How I Won the Structure Challenge by Breaking My Own Design
The Challenge
In the Maker Contest, there was a structure challenge. The rules were simple: use the least amount of material to build a structure that holds the most weight.
My teammates and I spent weeks preparing. I used simulation software on the computer to design the structure and draw it. We practiced building it many times, trying to get as fast as possible. I was the team leader, and I felt confident.
Here is the tower we built — a rectangular truss structure made from thin balsa wood strips, with four vertical pillars and diagonal cross-bracing. We mounted it on a square wooden base board.
What Went Wrong
On the contest day, I told my teammates to cut some extra material so it would be easier to line up. We started building. Halfway through gluing the wood sticks, we found that some sticks were glued in the wrong place.
There was almost no material left.
My teammates measured the height. It was too low. My mind went blank. I looked down and saw the base of our structure.
Then I thought: the base could also be used as material.
I took a paper knife and took the base apart.
The Result
The height finally passed. Without the base, the structure was even more stable — the base was not supposed to be there in the first place. We got a prize.
At first I thought a whole layer was glued wrong. Later I found out that the base was not supposed to be there anyway.
What I Learned
This experience taught me to challenge unexamined assumptions. Sometimes the things we think are essential are just habits. The base looked like it was part of the design, but it was actually making the structure worse.
In engineering, you sometimes have to break your own design to make it better.
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