School of Dreams (125)

The School of Dreams team (#125) is from Los Lunas. This year they've submitted a project titled Op. Mother Bird.

Proposal
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_proposal1112.php?team_id=125

Interim Report
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_interim1112.php?team_id=125

Introduction
Hi,

My name is Nico Marrero. I am a computer scientist working at New Mexico Tech. See the biography on my User Page.

Progress
It sounds, from your report, that you are all well on your way to being finished by April. For the Expo, do you plan on running simulations for the judges? As an Expo judge, I would much prefer to see your simulation running in Maya than a prerecorded video (since Maya is more well-known for animating than simulating).

What are the problems with current RPG defense systems? I am not familiar with military defense technology so I think an explanation of what exists and what the shortcomings are would be very helpful when reading your report. Then you could also point out how your system is overcoming these same limitations and any new limitations that your solutions introduce.

Mentors
Do you have a mentor who is helping you? I didn't see one listed. I think it would be very helpful to have a domain expert to whom you can ask questions, as this is a complicated subject and your team wants to have a very accurate model to prove your concept. I see you have done quite a bit of research already, but it would also be a great addition to your final report to have a domain expert who can comment on the validity of your proposed RPG defense system.

You can contact consult for help in finding a mentor, if you haven't already.

Model
You have chosen some very complicated things to model, which I bet has been really interesting. Where are you drawing the line in terms of the physics and physical parameters of the objects you are modeling? Are you going so far as to model the effects of drag, propulsion, and weather on the RPGs and Chinooks? If not, what assumptions/concessions are you making regarding the real-world factors you are unable (or simply don't have time) to simulate?

How are you going to verify and validate your model? That will be something we will be looking for at the Expo. How can you be sure your model is correct? What external support can you find for your model's conclusions? Especially since your defense system only exists theoretically, you have no real-world data to compare it to.

Face to Face Evaluation
Your next milestone is a face to face evaluation in February. Here is a link to the rubric so you can prepare: face to face rubric

Rubrics
The judges will use these rubrics to evaluate your projects at the end of the year. Use them as checklists for what you need to communicate to the judges.


 * Expo Judges Rubric
 * Finalist Judges Rubric