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Formerly known as the Engineering Education Advocate
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Engineering Graphics Teacher's Guide |
Aeronautical Engineering Teacher's Guide |
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Civil Engineering Teacher's Guide |
Teaching Engineering Made Easy: A Friendly Introduction to Engineering Activities for Middle School Teachers |
The Musical Engineer: A Music Enthusiast's Guide to Engineering and Technology Careers |
The Fantastical Engineer: A Thrillseeker's Guide to Careers in Theme Park Engineering - Second Edition |
High Tech Hot Shots: Careers in Sports Engineering |
Is There an Engineer Inside You?: A Comprehensive Guide to Career Decisions in Engineering |
Underwater Vehicle Competitions
The post below is from Brian Lien, a teacher at Princeton High School in Ohio. His students built underwater remote operating vehicles (ROVs). The interesting thing is that his project is considered Marine Engineering. Marine and Ocean engineering are important branches of engineering, especially since we are studying all aspects of the ocean environment to determine our effect on the oceans, the ocean as a natural resource and its effect on ships and other marine vehicles.
For me personally, water is relaxing and the ocean has always beckoned. I’m sure there are many students that feel the same way. A career being outside enjoying the water would be especially appealing. This line of work is a welcomed defiance to most of the stereotypes about what engineers do all day.
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http://www.phs.princeton.k12.oh.us/photos/0708photos/departments/teched/ROV%20Project/index.html
The above link will show you some pictures, QuickTime videos, and a media release of an underwater ROV building contest we just completed. My students really did have fun with this project. The students had to hook an electromagnet to the vehicle and then retrieve 5 washers off the bottom of the pool. 2 of 7 groups were totally successful. One group picked up 3 washers at one time and dropped them into the bucket. Several groups got their ROV’s to “fly” however, once they picked up the washer at the bottom of the pool, they did not have enough power to get their ROV to go up high enough to fly over to the bucket and drop them into the recovery area.
The students learned a great deal from the lab and so did I. I will use a different power supply next year. I will stress the fact that smaller is better (even though the 2 that worked were among the largest). One of them worked with one engine out of commission.
We got the idea from FSEA (Future Scientist and Engineers Association). Once we started into the project I found a site from MATE. They have a contest similar to what I did with my students. Next year I am considering making a team to compete in the competition. The link below is to the MATE Regional competition site. There is some really good information here if you are interested.
I would be willing to help anyone with the project if you want more information, grading Rubrics, or lesson plans. I invited parents and had 2 show up. One of them was from a group that worked.
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Posted by Celeste Baine on May 13, 2008
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