Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/496129
A World of Possibilities Explored Through HCC Engineering Student Projects The list of active student projects is as diverse as the challenges they present, with development of an autonomous electric ride-on toy car, earthquake shaker table, blood cooling device, self- monitoring compost bin, and a "smart shoe" that automatically calculates vertical leap. "Students begin to learn about the electrical and mechanical elements of various systems by taking apart old equipment and visualizing how to re-use the motors, electronics, and mechanisms found in their projects," explains Scott Foerster, associate professor of engineering. "They then collaborate to manage and document projects when sharing ideas, tools, supplies, and work space in the engineering lab." "Our emphasis on project work is one of the things that makes the engineering program at HCC so unique," said Edelen. "Each project requires that students apply technical skills, but they also learn to be good project managers. They have to plan, schedule, build, and apply. They have to learn how to work in teams, or pick up a project that is not progressing in the right direction and get it back on track. There are a lot of very real, very valuable lessons that go along with this approach, and that is what makes the project experience such a valuable part of the engineering curriculum." From electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering, students are able to experience and understand the roles and interdependencies among engineering specialties. Engineering students at Howard Community College are on a mission to change the world we live in, one project at a time. While that may sound like an ambitious goal, a quick review of the hands-on design opportunities for engineering students each semester makes one thing clear: these projects are changing the lives of the students enrolled in HCC's rigorous and cutting- edge engineering programs. Most students start engineering projects in the Introduction to Engineering course. This required class focuses on learning and experiencing the engineering design process, as well as technical application and skill development through the implementation of a number of group-oriented projects. At any given time, there are approximately 15 active projects in the works, with teams of three to four students concentrating on each. "We have a list of ongoing projects that students can choose to get involved with, based on their interests, or in some cases a small group of students will come up with a unique idea," said Mark Edelen, assistant professor and chair of the engineering and technology department at HCC. "Collectively, these assignments give our students exposure to the various disciplines that are part of the engineering field. Students start to figure out what they like, what they don't, and what areas of engineering they want to focus on for their education and intended career path." Project Snapshot: The Autonomous Power Vehicle Using a child-sized ride-on car, students at HCC are attempting to modify the toy vehicle to drive autonomously, capable of navigating to specific areas while avoiding obstacles along the way. This project has been in the works for several semesters, starting with the mechanics: designing the steering and gas pedal subsystems 6 Howard Community College