Puzzle Cube Project
Puzzle Cube Project
Aislinn Schepers
Period 4
Target Consumer
Designer
Aislinn Schepers
2
Problem Statement
A local office furniture manufacturing company throws away tens of thousands of scrap
hardwood cubes that result from its furniture construction processes. The material is
expensive, and the scrap represents a sizeable loss of profit.
Design Statement
Fine Office Furniture, Inc. would like to return value to its waste product by using it as the raw
material for desktop novelty items that will be sold on the showroom floor. Design, build, test,
document, and present a three-dimensional puzzle system that is made from the scrap
hardwood cubes. The puzzle system must provide an appropriate degree of challenge to high
school students.
Criteria
1. The puzzle must be fabricated from 27 hardwood cubes.
2. The puzzle system must contain exactly five puzzle parts.
3. Each individual puzzle part must consist of at least four, but no more than six hardwood
cubes that are permanently attached to each other.
4. No two puzzle parts can be the same.
5. The five puzzle parts must assemble to form a 2 cube.
6. Some puzzle parts should interlock.
7. The puzzle should require high school students an average of 3 minutes/seconds to solve.
Procedure:
1.
The entire project procedure is included below as an overview. Your teacher will guide
you as to when you will complete each step.
2.
3.
Brainstorm and sketch on isometric grid paper possible puzzle part cube combinations
for your cube using Activity 4.1a Puzzle Cube Combinations.
4.
Create two different Puzzle Cube designs from your possible parts using Activity 4.1b
Graphical Modeling. Note that the design brief that follows requires that each puzzle part
contain at least four and no more than six hardwood cubes. For each design, neatly sketch and
color code an isometric view of each of the five component parts and show how they fit
together in the isometric view of the cube on isometric grid paper. See your teacher for an
example. You will need a total of two solutions with ten unique parts.
5.
6.
Hand sketch a multi-view drawing for each of the five puzzle parts of your solution using
Activity 4.1b Graphical Modeling. Exchange your sketches with a classmate, virtually build your
partners parts according to the activity, and provide feedback.
7.
Select one of your partners six cube puzzle parts. Neatly fabricate the part from the
multi-view sketch. Give appropriate feedback using Activity 4.1b Graphical Modeling.
8.
9.
Create the five parts to your cube using 3-D modeling software. Color the parts within
the CAD environment using the same color combination used in the sketching phase of your
project.
10.
11.
Fabricate your five puzzle parts. Color your parts using markers (colored pencils or paint)
to match the colors of your CAD model and assemble your cube.
12.
Test the solution time of your puzzle cube. Identify at least ten test subjects. Be sure to
choose your test subjects so that the data you gather can provide evidence of meeting (or not
meeting the design criteria). Each test subject will solve your puzzle three times. You will
measure and record the time to solve the puzzle each time. Also, collect demographic
information that might be important to determine how well you have addressed the needs of
your target market (and to help you answer the conclusion questions).
13.
Find statistics related to your test data (using technology as appropriate) to include the
following:
Mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation of the solution time for the first
attempt for all test subjects.
The mean of the solution times for the second attempt for all test subjects.
The mean of the solution times for the third attempt for all test subjects.
14.
View the Assembly Constraints presentation. Using 3D solid modeling software, create
an assembly model of your puzzle.
15.
View the Creating Drawings in CAD presentation. Create a drawing using 3-D modeling
software to display a fully dimensioned multi-view for each of the five parts and two different
isometric views of the assembled puzzle. The isometric views should provide enough
information so that another classmate can solve the puzzle using only those two views.
16.
Exchange your drawing with a classmate and provide feedback on errors, omissions, and
recommendations to improve your classmates drawing.
17.
Using Excel, create a scatterplot and find a trend line for the relationship between
number of attempts (independent variable) and the average solution time (dependent
variable). You will have three data points: (1- average solution time for first attempt), (2 average solution time for second attempt), and (3 - average solution time for third attempt).
Properly label the axes of the scatterplot and include units. Write the relationship between the
two variables in function notation and define your variables. (You should complete Activity 4.1c
Mathematical Modeling prior to completing this requirement.) Express your model using
function notation.
18.
Interpret the slope and the y-intercept of the trend line and explain their meaning in
words.
Estimate the average solution time on the fifth attempt. Indicate the solution both
graphically (by showing how to use the input of 5 to find the time output on the graph) and
numerically (using the equation of the trend line).
Estimate the number of attempts a person has made at solution if they solve the puzzle
in 23 seconds. Indicate the solution both graphically and numerically.
19.
Consider changes to your puzzle cube that might improve your design.
Activity 4.1a:
Multi-View Sketches:
Physical Model:
Pieces Expanded:
Mult-view Sketches:
10
11
12
13
14
15
Drawings of Pieces:
16
17
18
19