[Molten]

There are many engineers here that work in specialized fields. Many of these fields have design challenges that are basic components that most of the world doesn't see. My suggestion is that mentors propose basic design problems and allow any students that want to partake, a variety of pass time projects. This could also be used by teams to work on team building and problem solving as well as to go deeper into other fields of engineering other then just robots.

My design proposal is deceptively simple. It is inspired by a washing machine. The agitator within the washer runs about 180 degrees clockwise, then 180 degrees counterclockwise and repeats the process. The challenge is to design a gear system that will allow for a motor that runs in one constant direction to control this process. This definitely can be done, I've seen it. Good luck to any student that attempts this challenge, and I hope the other mentors here have challenges to add to the list. Take your time in picking a task that would make a good project.