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Daniel P. Cook - Entertainment Engineering and Design

Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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"If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there's a chance you may contribute to making a better world. That's your choice."

-- Noam Chomsky
I am a junior faculty member in Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I have been a resident of Las Vegas since August, 2005. My work here at UNLV entails two major thrusts: 1) research and teaching in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the traditional area of thermal-fluids, and 2) development of UNLV's new Entertainment Engineering and Design program.

The entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the creative use of high technology is a must for today's entertainment designer. The Entertainment Engineering and Design program at UNLV provides an academic path for students who are interested in pursuing the interdisciplinary fusion of engineering and the fine arts that will allow them to succeed in the entertainment industry. Students graduating from the program will be prepared to work in the design, production and operation of entertainment devices, systems and venues. The students graduating from this program will be developing the infrastructure of the next generation of entertainment system used throughout the globe.

The program focuses on building a strong foundation in design principles from the beginning of the student's freshman year, emphasizing projects that involve hands-on fabrication and visual communication skills. As the students progress through the program, they will have the opportunity to intern with entertainment companies such as Cirque du Soleil and Wet Design. In addition, there will be opportunities for students to study at partner design schools in Europe and Asia. As upper classmen, the students will focus on specific areas within the entertainment industry such as 1) Structural Design and Rigging, 2) Automation and Motion Controls, 3) Biomechanics and Animatronics, 4) Entertainment Venue Design, and 5) Advanced Visualization Techniques.

More detail on both my thermal-fluids work and my work in Entertainment Engineering and Design can be found distributed throughout my website. If you have specific questions about what I am doing in either of these areas, you can find all the necessary contact information also on this site. Email is always the best way to contact me.


Spring 2009 Courses

I'm teaching four courses this semester. Information for each of these courses can be found below, with direct links to the individual course webpages.
ME 301 - Structure and Properties of Solids

This course makes the link between the microscopic properties of materials, e.g. electronic structure of an element, and the macroscopic engineering properties of the material.

The first homework assignment has been postponed by one week, so those of you enrolled in the class have nothing due this Wednesday (1/21/09). However you should be prepared for a quiz on chapter 1 and chapter 2 sections 2.1-2.3.
EED 100/200 - Entertainment Engineering and Design Seminar class

This seminar class acquaints students with current trends and practices in the entertainment industry through lectures and presentations by entertainment industry professionals and students enrolled in the program, and site visits to local entertainment venues.
EED 111 - Basic Kinetic Structures

This studio class provides the students with an overview of the many types of kinetic structures currently used in the entertainment industry; the science of these structures; fabrication methods for construction of these structures; and hands-on experience working with these structures.
EED 220 - Design for Live Entertainment

This studio class intoduces the students to the aesthetic principles of entertainment design. This semester the students are focusing on basic automation and controls techniques used in the entertainment industry.