| I put together a short writeup of my project for ME203. Here's the course description:Design and Manufacturing
Prototype development techniques as an intrinsic part of the design process. Machining, welding, and casting. Manufacturing processes. Design aspects developed in an individual term project chosen, designed, and fabricated by students. Labs, field trips.
My project is an indoor waterfall with two goals. First and foremost, it should sound like a large waterfall, even though its size should be small. In other words, rather than a gentle tinkle tinkle sound, it should make a more Niagra Falls-esque WSSSSSHH sound. Second, it should not splash water everywhere.
If I can nail the sound, then I can worry about controlling the splashing. With that in mind, my prototype focused on creating the sound Im looking for.
 I assumed that the most important factor in the sound would be a combination of water pressure and the height the water fell from (in fact, I think they might be interchangeable). The second most important factor might, I thought, be what the water fell into (in terms of both diameter and water depth). So I began experimenting. I poured water into a medium size vessel (cookware I had in my dorm room) from different heights, and with two different pressures. Pressure didnt have any effect (probably because I couldnt control it very well), but height didnt seem to make nearly as much a difference as I thought it would.
 I went on to larger containers, eventually finishing with the largest vessel I could find: a spare trashcan I have. Still, the sound just wasnt right. I realized that it sounded like turning a faucet on, rather than a waterfall. What do waterfalls have that faucets dont?
 Multiple streams!
So I tried two streams at once, and it worked! I experimented a bit with altering the height, and that did add a bit of volume. But switching between one and two streams, theres just no comparison: faucet or waterfall.
My next prototype will focus on refining my understanding of why multiple streams makes it sound so much better, and trying to optimize the sound even further. (Are three streams better? Four? Five?)
|   |
| 785 cases.
2 years.
Lots of friends, and some good memories.
And a cool "yearbook"!
Bye bye Web Advanced! Hello Stanford! | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| I'll be doing a going away party this Friday, in the evening. Not sure where or exactly when, yet. But it'll be a chance to hang out once more before I head off to Stanford.
(Thanks to Olson & Michael Genereux for the reminding to actually schedule this!) | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Since I'm helping Nick move his fridge early on, here's a full schedule. Mostly for my usage, in planning & telling ppl when to arrive.
| | Miles | Duration | End Time |
| Greg & Francine leave Irvine | | | 8:00 |
| Irvine -> Garden Grove | 16 | 0:25 | 8:25 |
| pickup truck | | 0:30 | 8:55 |
| Garden Grove -> Tameko's | 14 | 0:15 | 9:10 |
| Load fridge | | 0:45 | 9:55 |
| Tameko -> HB | 7 | 0:16 | 10:11 |
| Unload fridge | | 0:30 | 10:41 |
| HB -> Irvine | 16 | 0:23 | 11:04 | People helping me should arrive |
| Load furniture | | 1:45 | 12:49 |
| LUNCH | | 1:00 | 13:49 |
| Irvine -> SC | 22 | 0:30 | 14:19 | Need people to follow in cars
|
| Unload truck | | 1:15 | 15:34 |
| SC -> Truck drop off | 3 | 0:10 | 15:44 |
| Drop off truck! | | 0:15 | 15:59 |
| SC -> Irvine | 22 | 0:30 | 16:29 |
And then Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is playing at the Hollywood Bowl, and we head up there for an 8:30pm show! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So, it's been a while since I updated. A few big things of late:
- Saw Daft Punk before I left. To be honest, I really can't think of a way to do the show justice. It was excellent, although much shorter than I expected. Still, it was absolutely worth $50. If you're curious about the experience, go read this review for the NYC show; it sounds identical to the LA show. Or, you could check out YouTube: the first portion and the encore. Awesome night.
- Went to Hawai'i!!!! Woohoo!
- Got two necklaces. (Necklaces are pretty much the only jewelery I'll wear, but I do like them!) Here's a photo of one. I'll take a photo of myself in the other at some point.
- It was a trip of sea turtles (and one of my necklaces is a sea turtle, looks like made out of abalone shell). I'll try to post the story of the first sea turtle sighting. Summary: we snorkled a number of times, and most of them we saw sea turtles up close. The first time, it was a huge one! Cool animals.
- I got a bit of a tan. Not as much as I'd like, but I'll take what I can get.
- The evening of the Daft Punk concert, I also learned about the wonders of UnderArmour. I've since bought two shirts (one shortsleeve, one sleeveless) and may very well buy more. Used both while in Hawai'i, and tested the claim that you'll be cooler wearing them than shirtless. It's true. This stuff is incredible!
- The lease on my apartment ends August 28th.
- I'll move into Crothers Memorial Hall at Stanford on September 15th.
( More Daft Punk Videos ) | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Got an email accepting me to Hawaii this morning! And something especially cool about it (snippets follow): Congratulations! The admissions committee has recommended that you be admitted to our M.S. program.
If your application indicated that you will need aid to attend, we have noted this fact, but we have limited resources, so you should pursue any options you have.
However, we have noted that you have a strong background, and have included you in the set of students to be considered. Also, I expect that if you can get here on your own resources you would find opportunities as faculty get to know you. (I personally have no research assistantships at the moment, but have NSF grants under review that might match your interests in HCI and education.) During my Landmark Education seminar tonight, I get a voicemail from an unidentified number. Didn't listen to it until afterward, but turns out it's the Associate Professor and Graduate Program Chair who'd written the acceptance email!
I get home, and find that he also sent me two more emails today, one at 6:16pm, and one at 7:09pm. Here's the second one:Hi Greg,
I just left a cell phone message. Things are moving quickly here: Since last night, we just got an HCI-related grant for which my colleague and I agree that you might be appropriate. Please let me know whether you are still considering the University of Hawai`i, and when we can talk. It's a heck of a compliment, I wish I didn't have to turn him down, but Stanford will be amazing and I already accepted. But, there's definitely a part of me that wishes I was going to Hawaii. New place, beautiful environment, and most of all: it'd be cool to be getting recruited like that.
Update: Had an interesting idea while talking to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) princemalachi. I could quit my job early and move to Hawaii for the summer. Work as a Research Assistant for this prof, living off the mentioned grant. I'd get some good research experience (which I think would be a big plus for getting me another RA position at Stanford) and I'd also get to experience Hawaii for a while. Obviously, that's all predicated on my not losing money by working there instead of at Web Advanced, and them being willing to only have me for that short period.
Still, a cool development. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| Just submitted my housing application via their website. Was fun, looking at different houses & places to live.
Was out chilling by the pool earlier, reading iWoz. Fun so far.
Also working on a way of being able to view the events you have on Google Calendar, via mobile web and/or text message. The Zend Framework has a library that makes it much easier! So yay for a good (so far) PHP library. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Generally, it's a good idea to read the things they tell you when you get admitted.
New, matriculated graduate students are guaranteed housing during their first year at Stanford if they are willing to accept assignment to any residence for which they are eligible and apply by the deadline to enter the Graduate Housing Lottery.
Guess I don't need to worry about what to do if I don't get housing.
Booyah! | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| Hadn't heard from them, and if I'd gotten in, I was told I'd have been emailed last week. So not much of a surprise.
Odd as it sounds, now at least I'm not wondering if I'll get in.
As a couple people have already said: at least I got into Stanford! And there's something funny about my second choice being as awesome a school as Stanford.
Now to try to figure out if I can get a Teaching/Research/Anything Assistant position, so I don't have to pay the full (read: OMG that's $$$$) tuition. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| One of the goals for me in the Introduction Leaders Program (the program at Landmark that I've been doing), was going to grad school.
Within that, you sometimes set goals/milestones, even if they're things out of your control. (Sometimes especially if they are.) A little after Christmas, I decided that I would get accepted to grad school by February 14. (Funny thing was, I didn't realize that was Valentine's Day; I just randomly picked the 14th.)
So, I walk into work today, check my email and see:
Dear Gregory Edward Schwartz,
Congratulations! On behalf of the faculty in Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, we are pleased to offer you graduate admission to the University of California, Irvine beginning Fall 2007 for the purpose of graduate study leading to the Master of Science degree.
<snip>
This letter is an offer of admission only. This is not an offer of financial aid. Your offer is based on your outstanding academic record and your promise as a future scholar.
Booyah! Now for MIT to email me with the same thing! | | comments: 13 comments or Leave a comment |
| Response from Stanford:
Dear Greg,
Your application went through. You now need to wait at least 48 hours before
accessing http://cs.stanford.edu/admissions/status to complete the
supplementary CS application. You will need to upload your Statement of
Purpose and unofficial transcripts onto this application. Your Statement of
Purpose must be limited to 4000 characters, including spaces. You will also
need to send two copies of your official transcripts [...]
4000 characters?!?
Oh well, at least it made it in.
But, my letter's 9559 characters. Looks like I've got some more editing to do! | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| |
I assumed that the most important factor in the sound would be a combination of water pressure and the height the water fell from (in fact, I think they might be interchangeable). The second most important factor might, I thought, be what the water fell into (in terms of both diameter and water depth). So I began experimenting. I poured water into a medium size vessel (cookware I had in my dorm room) from different heights, and with two different pressures. Pressure didnt have any effect (probably because I couldnt control it very well), but height didnt seem to make nearly as much a difference as I thought it would.
I went on to larger containers, eventually finishing with the largest vessel I could find: a spare trashcan I have. Still, the sound just wasnt right. I realized that it sounded like turning a faucet on, rather than a waterfall. What do waterfalls have that faucets dont?
Multiple streams!
![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/sam/excited.gif)
excited![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/sam/happy.gif)
happy![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/sam/relaxed.gif)
relaxed![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/sam/relieved.gif)
relieved![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/sam/sad.gif)
Sad, but glad to FINALLY know.