Mars Payload Transporter Competition

Fall 2011 Extended Abstract Guidelines

(150 Points)

ABSTRACT IS DUE ON:
Monday Labs: 11/7/2011
Tuesday Labs: 11/8/2011
Wednesday Labs: 11/9/2011
Thursday Labs: 11/10/2011
Friday Labs: 11/18/2011


Please type a brief summary of your project design and schedule (one per group). Make sure
you include the following items:

Team Member Names
Team Group Name
Objective
At least 3 different ideas for your device, and for each device:
o How do you plan on creating it
o Which type of materials will be used
o Anticipated score using estimated numbers
Major milestones in the design and building process

Your abstract should be set up as follows:
1 inch margins
Single Spaced
Times New Roman
Size 12 Font

Some reminders:
- Points will be deducted if more than one abstract is turned in per group.
- Follow the guidelines/template very carefully; points are based on the requirements!
- Late abstracts will not be accepted; bring them to the start of your lab on the specified
day.
- A template is provided on the next page. It is highly recommended you use this
template to receive the highest score. Remove any red text before submitting.


Extended Abstract
Section 000
Team Member Names: (Alphabetical Order by last name)
1. Curie, Marie
2. Edison, Thomas
3. Newton, Isaac
4. Nye, Bill
5. Tesla, Nikola

Objective
The objective of this project is to develop the tastiest baked good with the least amount of
effort while keeping the cost under $50. Taste is qualified by the amount of calories and taste on
a scale from 1-10, and effort is qualified by the time in minutes and difficult of preparation on a
scale from 1-10. The constraints for this project are for the end product to have at least 200
calories but not to exceed 2000 calories, to have a taste factor between 6 and 10, and to minimize
time and difficulty needed to prepare the dessert.

Product Options
Option 1: Chocolate Chip Cookie
The first option is a chocolate chip cookie. We plan on using the break-and-bake
method to make the cookies. This method consists of the teams purchase pre-made
cookie dough, breaking apart the pieces, placing on a baking pan, and cooking in the
oven for a few minutes. We thought a chocolate chip cookie would be a good idea since it
is a well-known baked good and there are not many people who dont like chocolate chip
cookies, so we feel it will consistently score at least a 6 on the taste factor scale. The
break-and-bake method makes this dessert easy to prepare, so we would be meeting the
criteria for minimal difficulty. The materials we will need to create the cookies are cookie
dough, baking pan, non-stick cooking spray, and an oven.

Option 2: Double Fudge Brownie
Another option the team discussed was a double fudge brownie. To create the brownie
we will use the out-of-the-box method. The team will purchase a box with most of the
ingredients pre-mixed in the baking aisle of a local grocery store and follow the
directions provided on the box. The team felt this method of producing the brownies will
gain the best score because the boxed brownies are made to withstand many different
baking mistakes while still producing a good end-result brownie that is appealing to a
majority of dessert-lovers. The materials needed for the double fudge brownies are the
box of ingredients, additional water and eggs needed to complete the recipe, a baking
pan, non-stick cooking spray, and an oven.






Option 3: Red Velvet Cupcakes
We plan on using Marie Curies famous cupcake recipe to make our red velvet cupcake
by scratch. Marie brings her recipe all the way from her native land of Poland making for
a delicious treat. The recipe is fairly complex, and the team would need to take great care
in the adding of particular ingredients, the timing and heating of the ingredients, and the
frosting of the cupcakes. The caloric content and taste factor is expected to be extremely
high, but it comes at the cost of a long preparation time period and a high difficulty, since
red velvet cupcakes would not be suited for novice bakers. The materials we will need to
create the cupcake is flour, sugar, eggs, water, butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, red
food coloring, and baking powder.

Option Comparison
Using the equation provided in the rules packet, we can estimate our scores for our 3 options.

Equation 1: Score Calculation
Score = [ (Calories)
1.5
+ (Taste

Factor)
2
] (Time * Difficulty)

Table 2: Score Comparison
Calories Taste Factor Time (min) Difficulty Score
CC Cookies 400 6 10 3 8000
Brownies 650 7.5 30 5 16500
Cupcakes 1000 10 120 9 30600

Conclusions
After a comparison of scores and a team deliberation, we have decided to move forward with
Option 3- Red Velvet Cupcakes. Even though the cupcakes have the highest difficulty and take
the most time, the score is much higher than the other two scores. Even if the estimation in Table
1 is slightly off, the cupcakes would still have the highest score.

Time Line
00/00/0000 Design Concepts Meeting
Week of 00/00/0000 Finalize Design
Week of 00/00/0000 Shop for Materials
00/00/0000 Construction Meeting
Week of 00/00/0000 Test and Troubleshoot
Week of 00/00/0000 Write Paper
00/00/0000 Final Competition