.” (b) Queen Titania taking flight on stage during Gen Con 2015. A 12-V battery for a security system was mounted to the front of the frame to create the illusion of flight. Inspi- and wired to the actuators as well as ration came at my job, where I was to a three-position switch that was run working on a cantilevered hydraulic up through the skirt and hand held. elevator, which, I realized, could be The entire frame was covered in fab- easily scaled down to fit under the ric and included additional battery large hoop skirt of the dress. pack lights to give it a “magical” and The basics of a cantilevered hy- less mechanical look. draulic elevator is similar to that of Overall, the result accomplished its a forklift. A platform, steadied on goal of creating an ethereal costume a set of rails, is lifted up and down with many engineering elements that by means of a cylinder. For extra ef- were completely hidden from view in ficiency, a pulley can be used at the the final project. I was able to gain top of the cylinder to create what is 2 ft of lift from the device, which was referred to as 1:2 roping. For every 1 perfect for giving the desired effect in that the cylinder moves, the plat- of flying. form moves 2 in. This costume continued my goal of Construction began with the frame. seamlessly blending art and engineer- I needed something portable that ing. As the world of cosplay progresses, would also support human weight so does the technology it incorpo- but still fit under the skirt. This was rates. There are a multitude of options accomplished easily enough by using available to be pursued in the future. an aluminum “walker.” I initially at- This pushes the envelope for both the The platform lift for the Queen Titania tempted to use a metal sliding drawer worlds of art and engineering and ben- costume. as the basis for the lift, as it would efits them both. already have the rollers and rails in- a simple single hinge with a small lin- stalled and a metal frame to which I About the author ear actuator pulling a string. This is could attach the platform. Little of Christine Marchese (engineering______

where I utilized a robot remote control this made it to the final design as the [email protected]) is a mechanical system to operate the wings. brackets holding the slide rails to the engineer who has been working in the The wings were made of a skeleton basket were too weak. To remedy this vertical transportation industry for of steel wire soldered together to form problem, the rails were replaced with ten years. She is currently an associ- the shape and possessing a fusible vi- one from a “pocket door” installation ate at Van Deusen and Associates nyl interfacing sandwich with some ir- kit. Both the rollers and rails worked working on designing and engineering idescent cellophane in between. A heat out by holding the appropriate weight new elevators and escalators installa- gun was used to heat up the interfac- without any give. tions in New York City. She is also a ing as ironing over the metal was not A pair of heavy-duty shelving brack- multiple award-winning cosplayer really an option. ets were used to attach a pair of alumi- who continues to share her passion of But something was still missing. I num square tubes to the shelf, which art and engineering. More of her work had previously completed several cos- itself was little more than cross-brac- can be found on her Facebook page, tumes with wings, but I really wanted ing. A few pieces of smaller aluminum Engineering Couture.

46 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

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Opportunity formulated concepts about what will work, or opinions about the forces that influence the problem-solving process, IEEE Potentials knocks. would like to hear from you. Will IEEE Potentials is interested in manuscripts that deal with theory, practical applications, or new research. They can be tutorial in nature. you answer? Submissions may consist of either full articles or shorter, opinion- oriented essays. When submitting an article, please remember: tAll manuscripts should be written at the level of the student audience. tArticles without equations are preferred; however, a minimum of equations is acceptable. IEEE Potentials is looking for tList no more than 12 references at the end of your manuscript. No students, recent graduates, and embedded reference numbers should be included in the text. If you need

©CAN STOCK PHOTO/LUMAXART2D professionals with unique viewpoints to attribute the source of key points or quotes, state names in the text and and cutting-edge ideas to write for the give the full reference at the end. magazine. If you have an interesting tLimit figures to ten or fewer, and include captions for each. technical article or want to contrib- tArticles should be approximately 2,000–4,000 words in length; ute your ideas to an existing opinion essays should be 900–1,000 words. column, we can assist you in seeing tInclude an individual e-mail address and a brief biography of four to your ideas through from submission to six lines for each author. publication. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated by the IEEE Potentials IEEE Potentials is dedicated to serv- reviewer team and graded in accordance with the above guidelines. ing the needs of undergraduate and Articles may be required to go through multiple revisions depending graduate students as well as entry- on reviewers’ grades and comments. level engineers. Article subjects are Jump in and submit your article through Manuscript Central at: explored through timely manuscripts with a goal of assisting readers http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pot-ieee on a technical, professional, and personal level. There’s a knock at the door. Answer it. Become an author for IEEE If you’re an engineer who possesses cutting-edge technical ideas, Potentials.

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IEEE POTENTIALS July/August 2017 ■ 47

GAMESMAN PROBLEMS

by Athanasios Kakarountas

Problem #1: Dishes Crazy! You are asked to divide the While working as a server in 52 cards in two groups (not a restaurant, a coworker necessarily with the same challenges you to a game number of cards) in a way where the loser must wash so each group will consist of the dishes at the end of the exactly the same number of night. You both alternately “upside-down” cards. How is add a large number of place- this accomplished? settings on a round table, and the first player who does Problem #4: A Weighty not have room to place a new dish Proposition loses. Dishes must be well placed on You have 27 coins, each of them NUMBERS—© CAN STOCK PHOTO/AGSANDREW, the table, and a place setting is not ANDROID—© CAN STOCK PHOTO/KIRSTYPARGETER weighing 5 g, except for one. The differ- allowed to be covered. Will you choose to ent coin is 4 or 6 g (heavier or lighter by start the game or go second? Which strategy will 1 g). You can determine the weight of that coin by com- you follow? paring groups of them, so you decide to use a balance scale. What is the minimum number of comparisons that Problem #2: Life Is a Highway can always guarantee the weight of the different coin? A person can drive from city A to city B, both located in a small valley with no hills, on a highway. If the distance Problem #5: Hack Attack between the cities is 31.4 mi, can you find the possible Someone hacked a smart house that contains three shape(s) of the road as seen from space? Consider for rooms (A, B, and C) and now has control over three your calculation that if there was a straight line (road) switches (S1, S2, and S3, which switch the bulbs in the connecting the two cities, then the car could reach city B rooms on and off ), a set of a sensitive temperature from city A in a half hour with a steady velocity of (T) sensors, and a light (L) sensor in rooms A and B 40 mi/h. (thus two sets). Room C doesn’t contain any sensors. Although the hacker can set switches as many times Problem #3: It’s in the Cards as he/she wants, a read of the sensors may be done You are in a dark room with your eyes closed and some- only once before his/her IP is revealed. How can one gives you a normal deck of playing cards with 52 each switch be associated with the correspond- cards. He tells you that there are 13 shuffled (randomly ing room? placed) cards in the deck that are upside down (a person whose eyes are open can see the numbers), and the rest are bottom up. There is no other way to distinguish which of If you have a problem for the Gamesman, the cards are upside down or bottom up or their location submit it along with the solution in the deck. to [email protected]. If we publish your problem, you’ll receive a free IEEE t-shirt, so please include your size. Thanks. Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2017.2696298 Solutions are on page 6. Date of publication: 13 July 2017

48 ■ July/August 2017 IEEE POTENTIALS

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