Just like the previous sessions, the day started with Jared’s lecture followed by work in the lab. We’ve been introduced to relays and the similarities and differences between a relay and a transistor. The relay is an electro-magnetically controlled switch that can handle more current than a transistor does but involves more internal moving parts and is slower in its response time. The relays can come in different shapes and sizes and are used in systems that require high current. Before the invention of transistors, early computers and telephones used relays. In the lab, we completed the projects assigned using the Boe-Bot. We’ve tested phototransistors and IR sensors in different scenarios. We had fun testing several IR related experiments on the lab floor.

After lunch, Jared provided an overview of the modeling systems that engineers use to understand the behavior of these systems, regardless of their domain of application (financial, electrical, mathematical, etc).