Our group wanted to invent a special aid that can help to conserve water initially, however, the idea was rejected by our project mentor so we decided to come up with another useful invention. One of the expert mentor brought up this problem when hanging clothes to us we came up with an invention to solve this serious problem since it concerns the life and death of the users. The goal we had in mind when we embarked on this project was inventing something useful that can overcome the problem of the current bamboo pole. We are aware of the disadvantages and the inconvenience of the bamboo pole so we decided to come up with something safer, more convenient and efficient than the bamboo pole. We used a software called 3Ds Max to draft the design of our prototype so that we can have an idea of how it is going to look like and how it is going to function and last but not least, its effectiveness. This software is beneficial and useful as it allows us to portray a vivid image of our prototype which facilitates in the making of the prototype later. We discussed and brainstormed for ideas to solve this problem and we evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility of each solution proposed, then best solution will then become our invention. These strategies helped us to identify the best solution to the problem and it also allows us to come up with a better invention by being able to visualize it more clearly and building up on our peers’ ideas and suggestions. The criterias we use to evaluate the effectiveness of our invention are the amount of wet clothes the invention is able to hold on to and the safety level of our invention as well as the convenience when collecting clothes. This is what makes our invention different from the bamboo pole as ours is safe to use and convenient. In order to gather information, we asked some housewives and maids about the problem and we find out how this problem affects the users. Besides, we did online research and found cases about people falling down from the window when collecting clothes using bamboo pole. These methods helped us to realize how important it is for this problem to be solved as soon as possible and the extent of the problem. We did some research using the internet and visited supermarkets to find solutions available in the market and we managed to evaluate the different solutions available and came up with an invention that is better. The greatest challenge we faced during design process is the choice of materials used. We had to plan carefully on the materials used so that the invention will not be too heavy and unstable. We went to hardware shops and looked through the different pipes available and we managed to choose the suitable materials for the design. My teammates and I listened carefully to each other’s suggestion which might prove to be useful. We are always willing to accept each other’s suggestion and we work harmoniously among each other by avoiding unnecessary quarrels which might affect the relationships and hamper the progress of the project. We often have meetings to discuss about the project and to build the prototype. During the holidays, we met up more frequently with the team mates to build the prototype and improvise it. We also met up with our project mentors often to speed up the progress of the project and to ensure that the project is on the right path and also to update the project mentor on the group’s progress. We also distribute the workload effectively among ourselves so that each group mate contributed and none of us had to spend too much time on it. If we had more time to do the project, we will definitely add more information into the inventor’ log and beautify the website and of course, improve on the aesthetic of the prototype and improvise it to make it even more convenient as currently, it is a bit challenging to insert the pole into the hole on the extended side especially with heavy loads. We learned about the mechanism behind the
invention and it was fun sawing pipes and connecting them together with nuts and bolts. This invention honed our problem solving skills and it also gave us a chance to showcase my creativity and invent something practical. It also helped us to work well as a team and to avoid conflicts of ideas and also to communicate effectively as a team. The invention process can be applied in the future in projects or tasks that require us to work as a team. Especially when we grow up when we work with our colleagues, we will be able to work well with them and do our job well. The thinking process involved in the invention will help us in the future to generate problems and solutions and improves our future problem solving skills. This will help us to foresee problems and come up with solutions or responses to the problems.
