Sixteen student teams from the Center for Research and Technology (CART), Hoover, Buchanan and Madera high schools will compete in the National Engineering Design Challenge 2001 at California State University, Fresno on Saturday, January 27, 2001.
The competition is being sponsored by Grundfos Manufacturing, Duncan Enterprises, Pelco, Sunrise Medical and the Department of Industrial Technology at Fresno State.
The design challenge is a competition that requires students to apply the abstract principles they learn in math and science classes to a real engineering problem. Winners will advance to the national competition held during National Engineers Week in Washington, DC. , on February 20-21, 2001.
Now in its twelfth year, the design competition is a hands-on program in which high school students-with the advice of a teacher/coach and volunteer engineer-design and build a working model of a new product. The students will present their product to judges on Saturday and will answer questions.
To increase student interest and social understanding, the projects normally are consumer based and emphasize universal design. This year, student teams will design and fabricate a product that will help make life easier for people with disabilities. To become financially successful and stay on the market, the product must appeal to the widest possible market. Products should fall under one or more of the following categories:
computer/user interface
food preparation and eating
personal hygiene
transportation
clothing
The product should be usable without any outside assistance, inexpensive, safe, durable and designed using Universal Design concepts.
The National Engineering Design Challenge is coordinated by JETS (www.jets.org), a national nonprofit education organization dedicated to promoting interest in engineering, science, mathematics and technology.
Design competition starts at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 in Industrial Technology Room 101. The awards ceremony will be at 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Dr. Tony Au, chairman of the Fresno State Department of Industrial Technology, at (559) 278-4102 or 304-5781.
