EVERYBODY LOVES ROLLER COASTERS.
I'M HERE WITH DR. KROUSGILL AND RHOADS,
INSTRUCTORS HERE TEACHING A CLASS IN ROLLER-COASTER DESIGN
TO HELP PURDUE STUDENTS LEARN MORE
ABOUT ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES.
COULD YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN TO US THE CONCEPT
OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IN THIS CLASS?
YEAH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD A COURSE
WHERE STUDENTS TAKE MATERIAL THAT THEY LEARNED AS FRESHMEN
AND APPLY IT TO A DESIGN IDEA --
STUFF THAT THEY NORMALLY WOULDN'T GET
TO TILL LATER ON IN THEIR CAREER.
WHEN YOU'RE DESIGNING A ROLLER COASTER,
THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT ASPECTS
THAT REALLY COME INTO PLAY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS, OF COURSE, SAFETY.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FORCES AND THE ACCELERATIONS
THAT ARE IMPARTED ON THE RIDER AND MAKE SURE
THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, TOLERABLE.
SECOND OF ALL IS, YOU KNOW, THE THEME.
THAT'S WHAT I REALLY THINK IS IMPORTANT.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO TRY AND INCORPORATE THE DYNAMICS
INTO SOME THEMATIC ELEMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIRD AND FOREMOST, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT,
YOU KNOW, THE DYNAMICS BEHIND IT,
MAKE SURE IT'S SOMETHING PLAUSIBLE AND SOMETHING
THAT REALLY CAN BE DONE.
NOW, DO YOU THINK THAT STUDENTS LEARN THESE CONCEPTS EASIER,
APPLYING IT TO SOMETHING LIKE ROLLER-COASTER DESIGN?
ABSOLUTELY, THE APPLICATION IS FUN,
AND I THINK THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO WORK HARDER AND LEARN MORE.
IT WAS DEFINITELY EASIER TO LEARN THE CONCEPTS
ABOUT ROLLER COASTERS AND ABOUT ENGINEERING THROUGH SOMETHING
THAT IS MORE INTERESTING, LIKE A ROLLER COASTER.
I'VE HEARD YOU GOT SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION FROM THIS.
CAN YOU MAYBE ELABORATE ON THAT?
THE CLASS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN A LOT OF NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS,
NATIONAL MAGAZINES, AND ENGINEERING MAGAZINES,
AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TEACHING AN INNOVATIVE WAY
OF JUST DOING ENGINEERING.
BEING ONE OF THE FIRST DEFINITELY MAKES YOU
FEEL SPECIAL.
I FEEL COMING TO PURDUE AND DOING
SUCH COURSES IS GONNA GIVE ME AN ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER PEOPLE.
IT TAKES A LOT OF YEARS FOR PEOPLE
TO MASTER WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND IF YOU HAVE SOME
OF THE BACKGROUND EARLIER IN YOUR UNDERGRADUATE COURSES,
IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA HELP YOU LATER ON.
WELL, WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE FIGURE-8 LOOP, YOU'RE ACTUALLY
AT A -- YOU'RE AT A SPEED THAT'S VERY MINIMALISTIC,
AND YOU'RE UPSIDE DOWN, SO WE HAD, LIKE, AN...
WHAT DO YOU WANT STUDENTS TO TAKE
FROM THIS CLASS WHEN THEY'RE DONE?
WELL, I WANT STUDENTS TO ALWAYS BE SOUND ENGINEERS.
IN THIS CASE, I WANT THEM TO BE SOUND ROLLER-COASTER ENGINEERS.
AND, HOPEFULLY, THEY CAN TAKE THAT TO THE THEME PARK NEARBY.
WHAT I REALLY TOOK FROM THIS COURSE AND HOW IT'S GONNA APPLY
IN THE FUTURE IS REALLY A LOT ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS
AND CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND, REALLY,
HOW YOU CAN COMBINE THOSE WITH THE MECHANICS AND EVERYTHING
THAT WE'RE LEARNING, YOU KNOW, FROM A THEORETICAL STANDPOINT
AND HOW YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, REALLY APPLY THOSE TO SOMETHING
THAT GIVES A LOT OF FUN AND HAS A LOT OF QUALITY AND THAT,
HOPEFULLY, CAN BE ENJOYABLE FOR THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW,
EXPERIENCE SOMETHING THAT YOU DESIGN.
SO, JUST REMEMBER, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE ON A ROLLER COASTER,
WHAT COULD HAVE STARTED AS AN IDEA AT PURDUE COULD END
UP AT A THEME PARK NEAR YOU.
WHOA! FOR "BOILER BYTES," I'M KYLE CRAY.
